The producer says the film company has decided to donate a portion of the night’s proceeds to the Obama campaign!

The cost seems a bit pricey for a screening and a little champagne. I think I’ll wait until it is free to the public. I have to say I am curious about the local connection. After renaming the movie to ‘Anywhere, USA’, I assume that the local affiliation would not be interesting enough to gain interest from an audience that expands beyond W.N.C. I’ve read good reviews that say such things as “A genuinely odd duck, a quirky regional comedy that doesn’t quite resemble anything else you’ve seen.” to the not so good “Anywhere USA is dressed up in postmodern smarty pants, only to resolve as an excessively overlong personal project that chases its own tail.” I will have to see it sometime in the future to give my true opinion of the movie. For right now, I think my curiosity is only luke warm.

jenny,
I doubt the film will ever be free to the public. If it’s picked up for distribution, you’ll at least have to pay the price of admission.

Download it from a torrent site once it makes the rounds.

So the director funded his movie by marketing the name of Asheville on a t-shirt for tourists to purchase and now he wants locals to foot the bill to send him to London?  Can I do something like this? Is there any part of this movie that wasn’t funded off the backs of people in this town?

“Download it from a torrent site once it makes the rounds.”

Think real hard Flux.  If everyone downloads an indie film for free will indie films still be made?  Should I just take a painter’s paintings off the walls?

Yes, I am talking about torrent downloads. I’m sure it will appear on one site or another. That’s where most of us get movies now. It is the harsh, but true reality of the times. Sorry Orbit, but I haven’t been to a rental store in almost 2 years. But, going back to the article…this isn’t really the topic of discussion here.

yeah the words “portion of the proceeds” scare me to death.
Any idea on a percentage of ticket sales are going to Obama? 1%? 5%? 25%?

I’m not talking about me… I’m doing fine and will continue to do so.

What I’m talking about and definitely the topic of discussion is that this filmmaker spent years on this project, scrounging for cash and involving dozens and people, and you want it for free.

http://www.anywhereusathemovie.com/cast.html

Chusy is having to charge $50 a ticket to fund a trip to an English film festival.  Two or three years ago, a film that won a Sundance prize would have easily been snapped up by a distributor.  Anywhere, USA has yet to be distributed.  A Cannes winner this year, Steven Soderberg’s CHE, did not pick up a distribution until recently.

What is happening?  The money is drying up.  Many high profile companies and subsidiaries have closed and funding for films is going away.  There are many reasons for this, but a major factor is them losing a revenue source, i.e. you ILLEGALLY downloading movies.  Big films will continue being made, but expect a day where someone will try to make the next JUNO or PULP FICTION or RUSHMORE, and they will never be able to get their project off the ground.

Jenny, I’m sure that you know many artists in town.  You might be one yourself.  Think about them when you steal Chusy’s movie in the near future.  Think about him losing money, time and sleep to get this film made.  Think about your friends that paint, sculpt, and sing and imagine thousands of people ripping off everything they’ve ever done.  If you can still download with a clear conscious, then god help us.

Yes, I am talking about torrent downloads. I’m sure it will appear on one site or another. That’s where most of us get movies now.

Most of us? Define most of us—and where you get such data to make that claim? I know an awful lot of people who are heavily into movies. Of those, I know exactly two who get movies in this manner.

Jason,
You could do it if you spent more time creating art and raising money with hard work, and less time on the internet making fun of people who have.
Isnt that obvious?

Last weekend’s London Times film critic named Anywhere, USA, one of his top ten films to see at the British Film Institute’s Film Festival.

I worked in the film production biz for two years in London, and let me tell you, this is a pretty big deal. So, one man’s vision of eclectic Asheville is going to the biggest film fest in Europe. Woo-hoo!

Here’s the story:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/london_film_festival/article4862745.ece

I heard the producer is going to give 10% of the profits to Bill Ayers’ socialist education foundation. Or rather, that’s what Obama will do with his share.

Jason,
You could do it if you spent more time creating art and raising money with hard work, and less time on the internet making fun of people who have.
Isnt that obvious?

For someone who has no idea what I do with my time, you certainly like to pretend like you have an idea about what I do with my time. You should get a new hobby.

Al,

Don’t you just hate people who try to educate other people?  Stoopid educators.  Distinguished Professors going around professing educational whatever.  And don’t you hate it when presidential candidates sit on a Board with a freaking philanthropist who keeps wanting to make people smarter?

It’s just terrible.

