The Guardian caught my eye with a story about a British film that’s been receiving many accolades and is set to make its out of festival debut on a new Internet Digital Film Service, rather than in a conventional screening such as the press viewing of Star Wars John is attending tonight.
The movie, The Plague, is a…
“modern day multicultural snapshot of urban life”, told through the eyes of four friends.
…written and directed by Greg Hall, shot in three weeks for a budget of £3,500 and finally finished after eight months of editing. Wow, that’s one serious amount of work after just three weeks of filming.
Film-maker Hall said the film’s editor slept on his floor for three months during the process. He added that making the film was “the most intense and insane thing I have ever done”.
See, it’s this kind of commitment and talent that should be getting pulled into Hollywood and given looser reigns to make movies their way. Okay, not blockbusters, but a bit of backing, support and guidance, rather than control, contracts and forced options.
The movie has obtained a lot of recognition, and it certainly does seem worth a look. Check out the trailers on its site.
Katrin Cartlidge Foundation Award – 10th Sarajevo Film Festival 2004
Winner Best Director – Portobello Film Festival 2004
Selected for 48th London Film Festival 2004, Europe in Motion Film Festical 2004 Germany, Crossing Europe Film Festival 2005 Austria, British Film Institute’s Sunderland Trophy Tour 2005 and the 13th Raindance East Film Festival (UK) 2005.
The film will be made available over the new Internet Film Service itsallelectric.com for a mere £4 for unlimited viewing.
Now this is the way to make smaller productions available to the mass, however, in the UK you can go and see a general release movie for a mere £3.95. Okay, that is one of the cheapest turns, but expecting to pay the same to download it and watch it on your computer screen is a bit much. Even a full price ticket can be as little as £5. Would you buy a smaller movie in this way? How does the cost compare to your local DVD rental or cinema?
Okay, I just noticed it. My bad. :-)
I wouldn’t know how much it costs to rent squat in Canada, Rich. We go see it in the cinema or we wait for it to come on tv or we simply buy it outright. No farting around for us! And, what, no bitter comment/tie-in to John seeing Star Wars before you – for free, no less – in this post? I’m shocked! I’m appauled!