Labels

Thursday 8 March 2018

Sometime the Best Film in not the best film

Given we have just finished the awards season so many people have asked me for my favourite British film of the year.


Off the top of my head, I will say PADDINGTON 2, GOD'S OWN COUNTRY or THE DEATH OF STALIN but this is not exactly true.


The Best British Film for me was IN ANOTHER LIFE.



Which one I hear you say.


It is a film that sadly has passed so many by, even by those who work in film.


When executive producer Alan McQueen showed it to me I was sorely tempted to take on this minor masterpiece for UK distribution. It is a very powerful film and one that in a just world would be seen in cinemas around the UK.


I spent almost 20 years only releasing British & Irish films and most were difficult films that all other companies had passed on. IN ANOTHER LIFE was in many ways suited for me and I liked everything about it. However, there is just one element that made it just too hard, even for me.


It was filmed in black & white.


Artistically this was the right decision but commercially it made it almost unsellable.


When I release a film in the cinema I know that it will not even come close to recouping its P&A let alone any kind of advance. The lucrative video/ DVD market is almost no more so it is left to TV and online sales (Netflix/ Amazon) to recoup. VOD is tiny.


The film buyer for a major UK broadcaster once said to me on a panel at the London Film Festival to name him one recent black and white film any broadcaster has bought recently. None of us on that panel or in the audience could come up with a film. Although he said that 17 years ago it still rings true today. Black & white is such a hard sell. The public just do not like watching them. Very occasionally once every 10 years or so one will break through. 


In a fair world, IN ANOTHER LIFE would be snapped up by every UK broadcaster because it is that good. These days small underfunded companies like mine just can no longer take the risk.


It should have been in the BAFTA shortlist but without a cinema release, it was not eligible. (It did win a BIFA).

There are now so many emerging filmmakers are making interesting and often brilliant films but in such a crowded market so many distributors, sales agents, broadcasters are looking for reasons not to take a film. Supply has grealty outstripped demand. 



Sometimes the Best Films really are not the best films.....in my view.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6809036/reference