It was hardly a secret The black bear, which funded Sydney Sweeney Boxing Biopic ”Christy“Can keep film For its recently launched distribution arm. The company made it officially with one TIFF Announcement that the “acquired” film for a theater edition in November. But can you really call it one of Fall Festival’s Splashier offers When Black Bear mainly sold the movie to itself?
What is less expected is that Black Bear is not the only financier to make the jump to distribution. Row K Entertainment – a projection of financier MCT – entered the market with two buzzy buy: “Charlie Harper“In the lead role Emilia Jones and Gus van Sant’s” Dead Man’s Wire. “Both films had other freer, but Row K is probably overpaid to make a statement.
They join a growing field of Upstart distributors who have known opportunities. Watermelon Pictures, which is charming Palestinian narrator, picked up TIFF GALA title “Palestine 36.” 1-2 Special, launched this February, struck offers on Locarno and Cannes. All four companies chase the same sweet place: less to the middle of budget films that they think can still play theatrical.
Not so long ago, if A24 or Netflix passed, the market slowed down to a search. Today, Fresh Energy flows into the Indie scene when new players go in to give movies a home.
“We just felt that there was a real hole, a lot of white space in the market for a new distributor who would release mid -budget, commercial images,” Row K coated Christopher Woodrow told IndieWire. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I never felt there was a more exciting opportunity than the independent market right now.”
Row K President Megan Colligan believes that younger audience returns to theaters because they want original stories and a variety of content. She said that cinemas need more diversity than studios provide.
“There is still a lot of space on the market for original, independent content that is among what you can claim are some very large titles. But I think it is a really robust opportunity for diversification,” Colligan said. “Exhibitors really want it, the audience really wants it. I think it would bring us back to a forecord film level in consumption. We need more diversity in the theaters.”
So why don’t established buyers “Christy” or “Dead Man’s Wire win?” A sales agent told IndieWire that many distributors only had full slate. Another problem: Smaller distributors without a pay-1-streaming window holding back.
And mandates can be changed for some of the most consistent buyers. A24 currently benefits Larger, more expensive projectsWhile neon has aggressively increased an international expansion.
The agent said that while Black Bear sniffed around TIFF for different films, the company’s real goal was to decide what to do with their own films. (In addition to “Christy”, there is a good chance that Black Bear will release one or both of its other self -financed autumn premieres, “Tuner” or “Motor City.”) On the other hand Row K intends to release “Dead Man’s Wire” later this year for an award ceremony; “Charlie Harper” will be released next year. The distributor also chases several other festival titles.
Black Bear is prepared for expansion. It already has distribution branches in Canada and the United Kingdom and a strong sale presence in the rest of the world; US distribution is the logical development. Potentially Black Bear could only finance what it plans to distribute, a method that may be the model for other prospective financiers.
While new buyers represent an exciting opportunity for more commercial films and awards, the agent said that other categories are more uncertain – says less American independent drama, artificial titles and indie documentaries.
These new distributors emerge to meet an unfulfilled need in the market, and Black Bear and Row K are not the only ones to use it.
“If you are a financier that’s what you are looking for. You look to discover opportunities,” said Woodrow. “Hopefully you see them before others do. That’s where the upside is.”
