When filmmaker James Spione wanted to premiere his documentary Incident in New Baghdad in Los Angeles in order to make it eligible for Academy Award consideration, he turned to Kickstarter to garner support. Through the crowd-funding website, Spione was able to raise $11,000 and premiere his Tribeca-winning film in the city of angels. New Baghdad was nominated for an Oscar, making it only the second crowd-funded film to reach such elite recognition. This year, three Kickstarter funded films were nominated, bringing the website’s total to six.
Equally impressive is the fact that 19 of the nearly 120 films selected to this year’s Sundance Film Festival were funded through Kickstarter. In addition, four of the films received top prizes at the prestigious festival. One of the catalysts of this upward trend in independent filmmaking is the partnership with Kickstarter and the Sundance Institue. The Institute curates the best of Kickstarter and promotes them on their personal platforms, increasing the opportunity for backers to fund these well-deserving projects.
Kickstarter, which was founded in 2009, raised nearly $275 million in 2012 alone. That’s $606.76 per minute. The innovative website and success of its users, is proving that filmmakers are quickly moving away from studio-backed projects in favor of privately funded ventures. One of the benefits to this type of filmmaking is the creator’s ability to retain the rights to his work. Charlie Kaufman, who penned such works as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, raised $400,000 through the site to fund his latest film after becoming disillusioned by the inner-workings of the industry.
Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and other crowd-funding websites are creating a new avenue for artists of all genres to not only raise funds for their projects, but also engage with it’s support base – a rare and vital combination for creative success. Here are a few of the best crowd-funded films from this year’s festival:
Steve Hooper’s Blood Brother, $14,506 raised through indiegogo:
Daniel McCabe’s This is Congo, $30,518 raised through Kickstarter:
Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites’ 99%, $20,420 raised through Kickstarter:
(Photo credit: Empire Online)
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