Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that already has claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Deadli…
is a gift, she points out, and this time of uncertainty and change could bring increased connectivity and positivity for independent filmmakers. Here, in her own op-ed, she explains her decision to embrace the virtual festival.Two SXSW-Awarded Films Among 70 From Canceled Festivals To Be Screened For Sales Agents, Distributors By Stage 32In a recent interview, my fellow filmmaker Maureen Bharoocha bemoaned the cancellation of SWSW, along with her film’s premiere.
But in this case, that metaphor is flawed. I’m not selling milk, I’m sharing stories. And while real-life, non-virtual festivals are a vital, important component of keeping cinema alive— incubating creativity and nurturing its participants—we as filmmakers ought to keep in mind the true spirit of this venture. We talk about the value of storytelling, but who are we making these stories for? Other filmmakers? The industry? No, we’re making them for audiences.
And most of us are not making giant blockbusters that need to be rolled out as quickly as possible, with the most marketing, to the most screens, to reach the most people, before that tiny window of mainstream public attention passes, and before people discover that film maybe wasn’t even good. Our films are small seeds, that, if we are lucky, can grow with the nourishment of exposure and word of mouth. For independent filmmakers, we need to be seen to exist.
What has happened has been unprecedented and requires unprecedented solutions. For those fearful they will be rejected by the Hollywood establishment for taking a chance and showing your work directly to the public at large for a limited time—especially under these extraordinary circumstances—I implore you to envision a different model. Everything is different now. We don’t know what will happen. And as independent filmmakers, we’re the ones who can take risks.
Lastly, there has never been a more opportune moment than this one. We are all confined to our homes, desperate for optimism, creativity and connection, and ultimately, that is what my filmwas about—the ways we are turning to the modern miracle of the Internet as a surrogate for lost connection. Content creators have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to answer a calling. So I applaud SXSW for recognizing that opportunity, taking a risk, and making good on their promise to support the filmmakers.
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