How To Kill Off Private Equity Investment In Independent Film in America
(And Thus One Of The Most Vibrant Sectors Of Our Culture)
I got a super generous offer to attend the San Sebastian Film Festival’s Conference on Film Financing. I had to turn it down; I am trying to get a movie made and there is a lot to do. And I live on the opposite side of the world. And I am still trying daily to get more folks to see our film INVISIBLE NATION (I think we will be up on the Academy documentary site this week btw!).
Anyway in thinking about the conference I came up with two posts for you. The other one is “Why This Is The Best Time Ever To Invest In Indie Film”. I hope to get to that one soon. Some of the reasons why I think that is so are inherent in this post though. Hopefully you were taught how to read between the lines. If you need me to help put the puzzle together, please recognize that we’ve never done the right things needed to make things better for “independent” film here in America. Hopefully our consistent omission of improving things also leads you to ask yourself “why?”. Just please also recognize that our lack of addressing the necessary operational improvements is a huge opportunity.
This situation we are in is not an accident. It is part of the design. And we accepted it. And didn’t resist. Or at least for awhile, we didn’t. We can do something about it now. Some people already are, in many different ways. I don’t think there has been so much collective action in America’s film industry in 35 years. Perhaps, all the wars help us see that everything could just end. Or something like that?
At least the destruction of independent film is not so bad as other things… like the destruction of the planet and many of our people. But I digress…. The fact that we failed so horribly to improve the climate for investment in cinema in America, and that this is never truly addressed at the numerous financing panels is sort of shocking. So maybe you see why I was excited to speak up about what gets whispered in all the various producer groups. But since I have to stay home and tend to the farm, I leave this to you to take it from here. Speak up. Speak often. Stop whispering.
To put it bluntly, if I had tens of millions of dollars to invest in film I would take most of my business elsewhere, outside of America — and I know others feel this way too. There are good investments to made in America still, but you have to design them for the current situation.
The 25+ Steps We Used To (Almost) Kill Off Private Equity Investment In Independent Film in America
Make the home of most of the private equity (America) also the most expensive place to shoot in the world.
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