Now that our indie epic "Brave Love" is looking good for completion next year (2021) we are thinking about how to screen it. I saw 2 different indie movie screenings this week. Both successful with good lessons for us. Both venues were large "lounge" spaces with big comfy sofas and armchairs so an audience size of 25 - 30. They were both full.
"The Man on the Island". Feature documentary, at the Monterey Cinema Takapuna, Mon, 23 Nov 2020. Presented by the film-maker Simon Mark-Brown with a Q and A session. Simon said it well that there are many eccentric characters who we may think of filming. However Colin McLaren is an eccentric character with depth of character and that is what makes this film work well. Simon noted that the current drop in commercial output had made it easier for films like his to get into cinemas. However the opposite may apply to "Brave Love" est. Sep-Oct 2021 with a flood of held-back product. In the 80s and 90s we had a good time doing Super-8 shows in cafes, music festival tents and other non-cinemas, so what does a modern equivalent look like? "Golden Nugget".
"The Golden Nugget International Film Festival". Tue, 24 Nov 2020. Shorts screening in a sports bar at the Kingslander pub. Presented by organisers Emme Lentino and Alex Wilson. The films covered a wide range, beginning with "Cinema of Unease" then moving to what I will label "Cinema of Exhuberance". Many of the films displayed high production value looks on minimal budgets, as in amazing costuming and attention to detail: especially my show favourite, the satirical and super-exhuberant "Antifeminist".
https://www.sofijasztepanov.com/antifeminist
Emme and Alex were very active hosts. And exhuberant like their show. They welcomed and talked to everyone. They warmed up the audience so we became comfortable talking to each other. The bar was in the same room, closed while the films were playing but open before, after and during the interval. Yes, there was an interval. It worked well to have the one space for films, eating, drinking and socialising. They also had sponsorship from SkullCandy Headphones. We all got SkullCandy beanies and there was a prize draw for a set of 'phones. A second prize draw was for a 15 min podcast interview to promote your business venture. Lessons: (1) do active hosting. (2) events now need an event backdrop for the photos. This is the first time I have seen one at an NZ film screening.
