With two awards for best feature film, one nomination for editing and another for directing, and releases in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, Penelope Buitenhuis’ thought-provoking film A Wake illustrates the distribution struggle of Canadian films.
"A Wake" Received the "Clint Eastwood Filmmaker's Award"
First, A Wake was screened at the Cannes Film Festival where it was noticed by Montreal Domino Film and Television International Ltd., distributors of the film in Canada. Then, it won the Best of Show Award at the Toronto Female Eye Festival. Furthermore, in October 2010, Clint Eastwood presented Buitenhuis and her cast with the Clint Eastwood Filmmakers' Award at the Carmel Art and Film Festival. Often self-directed, and with a lifetime experience in filmmaking, Eastwood was impressed by the difficulty and originality of A Wake in which compelling scenes were filmed ad lib.
In an email interview, Buitenhuis explains how improvisation required quick decisions to stir the story without repetition. “The repartee is tight and snappy thanks to my incredibly creative cast,” she says, adding that audiences are blown away when finding out that most of the film is ad lib.
She is particularly pleased to report that the film has been a crowd pleaser on the film festival circuit, “especially among the 30 year-old demographic who appreciates smart films with subtext and mystery.” She adds that due to media influence, audiences have become highly literate around story-telling, and “understand things almost as if they were in shorthand.” Besides, considering that special effects are expensive, the only option for a good independent film is good acting.
Social Media as a New Marketing Strategy for Box Office
Buitenhuis points out that the next hurdle after validation and distribution is survival at movie theatres. With no advertising funds and little time to publicize, “Only social media can keep the film alive,” she says.
For indie films the curse is to be overlooked by film distributors, or cut short at movie theatres by a higher profile film, regardless of artistic merit. Box office returns is key to visibility.
She explained that the first weekend is crucial. “If we get a good turn out on the weekend, the theatre will keep the film for another week, allowing social media to build. That is the best we can hope for, with some good reviews.”
Distribution Without Hollywood is a Financial Risk
Buitenhuis laments that a celebrity-fixated audience will ignore a film if the lead actor is not famous. In North America, audiences refer to, or remember, a film by the name of its lead actor first whereas in Europe artistry is still appreciated.
As a result, numerous good films are simply not seen, making the journey of Canadian independent films all the more precarious. “In Canada, we have to create strong, smart contemporary stories that can compete with our richer American counterparts,” she says. “The stories have to provoke and engage and be more original."
The challenge for Domino Film And Television Ltd. as a distributor is that even Canadian theatres are reluctant to book a Canadian film with Canadian stars; a reluctance equally met at Canadian newspapers and magazines. “My film has Canadian stars like Nicolas Campbell and Martha Burns, but since they are unknown in the U.S. it is tricky to find buyers internationally,” she says.
An Era of Digital Film Production and Online Promotion
When Buitenhuis explained her filmmaking techniques at the 2009 Vancouver Women in Film Festival where A Wake was selected for screening, she credited digital filmmaking for removing some of the financial burden off production. “I can create a quality film or series with high production value and strong acting for very little money,” she says referring to her extensive filmography.
And so, with just three weeks to publicize her film since the date of the release was announced, like her peers, Buitenhuis is using the power of the internet for promotion. “The most we can do as filmmakers is to promote our website and send out trailers to build our own marketing campaign,” she says.
The word of mouth could result in a valuable critique and let A Wake remain on a movie theatre billboard. “A good film keeps us on our toes and engages our hearts and our minds,” Buitenhuis says. With A Wake, she was very careful to keep the audience guessing. Yet, when the film is over, it is just the beginning; as is the journey of independent films.
Marie-Claude Arnott - Marie-Claude Arnott writes about topics that interest her, from experience and with passion.
