And now to my favorite U.S. drama without any movie stars at all: Winter’s Bone, directed by Debra Granik from a screenplay she cowrote with Anne Rosellini and based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell, is set in the Ozarks, where a very different teenaged girl, played with star-making self-possession by Jennifer Lawrence (left), is stretched to her limits. She’s protective guardian of her young siblings and caregiver to her incapacitated mother while her own crystal-meth-making daddy has skipped bail, having put the family home up for bond. Poverty is familiar to this young lioness, but without a home, she knows the family will fall apart . And as she sets out to find her father, this stark, underplayed, regionally authentic drama becomes a Western, a tribal saga, a mythic tale. Granik (whose fine 2004 drama Down To the Bone provided a breakthrough role for Vera Farmiga) works with the kind of commitment to narrative truth and attention to regional authenticity that characterized the earliest movies in Sundance’s long and lively history. I have no doubt Winter’s Bone will be picked up soon, if it hasn’t already. But you’ll have to seek this one out, because it’s quiet, and serious, and bleak. Do: It’s also another wonderful Sundance discovery, glinting like the silver that used to be mined in these Utah mountains.

from Entertainment Weekly, Sundance: ‘The Kids Are All Right,’ ‘Winter’s Bone,’ and films from around the world by Lisa Schwarzbaum

An elegant, soft spoken noir, Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone” exudes desolation. Adapting Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name, Granik simultaneously develops a dreary backwoods environment while situating her layered story of deceit within it. Set in the heart of Missouri’s Ozark woods, the movie revolves around despondent teenager Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence, in a focused, incessantly serious performance), whose father vanishes after selling their house as jail bond. Serving as a surrogate mother for her two younger siblings, Ree begins a trenchant investigation into her father’s whereabouts, desperately seeking to keep her family from losing the only shelter available to them. Her determination, emboldened by the discouragement of those around her, drives the narrative forward with pulsating momentum.

From Indiewire: REVIEW | Drama in Absence: “Winter’s Bone” by Eric Kohn

As the 2010 Sundance Film Festival closes in on its final weekend, indieWIRE‘s poll of dozens of Park City-present critics and bloggers is quickly making clear the best and worst of this year’s fest. The following is a list of the top ten films in both competition and non-competition programs (that have received 3 or more grades apiece). It will be updated throughout the coming days. For a full list of all grades click here.

Ten Best Competition Films
1. Gasland (Josh Fox, U.S. Doc)
2. 12th & Delaware (Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, U.S. Doc)
3. Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, U.S. Dramatic)
4. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, U.S. Doc)
5. Last Train Home (Lixin Fan, World Doc)
6. Waiting For Superman (Davis Guggenheim, U.S. Doc)
7. Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik, U.S. Dramatic) film page
8. Restrepo (Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, U.S. Doc)
9. Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, World Dramatic)
10. The Oath (Laura Poitras, U.S. Doc)

From Indiewire: Highs & Lows of Sundance: “Gift Shop,” “GasLand” Lead Critics Poll

Aimed at aspiring or challenged filmmakers, a Tribeca Film Festival panel discussion examined the emergence of innovative new strategies for marketing as well as digital distribution, and how there are now multiple ways for filmmakers to control what happens to their film. Six industry insiders gathered at the School of Visual Arts Theater in Manhattan to discuss alternative distribution and marketing 2.0 during the “Tribeca Talks: Tools of the Trade” session, moderated by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Steven Zeitchik.

They offered 10 specific tips. Check them all out here.

2006 Academy Awards Poster

Indiewire brought us the news.

Photo by Mark Schoneveld

Now more than ever there is a unique tension between two distinct approaches to film distribution. Most distributors, from Sony Pictures Classics and Fox Searchlight to Zeitgeist, Miramax and many others, remain committed to the traditional roll-out of a movie with word of mouth that builds over time. Yet, others—namely IFC Films and Magnolia Pictures—have embraced more immediate releases that hope to generate instant blog buzz and national attention driven in large part by the Internet.

What approach are you considering?

