Diversity is very important to cinema and the stories that get made. In Canada, I’ve advocated for an Ethnic Film Fund to be set up by Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund so that more diverse stories get made into features and TV shows. The Canadian Heritage Minister liked my proposal and hopefully now the minority Justin Trudeau Govt will do get it done. In Hollywood, not the studios but other companies like FilmNation and independent producers, including Indo-American funded ShivHans Pictures, are taking the lead in hiring more women, minorities and LGBT as well telling more diverse stories. It’s important that we tell our stories in the strongest visual media of film and television and Govt in Canada needs to get in line and Canadian film and television landscape has to change otherwise it’s just empty Diversity talk!

By R. Paul Dhillon

AFM: We’re Here!

Opening day of the American Film Market and DESIBUZZCanada is here for the first time covering the event as we love everything film and there is so much on display here. This is the biggest film market in the US and on the Westcoast, held annually in Santa Monica, California. This is where film companies come to do business of film – everything from film financing, distribution, licensing and pre-sales on projects that are just beginning production or are already filming. This is where you make big and small contacts in hopes of making a deal. Largely for companies and distributors-sales agents but it’s a great learning experience for filmmakers, write-directors, who crave film business knowledge and deal-making!

AFM: Canada Reception!

It’s party time for the Canadian crew that’s attending AFM. Various Canadian provincial and national film-creative agencies have organized this event at the Sonoma restaurant in Santa Monica, which is hosted by Canadian Consul General from LA. Film producers and creators from across Canada are here along with transplanted Canadian filmmakers living in LA. Nice to connect with fellow media, producers and distributors and enjoy some nice wine and snacks!

AFM: Finance Forum!

This morning saw an interesting discussion on what’s hot and selling and what’s merely just on screen. The consensus at the Finance Forum at the American Film Market was that there is a glut of films in all spheres – Studio and Independent and if your script isn’t unique, it’s not going to get made and if you find money to make it – it will die a quiet death. Another key point in selling theatrical films to audiences is the Big Data! Studios, indie distributors and even theatre chains like Alamo Drafthouse, use data to determine if a film will do well or not. They apply the data before the release to determine how many theatres a film should release on or if it should release at all (something Punjabi films industry need badly as many Punjabi films are not worth releasing and those which release need to start with small release count and work up like Ardaas did this summer).

Theatre chains want to make money just like producers and now many films, including Punjabi, are finding hard to get screens as they are not clicking with audiences. It’s a tough reality of the film business which many makers don’t realize when they announce films or producers who think their films will be like the few big hits but don’t have stars that at least guarantee initial weekend business like Dakka did even though the film failed! AFM has been an eye opener along with sheer exhaustion at the number of films available for sale and I’m not even counting the big Hollywood films which were announced like the Gerard Butler big budget The Plane which was quickly scooped by Lions Gate films. It’s been a fun and learning trip to the Market in Santa Monica, CA.

AFM: Diverse Stories Needed!

There’s a lot of talk about diversity in films-cinema everywhere but a lot of it, including in Canada by the cultural elites, is a lot of hot air. But in US, there are many producers who are truly navigating the diverse stories landscape and many of them are on a panel called Audience Want More: Bringing Diverse Projects to the Marketplace. Diversity is very important to cinema and the stories that get made. In Canada, I’ve advocated for an Ethnic Film Fund to be set up by Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund so that more diverse stories get made into features and TV shows. The Canadian Heritage Minister liked my proposal and hopefully now the minority Justin Trudeau Govt will do get it done. In Hollywood, not the studios but other companies like FilmNation and independent producers, including Indo-American funded ShivHans Pictures, are taking the lead in hiring more women, minorities and LGBT as well telling more diverse stories. It’s important that we tell our stories in the strongest visual media of film and television and Govt in Canada needs to get in line and Canadian film and television landscape has to change otherwise it’s just empty Diversity talk!