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 His absence will be filled by streaming services, upstart
studios and veteran production houses scrambling to buy the most
buzzed-about films at the festival in an industry undergoing
dramatic change.
"Some of the old guard, the usual suspects at Sundance, have
stepped aside or have fallen back a bit," said Ian Bricke,
director of content acquisition for Netflix Inc <NFLX.O>.
"There's a whole range of new players," he added. "It creates
excitement and some degree of chaos in the marketplace."
Weinstein was an unmissable presence in previous years, at times
loudly negotiating deals in the foyers of theaters just after
movie premieres. The producer built a career on finding
awards-worthy gems at Sundance. Competitors watched his picks
closely, often launching bidding wars and driving up prices.
This year, Weinstein is out of the mix, fired as chief executive
of the Weinstein Co after more than 70 women accused him of
sexual harassment or assault, allegations that spanned three
decades. He has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.
Sundance, founded by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and now
in its 33rd year, has become the independent film industry's
premiere U.S. gathering.
Evolving movie-watching habits have brought new buyers in recent
years, with Netflix and Amazon.com Inc <AMZN.O> leading the
march of digital outlets to Sundance.
The streaming services had started to outbid Weinstein Co for
standout films. Filmmakers prospered as Amazon paid $12 million
for "The Big Sick" and Netflix paid $12.5 million for "Mudbound"
in 2017.
This year, it was unclear whether those outlets will replace
Weinstein as the pacesetters.
Amazon plans to shift some resources from independent films to
projects with more commercial potential, sources told Reuters.
Netflix also is investing in bigger-budget movies, although
Bricke said it remained interested in independent films.
The traditional studio stalwarts owned by media giants, such as
Fox Searchlight <FOXA.O>, Sony Pictures Classics <6758.T> and
Focus Features <CMCSA.O>, all will be on the hunt at Sundance,
with competition from newer independent studios such as The
Orchard and A24, distributor of last year's Oscar-winning
"Moonlight."
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CHANGING THE DISTRIBUTION CONVERSATION
Technology companies Hulu, Alphabet Inc's <GOOGL.O> YouTube and
Apple Inc <AAPL.O> also will be searching for hits.
With so many options, filmmakers will consider more than just the
size of the check because digital players offer different ways to
get films in front of audiences. Netflix focuses on streaming movies
simultaneously to members in more than 190 countries with only
limited theatrical runs.
"Netflix has completely changed the conversation and the way we
think about distribution," said Hannah Fidell, co-writer and
director of "The Long Dumb Road," debuting at Sundance this year.
"It requires knowing what you want out of the movie before the
sale."
Anticipated films at Sundance this year include Thursday's opening
night feature "Blindspotting," about a pair of Oakland men
navigating their changing friendship; actor Paul Dano's directorial
debut "Wildlife" starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal; and
music documentary "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A."
Independent films will remain a key part Netflix's slate of 80
original films this year, Bricke said. The company will look for
possible acquisitions at Sundance as well as new talent to work
with.
Amazon has set up its own distribution arm to debut movies in
theaters. It also offered to pay up to $200,000 plus royalties per
stream to all filmmakers with movies in competition at Sundance this
year, to acquire content for an exclusive period for its online
library.
YouTube also will look for possible additions to its programming
lineup and will consider a variety of distribution options, said
Susanne Daniels, YouTube's global head of original programming. That
could include limited or full theatrical runs, or sales through
video-on demand, she said. "We are open to a lot of different
models," Daniels said.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Lisa Richwine; Editing by David
Gregorio)
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