House of Film’s paradigm for success
by Alex A. Kecskes

With over a decade of experience in worldwide distribution Ava B. recently founded House of Film, based on the idea of “fusion” distribution for independent movies. House of Film participates in film markets around the world with several titles including Sunrise/Sunset, Belladonna, For The Next 7 Generations, Tattoos, The Rain, and Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint.

Ava B. said: “House of Film represents a joining of forces to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing marketplace, which calls for new models in distribution. House of Film maps out optimum distribution strategies for any content, both U.S. domestic and international, by combining the latest in digital technologies and traditional marketing methods. House of Film’s multiplatform service can optimize revenues from virtually any distribution platform.”

Of the slate of films Sunrise/Sunset, a high-concept documentary by Russian filmmaker, Vitali Manski, offers never-before-seen footage of the Dalai Lama in his home and is being considered for an Academy Award® nomination. Ava B. commented: “I am very excited about this project which has an interesting story and is the reason I was able to start my own company. Two years ago I heard an interview on NPR with Gregory Kruglak, executive producer of the feature film Milarepa, the Tibetan Buddhist story of enlightenment. I convinced Greg Kruglak to give me Milarepa for sales representation under the LongTale banner, where I was at the time as VP of Sales & Acquisitions. Seeing how successful I was with the sale of his movie to a number of key territories, he encouraged me start House of Film and helped me to acquire Sunset/Sunrise, my first film for distribution.”

The concept of promoting quality cinema in a new distribution model has attracted a team of seasoned executives to the company. House of Film has recently strengthened its management team with the appointment of Gary Jones as general manager effective October 1, 2009. Gary brings a wealth of experience and a successful commercial track record to the company. Gary was previously President of Porchlight Entertainment, president of Roger Corman's Concorde-New Horizons Home Entertainment, and Sales Director at Republic Pictures. The company’s business model incorporates ability to introduce product placement and integration, as well as sponsorships, into the production of quality independent films. After a successful career at Procter and Gamble, Evelin Pataki is leading the marketing team injecting these aspects into the company’s portfolio and making covermount deals for completed films. Other members of the sales team include Yatin Parkhani, responsible for Marketing, and Suzanna Howse, Director of International Sales, who is fluent in four languages and based in Europe.

Like so many film success stories, Ava entered the business in a lateral segue. “I earned three university degrees in Hungary, one in world literature. I also worked as an interpreter. One day, the Hungarian Film Studio called me and said that an American film company was coming to town and they needed an interpreter. The movie was Sphinx directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. I was promoted and became Schaffner’s interpreter, who of course, directed Planet of the Apes and Boys from Brazil. It was a great opportunity because he learned about Hungarian history and I learned filmmaking. I then worked with John Houston on Escape to Victory. After that, I was a script supervisor, and then an assistant producer in Estonia where we turned a small weekend TV channel, RTL, into the country’s leading network. I was there for five years doing everything, including financing and buying all the programs. I brought in the highest ratings on a shoestring budget, relying on creativity to draw in viewers. Then VIASAT hired me to be their PR and Marketing Director. After that, I was an acquisitions consultant and made my way to Los Angeles where I worked for a variety of firms until I was able to start my own company, House of Film.”

Asked which production types move easily in today's marketplace, and what sits on the shelf, Ava replied, “Today's market is difficult and selective. If it’s not part of a popular genre or studio blockbuster, it’s a tough sell. Moreover, representing titles for sales at markets worldwide is very costly. Estimating broadly, the cost of marketing a film for a two-year term is between $50,000 and $100,000.”

So what can filmmakers do to increase the commercial value of their productions? “For starters, it is impossible to sell a movie in foreign markets if the sound and effects have not been recorded on separate channels from the dialogue. This is a precondition for us. We also need all the essential PR information when submitting a movie, high-resolution images of the actors during the shoot and in various activities, plus headshots and stills from the movie shoot. And don’t forget chain of title (proof of rights of ownership to the content up to the present owner) and all the rights, including music rights cleared. Another thing to consider is that movies filmed on 35mm, super 16 or high quality DH have more value than movies filmed on video. Finally, if you can’t get bankable talent for your movie, pick a subject that has a built-in core audience.”

What procedures should a producer follow in sending you a screener? “If you have a completed movie, contact us by e-mail at distribution@houseoffilm.net. Include some basic information about the movie: Title, Running Time, genre, cast, PR information, website & contact information. If it passes this stage, we’ll send out a submission form and where to send the screener. Once a movie has been submitted, it will go through the review process. It may take some time before we can get back to you with our offer. If you don’t hear from us in a month or so, you can check in to see where things stand.”

If she had a magic wand and could change the nature of the business, what would she change? “The supremacy of the studios. And that independent films would get more attention. You have to go through a lot of films to find pearls. And regrettably, if you don’t put the big marketing and PR machine behind them, they just go unnoticed, especially if there’s no name attached.”

Does she think the festivals help in this regard? “Not at all. You’ll pick up a few awards, but for distribution, unless you win a prize at one of the top six festivals, it won’t matter. Actually, I sometimes have to hide the fact that a film has a good festival history because it’s then seen as an art house film and they don’t even want to pick up the screener.”

Where does she see the business headed? “There will a fusion of old and new techniques. Traditionally, distributors would take a film with all rights and sign it off for a 10- or 12-year term and the filmmaker would never hear from them again. Now the distributors will need to work with filmmakers in terms of Internet and digital platforms to generate multiple revenue streams. At LongTale, we invite filmmakers to work with us using viral marketing. Today, what matters is what a community or niche audience picks up to create the buzz you need to compete with the major studio’s huge marketing and PR budgets.”

Who are some of her favorite filmmakers? “I like Jonathan Demme, Roman Polanski, David Mamet, Peter Weir, and Kevin Smith. Movies I like include Walkabout, Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, L.A. Story, Magnolia, the Chinese film Not One Less.”

What countries does she see emerging as trailblazers in film? “Spain and China. There’s more drive to enter the mainstream. Finances are more limited so you have to rely on your creativity. There are great things coming out of Taiwan—like Rebels of the Neon God. But I have to say that this year’s films in Caan were very disappointing. One I liked was Gloss by Andrei Konchalovksy. Sadly, foreign films in the U.S. don’t do well. In terms of big studio films, I have to admit that I loved Twilight. There are no names in it, but it will do great internationally because of the book and the buzz.”

Alex A. Kecskes is a freelance writer/journalist widely published in print and web. He has interviewed a growing roster of writers, directors and actors and is a frequent contributor to a wide range of publications serving the entertainment, art and fashion industries.