Film Festivals: How do they help films?
iView Author:
ARATI
(Mumbai, India)
EMAIL:
Witheld
Mention Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Pusan, Locarno, Sundance, Venice, Rome Film Festivals and most filmmakers (exceptions, of course, always being there) would have a dream of their film being selected for one of these revered international platforms. Having managed film festivals for my company for over two years now, I have a little experience, some apprehensions and few questions.
My first one being the most basic: Why do filmmakers send films to film festivals? Answers could vary from seeing their film with the best film connoisseurs and filmmakers in the world and adding equity to their film by having an “Internationally Approved” stamp, to finding prospective buyers for several world rights to business networking and satisfying your own prestige needs. You know, most of these film festivals are not-for-profit events. Meaning, it runs on sponsorships which is = low funds. Economy fare tickets are given to Directors and ironically, in exceptional cases, actors are given First Class Air Fare (I think it’s because they attract more cameras). People come, watch, opine, leave. My point is, does it add to ticket sales? I personally do not think so. Also, if your film is not selected in the luminous “Competition” section and you have no chance of winning prize money, what motivates a filmmaker to still go there? Of course, some film festivals are too prestigious and just to be a part of it, in any damn section that you can squeeze yourself into, filmmakers just participate. Because in their posters, they can proudly display the palm leaves and mention the Festival Selection. Then kaun puchhta hai, kaunse section mein select hui thi film? There might be several non-monetary benefits of participating, which are directly or indirectly related to brand equity, both for the film and the Director. OK, so your film went to 28 Film Festivals in one year, not one of which was an A-League one.. It went to “Sun-Setting-On-The-Beach Film Festival in Hawaii and Grains-of-Golden-Desert-Sand-Film Festival in Nairobi, amongst others.. Great ! What next? Mountain-Ice-Film-Festival in Iceland?
Secondly, few Indian films are seen in genuinely good film festivals – Festivals that differentiate between good films and bad, irrespective of the language, genre and country. From the largest film producing country in the world, 8-10 selections in festivals that matter, is not really great. By “Festivals that matter”, I mean Berlin, Cannes, Pusan, Locarno, Venice and the likes. There could be two reasons that I can think of, for this. One, we don’t make cinema that is of international standards (which I think is sadly true, to a large extent). Two, some panelists and jury members at these Festivals are biased and prejudiced against Indian films (which again, let me tell you, is true as well). Racism is rampant across the world even today, whether or not we accept it. And the film fraternity is no exception. Many good films must have already been prey to this sad phenomena.. Indians are not really looked-up-to in many Western countries and are often given shoddy treatment in terms of show timings allotted, an apology of a promotion and many other subtle and indirect ways. With so many new-age filmmakers on PFC, I am sure someone will be able to tell me what it really is that keeps us from getting ‘there’ – with the best of world cinema. Of course, there is one Vanaja, and a few other films in recent past that we can count on our fingers.. But why are we not able to really be there in the all-important sections?
Producers spend lakhs on promoting their films at these Film Festivals. Large posters, full page ads in The Screen International and The Hollywood Reporter, industrial screenings, spots on the big screen at astronomical rates, airfare and hotel accommodations for the core team traveling (which, when converted to rupees, is a staggering amount).. And so much else.. Once the show is over, the claps have died down and the praises as well as criticism become quieter, what next? Has this screening, after all your energy and several-lakhs lighter-Producer later, got you a single ticket sale? I fear not. I am yet to meet someone who told me, “Hey! This film was selected at The Montreal International Film Festival. Let’s see it first-day-first-show!” Have you met someone like that?? The only good thing that might have happened, is that the Director gained a lot of equity (Again, I repeat, depending on which Festival it is. Not some Films-by-The-Bay Festival where, rarely, the main agenda is showing good films)
The other view could be that who cares two hoots about Festivals? As long as my film earns me the greenies, I don’t care about being selected. Ya, maybe it makes sense for people who make films only for making money. But what about the ones who are here for the art? For those who find little takers of their cinema here in India and want to reach out to the world?