“Most of us? Define most of us—and where you get such data to make that claim? I know an awful lot of people who are heavily into movies. Of those, I know exactly two who get movies in this manner.”

Have you ever been on a torrent site and looked at the statistics on movie downloads? Seems you’re basing your argument on people you know instead of people you don’t know, and I’d wager to guess that there are many more of the latter… gotta be at least a 5 to 1 ratio!

“If everyone downloads an indie film for free will indie films still be made?”

Yes, they will.

“Yes, they will.”

How?

Hey flux C,

What do you do for a living?

Seems you’re basing your argument on people you know instead of people you don’t know, and I’d wager to guess that there are many more of the latter…

You’re quite right in your assumption that I have never been to a bit torrent site. Why would I? I’m not going to download a movie. You’re also right that there are more people I don’t know than people I do know, but most of the people I do know are heavily into movies and I don’t know of any who do this—the two I know who have done it are actually only casual viewers. Perhaps I merely know people with a basic concept that it’s wrong to take someone else’s work without asking or paying for it. Some of us are old-fashioned like that.

And I second Marc’s question as to how you expect film production and distribution to continue if people stop paying for it. Are you relying on those of us who find illegal downloading immoral to take up the slack?

People that download torrents are the same people that watch Disaster Movie and that chihuahua movie. They couldn’t care less about quality. Why the hell would I want to watch a movie on my computer?

Flux-

I’m just asking because I was wondering if I could have free access to whatever it is your income depends on. Paying for things is soooo last century.

Why the hell would I want to watch a movie on my computer?

Also an excellent point. The only time I watch a movie on my computer is when I’m doing frame grabs to illustrate an article.

Bobaloo,
My 7-year-old is dying to see that damn Chihuahua movie. I just hope it comes to Asheville Pizza so I can guzzle beer while cringing through it.

I think my computer’s too old and memory-comprised to download anything bigger than a 3-minute YouTube video. Though I wouldn’t download a movie anyway. How is that legal?

No doubt Ken hanke will give the movie a good rating regardless of whether it is actually good or not…just on the fact it was shot here.

No doubt Ken hanke will give the movie a good rating regardless of whether it is actually good or not…just on the fact it was shot here.

Why, Al, you seem to be harboring some sort of grudge over my far-from-good review of A Dance for Bethany...just like your predecessor…

I saw “Song For Bethany” and loved it. Ken was right. it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. And the fact it was shot in Asheville, wow, what a plus. Can’t wait to screen “Anywhere USA”. Ken, you are my hero. I am in lockstep with every opinion you have!

Ken was right. it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Don’t see many movies, huh?

I’m still waiting on a response from Jenny and Flux Capacitor.

Just a note on how an Indy movie can be made and then be available free for download.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Swarm_of_Angels

Whether this pans out remains to be seen but it could be a viable model for film making.

I’ve seen other indy films that have been made and then released for free download. The Finnish Star Trek parody Star Wreck: In the Pirkenning (http://www.starwreck.com/) comes to mind. So, obviously it is possible to do but not by following outmoded business models.

There are many avenues in making and distributing a film nowadays.  The best example to me was the excellent sci-fi film PRIMER, which was made for $7000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CC60HJvZRE

However, I feel that most of these filmmakers making movies on the cheap are hoping for bigger budgets, better actors and perhaps a paying gig.  Has anyone been able to continuously give away their films over time and not get frustrated and quit?

We also need to look at ourselves as a movie watching public.  I love low budget movies from horror to indie to experimental to whatever, but I sometimes want to cleanse my palate with something like HELLBOY 2.  If the movie system collapses, and believe me, I have many reasons to hope it would, will we as consumers be happy with free movies shot digitally?

If the movie system collapses, and believe me, I have many reasons to hope it would, will we as consumers be happy with free movies shot digitally?

Offhand, I’d say no. But at the same time, there’s got to come a point where the people making these movies would like to see some money for them. If they’re downloaded free off the internet, how is that going to happen?

I wonder if “Anywhere USA” is as bad as “Song For Bethany”? Geez, I hope not. Can’t we get some good films shot in Asheville?

Fifty bucks, huh?  I hope that one day the folks decide to let the little people watch their movie.

I get fundraising and all, but how about pretending to care if Ashevillains ever get to see the thing?

I wonder if “Anywhere USA” is as bad as “Song For Bethany”? Geez, I hope not. Can’t we get some good films shot in Asheville?

I just won a bet.

Pink Flamingos made us lose the Vietnam war.

Did anybody go to this thing?  Flux Capacitor?  Jenny?