I made it to my first Festival, after three years of putting on the Show-Me Film Festival, I can appreciate the efforts and more importantly, the results. For example, I got to see Robert King in Blood Trail

The famed war photographer Robert King believes he was put on this earth as a messenger of human suffering. He serves as a wry, insightful guide to world’s bleakest, bloodiest war zones, from Bosnia to Chechnya to Iraq. Richard Parry’s brutally intimate film follows King’s transition from naïve, 24-year-old aspiring war photographer — who dreamed of being the youngest photojournalist to win the Pulitzer Prize — to self-described “damaged goods,” a scarred war veteran trying not to lose himself in booze and women and who can’t begin to count the number of dead bodies he’s stepped over. His stories are harrowing, his photos bleakly gorgeous, but it is King’s eyes that reveal the deeper truths about war, violence and suffering. After all he’s seen, King is a survivor, his energy and humor intact. And that itself is an indelible image. (BH)

Curating a Gem of a Fest: True/False Reflects on First Six Years
by Brian Brooks (February 26, 2009) for Indiewire

Quickly becoming a favorite among the U.S. and even international documentary community, the True/False Film Festival, gets underway tonight here in Columbia, MO with a slate of just over 40 titles screening through the weekend. And becoming a destination for both filmmakers and industry is quite a feat for a still relatively small event, which has, nevertheless, attracted A-list docs and their directors (2009 Oscar-winning doc “Man on Wire” by James Marsh closed the fest last year) to Columbia, a town of around 100,000 people in the middle of the state.

True/False Film Festival 2009
By Robert Davis on February 27, 2009 for Paste Magazine

The filmmakers are here and seem eager to answer questions about their work or chat informally after screenings, many of which take place at the Ragtag Cinema, a two-screen hive of activity fronted by a cafe as big as the theaters themselves. You can carry your glass of wine into the movie if you want, and there you’ll be greeted not by mindless muzak or advertising but by live music from local musicians who play before every show. My first screening Thursday night was ushered in by some groovy noise courtesy of Witch Pussy. (Or was it “Which”? Good question.) Tonight it was a guy singing country with his guitar and later a bluegrass duo.

The Ragtag screens interesting fare year-round and is also a model for the Moxie Cinema three hours south in Springfield, which, despite the cool indie theater, is arguably Missouri’s least hip city. I can say this because I grew up there,

There’s a Flickr Pool as well

True/False co-chiefs, Paul Sturtz and David Wilson. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

With a guest list that ranging from industry insiders to a who’s who of documentary filmmakers, the True/False Film Festival has an enviable event for a relatively “small” festival in the Midwest. Though “small” is relative, with the size of the fest’s enthusiastic audiences turning out for a cross section of documentaries including Anders Ostegaard’s award-winning “Burma VJ” (IDFA, Sundance), Kim Longinotto’s prize-winning “Rough Aunties” (Sundance, IDFA), Joe Berlinger’s “Crude” (Sundance), Fredrik von Krusenstjerna’s “Necrobusiness,” Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s “October Country,” Kimberly Reed’s “Prodigal Son” and not to mention a bevy of “secret screenings” among the curated fest’s 40 or so feature selections.

Film festivals began as art film’s primary exhibitor, and with the closure and hobbling of so many specialty distribs they have resurged as one of the few places audiences can see art film as it was intended—on the big screen and in the company of strangers.

Yet some fest directors looked at their event’s success—a success confined primarily to a locality and/or industry clientele—and felt frustrated. After screening countless DVDs and sweating over a program to be exhibited just once a year, where did they see their selections going but to other fests. Aside from an exciting screening and endless pints of Stella, most undistributed films aren’t seeing a dime from a successful “fest run.”

As the article points out, Film Festivals are a means but not the end. So what steps are you considering for your film?

There are at least three panels that I count focused on alternate distribtion strategies on the agenda of the upcoming Missouri Motion Media Association Film Summit in Columbia later this week. There is still time to join us on Thursday, or Friday, to share experiences with other filmmakers and continue building your plans.

MOMMA Film Summit and conference agenda

iW INSIDER | Eugene Hernandez: A Letter to Filmmakers, Whether or Not You Got Into Sundance
by Eugene Hernandez (December 3, 2008)

So, let’s be upfront… To those who are hoping to make a sale after your Sundance premiere, it’s important to know that most folks I’ve spoken with agree that this year’s market in Park City will be like no other in that it probably won’t be as robust for big on-site acquisitions. Larger companies seem to be shying away from theatrical acquisitions and right now there are simply fewer large, established distribution entities to turn to. Even so, a range of reps will work with films and filmmakers to field and generate sales interest at the festival. And sure, deals will be made, but the industry and established filmmakers alike are focusing more and more on digital rights and other means of distribution.