Should we raise the bar, learn from great filmmakers across the world and make sure we create world cinema in every sense of the world? Or just chuck the entire Festival craze, make films the way we want to, spend money on promotions in India rather than Festivals, make money and sit on it? Or is there a middle path??
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
“Hey! This film was selected at The Montreal International Film Festival. Let’s see it first-day-first-show!” — I personally know at least 50 guys who does that.
i guess u are looking for numbers in the thousands than in the hundreds..
I don’t think Indian movies get in a lot of film festivals, but there are cases like daira where I watched the movie only because I heard about the lead gettin a best actor/actress award in some festival. I think it some times saves you a little marketing effort. Maybe we need a sundance which did a lot of good for Indie cinema commercialy in US post pulp fiction Not just Government festivals in Goa or rigged national awards..
The criteria that is taken up by a producer while taking his movie to festivals abroad differ. Some I present below:
1. The “snoot” value
2. The Post event commerce value
3. The hype after that at home value
4. The world platform value
The snoot value you have mentioned..I shall not start to expand on that.
I come to post event commerce. We may know of a director called Buddhadeb Dasgupta who has made a career from making niche movies and straighaway taking them to festivals and selling them to various markets (notably European). He first makes the movie and puts in the original Bengali version. Then he subtitles it in English, takes to festivals and according to the outlet where he sells the movie, he gets more subtitles done or gets the movie dubbed altogether.
If you would notice, he makes intimate movies with a very small but usually stellar cast, his turn around time is low and he does not spend on marketing his movies in India at all. He releases his movies too off shore!
But then, I don’t know whether that too is good or not. He is an Indian but making and selling movies in Europe..Sameera Reddy is a Bengali lady spaeking in chaste Bengali in his movies!! His producers never complain and he has got a slew of awards that adorn his living room from all over the world!! Also, with his repertoire, it is understandable that he makes money for his producer too!!
3. The Hype at home value – Vishal Bharadwaj toured the world with Maqbool before its release in India. Of course, rightfully he did the right thing, it was a fabulous movie..but, it was a commercial flop in India. But, Vishal is still making movies, now producing them too with “No Smoking”..Obviously, the kind of movie that is..Vishal would not dream of it becoming a hit in India..So, he gets the movie into the Rome Fest..all fests have movie markets..that thrive, the niche movie distributors, TV Channel managements and some mainstream markets are busy making good deals in these markets (I know of a movie by Shyam Benegal called Mammo and how it sold in such markets!!)…most Indian movie producers are not aware of such markets and their needs…may be and just maybe “No Smoking” is also doing some impressive business in such markets catering to its real target audiences..”YES, THERE EXISTS A MARKET FOR SUCH MOVIES”..I know and therefore I say! But, yes, it does not create any hype enough to carry it home in Indian markets. Ray’s movies were 70 % flops in India. Shyam Benegal, if asked, shall give a wry smile and keep quiet.
4. The world platform value – Yes, that has value. Lagaan exploited it beautifully. An Indian film to the core and yet the markets that it sold to was fantastic to say the least. “Crouching Tiger” another movie that transcended markets because of its content. Sorry for mentioning this here, but how did “Muthu”, that Rajni starrer sell in Japan!!..obviously somebody must have figured out something good and catered to it and since then Japan is a territory for all Rajni movies..
When I say WORLD PLATFORM…it means actually the world is a platform and if you have a good movie..dub it..subtitle it…snip it to fit the right market and then market it heavily…be there where the commerce takes place..you will sell..fests are for selling your movie..if you don’t try, don’t blame anybody but yourself..In marketing there is a simple line…BE THERE, ANTICIPATE AND ACT PROACTIVELY…things are bound to happen…immodestly, I can say that I can sell “Manorama” to at least 3 or 4 niche markets by the end of next year!!It is a good movie and it needs to be bloody seen!!!
@ indraneel… its a great feedback and provides lotto inputs and encouragement for indie film makers and their producers.
Thanks, Indraneel! That indeed was incisive! And yes, I see a lot of sense in the case studies u mentioned..
Great article Arati and fantastic comments Indraneel; as a movie buff I have been watching hindi movies even in Madrid and London; my comment deals with the racism aspect mentioned in your article.
