TorontoFilmFestival: Indies struggle in a market looking for sure things
That big-swing mind-set was on display at the most recent Cannes market, where Paramount beat out smaller players for the Chris Hemsworth-Tiffany Haddish actioner, which FilmNation sold. But privately, buyers griped that FilmNation was using indie distributors to bid up its films only to flip them to a major, earning the company the nickname "FlipNation." And the major studios also are forcing foreign sales agents to adjust their game plans.
"The studios are buying a lot more internationally, they almost never just buy domestic anymore," says Gabrielle Stewart of HanWay, which is selling foreign rights to. "So you have to keep a few of the big territories open for them." The proliferation of streamers, from oldguard players like Netflix and Amazon to newbies such as Quibi, might help buoy overall prices.
"I do think there will be a competitive market for those who have been around for a while, the Magnolias and the IFCs," says ICM’s Kristen Konvitz. "And now that all of the new streaming platforms are buying to build their pipelines, I think there’s going to be a more even playing field. It is still a bit of unchartered waters, but they are going to come looking to find content. In particular, Apple, for something that suits their brand.
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