Lengthy audience standing ovations have become de rigueur for premieres at the Cannes Film Festival, which provides a marketing tool for publicity. In the image above, the Cannes fest premiere for “Being Maria” gets a standing ovation in 2024 for director Jessica Palud and Matt Dillon (at center). Photo: John Sears - CC. A Deadline.com story by Nancy Tartaglione notes … [Read more...] about Film Fest Ovations Stoke Marketing
festivals
Film Fests Want Oscars Mojo Back
Movie festivals in the autumn lost their prominence as Oscar launching pads in recent years, but this cycle are working hard to again be harbingers of awards. “For 14 years between 2007 and 2020, from ‘No Country for Old Men’ to ‘Nomadland,’ the Oscar Best Picture winner screened (and in all but three cases premiered) at the Venice International Film Festival, the Telluride … [Read more...] about Film Fests Want Oscars Mojo Back
Coppola Wants to Prove Hollywood Wrong on ‘Megalopolis’
Filmmaker extraordinaire Frances Ford Coppola is struggling with placating puzzled film critics, marketing an esoteric film to wide audiences and struggling for industry sales for his “Megalopolis.” The $120 million self-financed social commentary epic is in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where Coppola hopes those problems will be solved by critical acclaim … [Read more...] about Coppola Wants to Prove Hollywood Wrong on ‘Megalopolis’
Tribeca Offers Perks Program
The glitzy Tribeca Festival rolls out a membership program offering events perks, special merchandise offers and benefits from sponsors. Membership costs $100 a year, reflecting that flat-fee subscriptions offerings in media continue to multiply. It’s a type of loyalty program from the fest’s parent, Tribeca Enterprise. “Tribeca Membership offers year-round access to … [Read more...] about Tribeca Offers Perks Program
Websites, Fest Outreach Best Low-Cost Marketing
The best use of a shoestring $20,000 marketing campaign for a documentary is a website to promote creative elements and serve as a permanent beacon, says documentary maven Chris Albert. Followed by film festival outreach in order to target opinion leaders, “I’d spend about $1,500 on a very rudimentary website where the film could live so when I meet people I can send them on … [Read more...] about Websites, Fest Outreach Best Low-Cost Marketing
Strikes Derail Film Marketing, Cinema Comeback
The Hollywood strikes by actors and writers undercut movie publicity for new releases — since talent ordinarily publicize their films — and more ominously threaten to push back normal film flow already upended by the pandemic. The actors SAG-AFTRA work stoppage started July 14, which augments the May 2 beginning of the Writers Guild of America walkout. The strikes impact … [Read more...] about Strikes Derail Film Marketing, Cinema Comeback
Film Fests Wobbly on Free Speech
Once self-proclaimed bastions of free speech, film festivals increasingly kowtow to woke progressive and grievance-culture growing in U.S. society. As a consequence, acclaimed and quality films perceived to be on the wrong side of mandated group-think get the boot from movie fests in acts of self-censorship. “A new, unspoken modus operandi [is that] festivals — once the … [Read more...] about Film Fests Wobbly on Free Speech
Booking Classics in Cinemas
Focused on their new release slates, movie companies generally offload the cinema bookings of their older films. United Kingdom-based Park Circus the leader in distributing classics and retrospectives as a sales agency and distribution company. "Sales agent” means has deals to book screenings of back-catalog movies of Hollywood’s major studios plus others. Park Circus gets … [Read more...] about Booking Classics in Cinemas
Swag Bags Overflowing in Awards Season
Swag bags full of loot for celebrities popped up across the Hollywood awards landscape. The Hollywood Reporter published a photo gallery presenting everything “from Pope slippers to 'The Irishman' wine.” At the Golden Globe Awards, 600 official gift bags for males and a like number for females -- whose contents are called “swag” in the vernacular. Contents include … [Read more...] about Swag Bags Overflowing in Awards Season
Films Sold at Fests Often Disappoint Later
Acquiring finished movies at film festivals is a celebrated activity generating breathless news reports and industry buzz. Chosen films are bought after informal industry auctions to later be put in general theatrical release -- which is a marketing function. A "Hollywood Reporter" article by Tatiana Siegel recounts that festival deals -- while often result of frenzied … [Read more...] about Films Sold at Fests Often Disappoint Later