From what I have heard and seen from interactions with people from different countries is the standard complaint that Indian movies are really long. I remember taking an Italian friend for Umraojaan which lasted for 3.5 hours! thats 2.25 times the duration of a typical English movie.
Was wondering if the songs that Indian movies put in really add value? Some of the songs in my opinion seem so out of place, not needed and blah blah! These add on to the duration of the film and in my opinion are the prime factor in lower ticket sales resulting in fewer cinemas abroad wanting to give prime time slots to Indian movies.
In London for example they would give only the morning slot on weekends for Indian movies. Madrid has only 1 movie a quarter playing just one random Sunday! and that too in the morning.
Just my comment as an ardent movie goer.
I was going to write exactly what DPac did but he was quicker.
Right now I am in the middle of a film festival in Spain (I mean as a spectator). People from the host city go wild watching so many films that they would not be able to watch otherwise. Some are good and others, lets be honest, are such a drag that it’s unbearable. But after the festivals finish here and the winners are disclosed, people show great interest to go and watch those films. Just as DPac said, I also know of many people who do.
No Indian films in the festival this year, although two years ago we had Water and last year we had a Satyajit Ray retrospective.
@Samarth. Where is that cinema in Madrid, please?! :o I agree about the length issue. Gosh, and you just mentioned Umrao Jaan. That film dragged and dragged and dragged for me! #:-S
A very relevant subject raised, discussed & debated in a very professional & practical manner.
Arati’s queries are ones that cross any film buff’s mind. For a common man, film festivals do seem to be a gimmick but as Indraneel pointed out there is commerce involved in here. I personally cannot think of any sense of art being satisfied without a value placed on it. One can produce quality cinema on any subject he or she chooses, only if there is a monetary support. This means you cannot ignore the commercial angle to it.
Producing cinema for the world stage is again purely a matter of business outlook. If I see potential in a certain subject for the Indian audience in India only, then I would never commit harakiri by investing in marketing campaigns overseas. Yes, there have been instances where films have been packaged to suit certain international territories & that may or may not work with all subjects.
I personally see Indian cinema coming of age with the new crop looking at selling their movie & also adapting to new age cinema. People like Vishal Bharadwaj may create this new age cinema but I am positive that only the likes of Arati & Indraneel can complement their endeavour by helping them package & sell the product.
Way to go guys !! Take this industry in to the international market !!
Arati…i read ur article thoroughly…i just want to argue on one of the many things tht u have said..”we don
Abhishek, I guess you have completely missed the point – I never said that we should idealise them and ape them. I said that we should look and them and learn whatever we can. We should not copy the Coen Brothers, David Lynch or Pedro Almodovar.. What I say is that we learn from them – they all have their distinct cinema styles and they are all awesome.. Ray, Ritwik Ghatak are also there.. But yes, if you have seen any of their films, we have lot to catch up with – in terms of cinema making, writing, production.. and this is entirely my own opinion and you are free to have yours. But we should not say “We are damn good” only because we are Indians.. If we have weak areas, we should acknowlege its presence and make amends.. And I see nothing wrong in that. I have no qualms in accepting weaknesses.
Of course, we have a Jaideep Sahni now and Aurag, Rajat, Sudhir, Vishal.. And as an ardent cinema fan, I wish and pray we have many more of them. The last 4-5 years have seen a welcome change and I pray, and know, it will continue. I hope that we have more and more of Mithya, Black Friday, Omkara and Vanaja…
All the directors whom u mentioned love world cinema, still make their own films.. They dont try to copy anyone, and that’s why they are what they are. My point was – a majority of our filmmakers are still like the frog in the well – they are ignorant of the world outside and feel they are the kings of their kingdom.. We need to get out of the well and I am glad, many people are taking out films to that international platform. I have attended a few international film festivals and have been personally hurt by the shoddy treatment our films received, and thus this article.
My article ws written from INTERNATIONAL film festival perspective, hence it was elementary that I compare our cinema with the best in the world. Thus, the comparions. I try and view things objectively and not emotionally.