Who is the Most Independent Filmmaker Friendly Distributor in 2008? the Answer Might Surprise You
Copyright (c) 2008 Daniel Lafleche
Overall, film sales were down at Sundance 2008. And documentary titles accounted for about half of the distribution deals made this year. However, the real story for deal-making at Sundance may well be that Sony Pictures Classics, the bright-eyed indie wing of the 400 pound gorilla that is Sony Pictures, single handedly kept the festival a viable market for scrappy indie films in competition.
Sony Pictures Classics does not have the success stories of, say, Fox Searchlight Pictures box office bonanza LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Purchased at Sundance 2006 for a record-breaking .5 Million, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE went on to gross close to 0 Million and won 2 Oscars. Smart buy. Smart marketing. In contrast, SPC purchased JUNEBUG at Sundance 2005, which earned next to nothing but did prove to be