Some filmmakers will have decided to sign with a rep to help them navigate the digital space (DVD, VOD, online), while others will opt to hold on to their rights and 100% of all revenues that may come from them in the future. Either way, these are big decisions. Talk with filmmakers and producers who’ve already been down this short path and spend time determing what you need to give up and what you’ll get in return.

There is plenty more so be certain to check out the entire column.

Oh, and here’s the Competition Lineup at Sundance this year.

This is from Indiewire – New Video Digital Aiming 1,600 New Films at iTunes, Other Platforms
by Eric Kohn (August 15, 2008)

New Video Digital confirmed this week that it has secured a whopping 1,600 titles for Apple’s online store and other outlets. The independent video aggregator said that it has acquired the rights to over 5,000 hours of independent film and television content, with plans to double that number by the end of this year. The company will push that content out to iTunes and other online platforms in the coming months on a non-exclusive basis.

CinemaTech also took a look at the issue, from a personal level

If you are a filmmaker who wants to self-distribute your work in digital form, there’s probably nothing more frustrating to you than Apple’s indifference to helping you do that.

You may own a Mac. You may use Final Cut Pro for editing. You may carry an iPhone or iPod in your pocket. You may have a MobileMe or .Mac account.

But Apple doesn’t seem to want to help you do business online.

He goes on to look at the alternatives, including New Video (discussed above), Shorts International in the UK, The Independent Film Channel (IFC) and Mediastile.

Anyone gotten very far down this path?

SnagFilms Offers Free Instant Streaming And Viral Sharing Of Hundreds Of Documentary Films. Ad Revenue Shared With Filmmakers, Viewers Connected To Causes

Washington, D.C., July 17, 2008 – At a time when independent documentary films are experiencing a creative boom, yet theatrical distribution channels have gone bust, the beta launch today of SnagFilms helps both independent filmmakers and iconic production companies – and the audiences that want to see their movies.

SnagFilms was created to address the bottleneck in distribution for quality documentaries that has left many great films unable to reach their potential audience or to provide a viable financial return. It also offers established media companies with deep libraries a way of getting “long-tail” documentaries out of the vaults and before a worldwide, on-demand audience.

In addition to that

SnagFilms, which brings the best nonfiction films to a global web audience and promotes viral web distribution through virtual movie theater widgets, today announced the acquisition of indieWIRE, the leading news, information, and social networking site for the international independent film community, from its publisher GMD Studios. SnagFilms went into beta release this morning and its launch was announced here (also above)

Finally, here’s a review of the service by Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal

SnagFilms Finds Virtual Theaters For Documentaries
Thousands of feature-length documentary films are produced every year, but almost nobody gets a chance to see them. A few dozen are shown to small audiences at major film festivals, and a handful make it into theaters. For every blockbuster like “An Inconvenient Truth,” there are hundreds of documentaries that never find an audience.

Starting Thursday (today), however, there will be a new online service that aims to change all that. The service, called SnagFilms, allows anyone with a blog, a Web site, or even a page on a social-networking site, to open a virtual movie theater and show these documentaries, free. The virtual theater is a small widget that contains the film, and that can be embedded easily and quickly in a wide variety of popular social-networking services and blog platforms. No technical knowledge is needed.

So, what do we have? A free online repository of documentary films that is funded by advertising on the website that is also offering the online community tools that help take a video viral. I’ve added the application to my Facebook profile and invited a few of you (it cut me off after 30 invites) to try it as well. Follow the links above and tell me if you upload a documentary of yours!

Still working to add it to this site. More to come I’m sure!

Hoping to launch a viable new revenue stream for a wide swath of independent films and filmmakers, the Tribeca Film Institute has unveiled Reframe, a curated online outlet with its sights set on filtering some 10,000 films and videos via the Internet. Opening its digital doors today, Reframe is backed by a million dollars in grants from the MacArthur Foundation, and includes a partnership with CreateSpace and Amazon aimed at digitizing and delivering — on DVD or via Amazon’s Unbox service — films from leading indie, documentary, foreign and experimental filmmakers.

From the Reframe website:
Reframe is bringing together and giving due love to rare independent and alternative films, helping many become commercially available for the very first time.

In a one-stop location you’ll find work from diverse sources, such as vanguard artists Sally Potter and Ken Jacobs, and distributors like Center for Asian American Media and Documentary Educational Resources.

* We’re in the beta stage and adding more features soon — we would love your feedback and suggestions
* You can help our mission by creating a profile, curating lists and commenting on blog posts
* To make your films available on Reframe, become a partner