E13 Media

Declare Independence Think of your favorite movies from the last 50 years. Call back to the first time you saw Silence of The Lambs, Silver Linings Playbook, Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, Se7en, Lost In Translation, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, or Juno. Independent film has generated some of the most important films and artists of the last century. Also, independent film is in a deep state of crisis. As the bottom line became the?new?bottom line for content companies, their focus has been refocused on far more “mainstream” fare, on films that touch “four quadrants,” or fit well inside an advertising based environment, and?away?from movies seen as “too niche” to serve the needs corporations looking to please Wall Street first. But that does?not?mean that the demand for such movies has dried up. What commissioners and C-suites fail to realize is the?true size and buying power?of the independent film audience. To test this theory, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School embarked on a very ambitious study about the current and potential for Independent Film in the United States. I was both amazed and honored to be asked by Keri Putnam to participate. As a indie producer and long-time lover of indie film, and as someone who is?very?concerned about the sustainable future of independent and documentary film, I was not only eager to participate in this study - I saw this as an urgent mission. Publishers Clearing House (PCH) Media and I surveyed 14,421 Americans 18+ and asked them about their movie-watching habits: 67% of Americans 18+ see movies "regularly," whether on TV, on streaming, or in theaters. That's 182 million people. 19% of Americans “definitely consider” themselves "independent film fans." That’s approximately 52 million people. 21% of are “definitely” self-proclaimed "fans" of documentary films. That's approximately 57.2 million people in the US. 41% of Americans say they "would see more indie or documentary films if they were made available." This represents roughly 111 million people. We found that tens of millions of American consumers would be more likely to subscribe to a streaming service if it had a wide selection of indie and docu movies, and that even more say they would subscribe to a service DEDICATED to indie & documentary films. You can get my study and access the full Shorenstein Center report here: https://bit.ly/ESHAPindie Independent films are a vital part of the American Identity. Read the report, then maybe see/watch an indie film this weekend.

Announcing the three host finalists for the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027! The future host city will be selected late winter/early spring of next year. Until then, stay tuned for information on the upcoming 2025 Festival which, along with the 2026 Festival, will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Read the announcement here: www.sundance.org/

Tis the Season. The Film Society is in production planning for its 26th Anniversary - Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Nov. 6-10) at the Cinema Art Theater in Lewes. The award-winning Festival attracts DE and mid-Atlantic festival goers and filmmakers too. Thirty film screenings planned at our host Theater and two additional venues, Possum Point Players (Georgetown, DE) and Unitarian Universalists of Southern DE (west Lewes). There is still time for filmmakers to submit their work for the Blue Hen Regional and series of shorts on the society's FilmFreeway account [https://lnkd.in/ePg6XpAN]. Sponsorship opportunities abound and always appreciate the support for the only cinema art theater in Southern DE. Sign-up for the latest news on our website [https://lnkd.in/gDUi5ZWZ].