Monday's second of five seminars during this year's AFM focussed on Directing the Independent Vision and found an assortment of independent and once independent film directors guided through an examination of the current state of the art by Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan. The seven panelists exemplified the definition of "independent" with a divergence of opinions. In broad strokes, all of them believed the spirit of an independent film means primarily that decisions are made by individuals instead of by committees and that the Sundance Film Festival has had a positive effect on the indie film industry.

Doug Pray, whose documentary on the Seattle grunge scene Hype! was well received in January at the Sundance Film Festival was full of praise for the festival, despite the currently en vogue cynicism about the growth of the venue. Pray loved the festival because it gave him a chance to meet so many other independent filmmakers and see great new films. He also emphasized how the opportunities for press exposure for films screening in Park City is unmatched elsewhere. As for fickle audience appetites, Pray analogized today's indie film market with the alternative music scene a few years ago. There were plenty of labels pressing plenty of plastic, commercial music when small labels with independent minded bands started putting out grittier, less produced music that began to sell fast and furious. Soon, all major labels bought out the smaller alternative labels or started alternative labels of their own. This year, alternative music hit large. Similarly, Pray believes a few independent films captured the attention of the studios and big distributors who are all now jumping on the bandwagon trying to release the next "independent" mega-hit. Pray also warned not to bank on this attitude adjustment for too long because the cyclical nature of the business means that once indie movies saturate the market, we may see a return of bigger, more commercial studio pictures.

First-time director Steven Baigelman, whose Feeling Minnesota will be released by Fine Line on April 26, was quick to praise the Sundance Directors Lab where he was able to try out a number of shot ideas and "fall on [his] face a number of times" and subsequently avoid doing so on the set. Baigelman also piled praises upon Jersey Films, the Danny DeVito headed company that produced Feeling Minnesota, stating that without their strength and commitment to protect his vision, the film would not have been as easy to put together.

Not all of the panelists had produced their first films under the same conditions as Baigelman, but they did have equally passionate opinions about the filmmaking process. First-time writer/director Lee David Zlotoff's film Care of the Spitfire Grill was well received at Sundance and was picked up by Castle Rock to be released later this year. Zlotoff is convinced that the independent scene means independence of creativity, more than anything else. He was able to avoid the pre-release preview process to which many films are subjected and which are deplored by most directors. Instead of having randomly selected, non-paying audience members view and critique his film, Zlotoff's pre-release screenings amounted to no more than sending out a few videotapes to groups of people whose opinions the director trusted. Buoyed by his Sundance treatment (and presumably his subsequently reported $10 million dollar distribution deal) experience, Zlotoff stressed his belief that the studio system could never crush the independent film movement -- regardless of the number of company mergers and buyouts -- because "9 guys in suits" sitting around a table can't come up with good ideas. (Though the courteous Zlotoff did state there were probably some exceptions.) Even if independent filmmakers can't get their products shown at Sundance (where 500 dramatic feature film submissions this year competed for about 35 screening positions both in and out of competition) Zlotoff is confident that the increase in the number of U.S. based film festivals allows indie filmmakers more outlets for their work so that they may work toward attracting a distribution deal.

Accomplished director Martha Coolidge, whose Rambling Rose garnered two Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, three Spirit Awards from the Independent Features Project and the Crystal Award by Women in Film, among others, was pragmatic about the current state of indie film but optimistic about its future. She disagreed with Turan's attempt to coin the current era as the "Golden Age in Independent Film" instead stating that with the acknowledgment that there are numerous, specific audiences to which a filmmaker may cater, come new, long-overdue opportunities. "Media, entertainment and movies will change the way the world works," said Coolidge. She commented that as accessibility to new venues on television and the Internet increases, so do the numbers of film school graduates churned out from every state. She did state her concern that so many companies are only willing to take one chance on a director. The first-timer is thus under tremendous pressure to perform in order to avoid the long and growing list of directors who never directed two films. Coolidge thinks Sundance deserves respect and that the cynicism is misplaced. Coolidge claimed "independent filmmakers deserve to have Park City overrun by Hollywood types" because that exposure is the only way their talents and films will be recognized. Her biggest regret was the currently existing distribution bottleneck. Despite the increase in the number of features produced, the distribution networks have not similarly expanded and "in the end, all projects, big and small, funnel toward the limited distribution and marketing channels," Coolidge stated. The result, according to Coolidge, is unfair distribution and releases at U.S. theaters.

Outspoken and acclaimed director Phil Joanou, who will soon see his Heaven's Prisoners with Alec Baldwin and Eric Roberts released, lamented the loss of "a great independent" distributor, Orion Pictures. Orion released Joanou's State of Grace with Sean Penn, Gary Oldman and Ed Harris in 1990 and was one of Joanou's favorite film experiences because the distributor supported Joanou's creative vision and editing decisions, despite at least one ill-planned preview screening where 150 of 300 people walked out of the theater at a violent turning point halfway through the picture. Joanou's favorite experience was his truly most independent. In 1988, the members of Ireland's U2 came to the director with $5 million of their own money and sat down to plan a documentary that became the successful Rattle and Hum. Joanou's numerous studio experiences never compared to Rattle and Hum because with the studios come lack of control and a constant battle over cost-cutting after production begins. Like Baigelman who praised the strength and tenacity of Jersey Films, Joanou was quick to assert the importance of a strong producer.

Director/Screenwriter Todd Robinson's Ridley Scott directed White Squall is currently enjoying its theatrical run and Wild Bill, a documentary he directed on the life of maverick Hollywood film director William Wellman, recently won praises at Sundance. Robinson believes the autonomy associated with independent films should not be undervalued. Director Ridley Scott was able to maintain a substantial amount of creative control in the making of White Squall to prevent the film from being watered down by input from a studio committee. This control was vital because Robinson doesn't believe the studios really care about independent films. They care only because it's an angle of the business in which they must be involved, but not because of a desire to remain true to the vision of individual directors. Robinson's only lament about Sundance was that it is inherently limited and many good films -- like the recently released Bottle Rocket -- get rejected for no apparent reason.

Writer/Director Albert Pyun amazed his fellow panelists and the audience by revealing the shooting schedules on his two most recent films. Adrenalin starring Christopher Lambert was shot in 16 days (with the lead actor logging 9 days) and will be released by the Miramax Dimension label. Omega Doom is a futuristic action film starring Rutger Hauer that shot in 10 days. Pyun stated his policy is to keep "no chairs on the set" and to do "90-100 set-ups per day." Pyun likes Sundance and other non-Hollywood based festivals because they allow filmmakers to get required exposure without having to do business in Hollywood itself. Pyun drew the loudest laughter from the audience when he stated that when he did meet studio people, he found them to be hateful, mean and rude. He told the audience that he felt life is too short to do business with people like that. Consequently, he doesn't.

The seminars continue Tuesday through Thursday this week and will focus on Producing, Distributing and then Financing "The Independent Vision."

For the remainder of the Market, the Internet Entertainment Network will profile an assortment of international distributors/sellers as well as buyers and bring you short takes on each of the five seminars at this year's market, each focusing on Realizing the Independent Vision; Strategies to Survive and Prosper in the Age of Mega-Mergers.

If you have any special requests for information from the market or would like us to profile any particular buyer or seller, please email us at producing@hollywoodnetwork.com

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