While I’m in Texas for the week, Texan filmmaker (and sometime Spout contributor) David Lowery is in New York, attending Independent Film Week to support his feature St. Nick, which is a product of IFP’s Emerging Filmmaker Labs. He’s writing about his experience for Hammer to Nail, and had some interesting observations about the health of the industry. An excerpt:

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Another independent film conference, another major missive diagnosing the state of the industry and the drastic need for filmmakers and distributors to shift gears in order to follow the changing needs of consumers. The above chart is attached to part one of a report at indieWIRE by distribution consultant Peter Broderick, published today to coincide wit the launch of Independent Film Week here in New York. Broderick says Mark Gill (the man responsible for associating the current trend of indie film hand-wringing with the phrase “the sky is falling”) was looking at the state of the industry “from the perspective of a seasoned Old World executive.” Broderick says he comes instead “from the filmmaker’s perspective,” and proceeds to layout ten binary oppositions between the Old World and New World of film distribution.

I’m already buried so deep in conversations online video, alternative marketing, the new self-distribution, etc, that much of what Broderick says seems so obvious that I really can’t come up with an immediate response. So: look at the chart, read the story, and tell me what I’m supposed to think. Thank you.

As the Toronto International Film Festival draws to a close, we talk with Karina Longworth and Kevin Kelly about their experience. The Coen Brothers’ new film Burn After Reading gets a mixed reaction, apparently it’s better if you get to see it with Adrien Brody. Brody’s new film, The Brothers Bloom, by Brick director Rian Johnson, is one of Kevin’s favorites.

The Fall, a lush surrealist epic directed by Tarsem (yes, he only goes by one name), is out on DVD. Adam and I mull it over, comparing it to the 1973 campy classic Zardoz, starring a half-naked Sean Connery.

Lastly, I interview Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP about Independent Film Week, taking place in New York September 14-19. I should note that I accidentally mispronounced her name as “Boyd,” my apologies. It’s sort of funny if you imagine I have a strong Brooklyn accent for just that one word.

 

 FilmCouch 87 [42:01m]: Play Now | Download

(Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday)

0:00 - Intro, a listener shares his woeful Crispin Glover tale

5:12 - Kevin and Karina’s dispatch from Toronto

19:45 - The Fall

30:46 - Michelle Byrd interview

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