P.O. Box 696, Littleton, CO 80160
303-587-9792 Fax: 303-470-1011
January 13, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Darlene Cypser
Phone: 303-587-9792
E-mail:ifilm@infernofilm.com
Web: www.infernofilm.com
Many independent filmmakers submit their movies to film festivals and then expect Hollywood to come to them. It rarely happens. We hear of a few success stories, but thousands of good films never see the light of day because they never get into the right hands.
Inferno Film Productions, LLC, an independent movie production company based near Littleton, Colorado, is doing something about it. For the second year in a row, Inferno will have an office at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California, February 25 through March 3, 2004 and will be offering independently produced films from Colorado and across the U.S. (plus one from Canada) to film buyers from around the world.
Founded in 1981, the American Film Market (AFM) has grown to be the largest motion picture trade event in the world. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where over $500 million in production and distribution deals are closed annually. Each year, more than 3,000 buyers and about 300 sellers convene in Santa Monica for eight days of deal making. Total attendance is over 7,000 including prominent actors, producers, directors, and movie distributors.
Unfortunately, 2003 American Film Market was held in the shadow of impending war in Iraq and threats of war in Korea. Rising concerns about SARS also impeded international travel in early 2003. The result was that some buyers did not come to AFM at all in 2003.
"The consensus is that 2003 was a "tough" year for independent filmmakers," said Darlene Cypser, producer and primary sales agent for Inferno. (For data on how independent films fared in 2003 see: www.indiewire.com/biz/biz_031230yearend.html) Despite those challenges Inferno sold distribution rights to the independent films, Dragon and the Hawk and Drawing Down the Moon.
More than that, the experience of dealing with movie rights buyers at AFM was educational. "We had a chance to learn what they wanted. It was not surprising that they had a preference for movies with name actors. But what was surprising was that some buyers will not even view the trailer of a movie that lacks name talent."
But other buyers are interested in independent films that lack Hollywood star power. "One thing that struck me at the market is that buyers kept coming in and asking for family films or horror and I had to turn them away because all I had were action films. I decided that I did not want to turn anyone away without having something to show them," said Darlene Cypser. "I wanted our AFM office to be more like Walmart with something for everyone to look at. So I spend five months scoring the country in search of quality independent films to represent at the market in 2004. Some of the movies were in post-production when I contacted them. Others had been moving through the film festival circuits and picking up some awards but not catching the eye of distributors."
Inferno is expecting this February's American Film Market to be far more exciting than last year's. "We are representing more movies this time and a wider variety. I expect us to be doing a lot more business," Cypser said. "We have already been contacted by a company in France seeking television rights to French speaking Europe and Africa that wants to screen some of the films before they arrive at AFM."
This year Inferno is offering rights from 12 feature films including two new ones from Colorado: Get Goosed, a family film from Salida, and Unreal, a spoof on reality tv shot in Canon City, and 6 shorter pieces ranging from 30-60 minutes long. Other feature films Inferno is representing are Going Back (shot in Michigan), starring Bruce Campbell ("Bubba Ho-Tep," "Evil Dead"), Haywire (shot in Ohio), On The Fringe (New Hampshire), Far From India (Maryland) and Terrarium (Nevada). Inferno will also be offering rights to Inferno's own Dragon and the Hawk shot in Colorado and Drawing Down the Moon, starring Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5"), which was shot in Pennsylvania.
One the films that we are showcasing this year has a rather remarkable history. Going Back, starring Bruce Campbell, was actually filmed in Michigan in 1983 before Bruce became as well known as he is today. Unfortunately the distribution rights were sold to a company that promptly filed for bankruptcy. Since the contract had no bankruptcy release clause, the rights to distribute the film were in limbo for nearly 20 years. But now this phoenix is ready for flight. Bruce Campbell films will love this "coming of age" drama.
Another film with an interesting history is Get Goosed, which features a lot of the town of Salida, Colorado. In addition to the normal crises that accompany filmmaking, director, Charles Newcomb, nearly lost both of his stars before the film was complete. During a break in filming in 2000, the lead actor, John Pahe, suffered a major stroke and was hospitalized. Pahe had recovered almost fully by the spring of 2001 and filming resumed. In addition, after they had filmed most of the scenes with Owashi, the Canada goose who had the title role, she was found dead in the bushes near the lake where she lived. They had to continue with a backup goose. In September, 2003, Get Goosed premiered in Salida to a packed house.
Another Colorado movie that Inferno will be representing at the market is Lance Shoeman's hilarious spoof on reality tv called Unreal. Both lovers and haters of reality shows will love this one.
Additional sources:
American Film Market: www.americanfilmmarket.com
Get Goosed!:
www.centralcolorado.com/newcomb/projects.html
Charles Newcomb e-mail: mtnscribe@rockymountains.net
Unreal: www.o-cp.com/unreal.html
Lance Shoeman e-mail: lshoeman488@msn.com