Ebertfest: What does the future hold for independent film?
The following was written by Ebertfest correspondent Andy Herren.
“Am I in the right room?” was the initial thought that entered my head as I strolled into the Pine Lounge at the Union today. As I walked into the Union I expected to see fellow students and film enthusiasts like myself, hopefully even a few friends, at the expert-rich discussion. What I saw instead was quite interesting: old people. Lots of them.
I took my seat in the front row next to a sweet elderly woman who asked me about my major, why I was at the panel discussion, etc. She was great, but I felt like I was visiting my grandmother in a nursing home rather than preparing to witness an academic panel discussion on the future of independent film. I then sat and pondered how many people my age actually know about Ebertfest. I mean, my friends all know about the festival because I won’t shut the hell up about it, but other than that I think it is an event that is sadly overlooked on this campus.
So, after realizing that the students on this campus are really missing out on some amazing insight into the world of film and accepting my fate at spending the next hour and a half in geriatric city, I got out my pen and paper and excitedly started to take notes.
The panel was introduced, and the film geek inside me went absolutely crazy. There was Richard Roeper (who I talked briefly with about Zodiac before getting star-struck and excitedly stating that I was in awe to be in the same room as him)! Timothy Spall was there too! And Rufus Sewell! And Eran Kolirin! I was ecstatic.
The discussion was about independent film, and the struggles to bring these films to audiences through personal finance, problems with funding and even, semi-jokingly, the exploitation of children. Everyone was passionate and personable, with some key quotations coming from “Delirious” director Tom DiCillio — who, on the topic of film bypassing theaters and hitting the internet, proclaimed, “Film as a solo experience in front of a computer? Fuck that!” — and from actor Rufus Sewell as he stated, “If I read a great script I pray that the movie is not picked up by a big studio, because the big studios will take over the film and ultimately try to change the filmmakers’ vision.”
The mood was clear: independent film should be celebrated, and it is a shame at how hard it is for these films to reach audiences. Also, the experience of watching a film on the big screen should not be doubted, as it is the ultimate way that films are meant to be shown.
I would have put more quotations into this story, but I found that about halfway through the discussion I was so engrossed by the sheer passion of the speakers that I forgot to continue taking notes. Independent filmmakers sure do have the heart, and heart is what produces great movies. The stories that were being told and the anecdotes coming from the mouths of the speakers were so strong and so vivid that I could feel the enthusiasm for film resonating throughout the room.
Soon the discussion came to a close, and the question and answer portion came up. An elderly woman proclaimed how she would like to personally fund some independent film; another asked why the trademark thumbs up has been removed from “Ebert & Roeper.” Even I had the nerve to ask a question, although I was so nervous that I almost fainted whilst doing so. The discussion was amazing, the passion was evident, and I got to meet Richard Roeper. Oh the joys of being a film nerd …