The big news stories this week came – unsurprisingly – from the Cannes Film Festival, with high-profile film acquisitions, contradictory movie receptions, and a Blake Lively Instagram butt scandal. SAGindie continued our own Cannes tradition with our Karaoke Night at The American Pavilion. And the rest of the entertainment world rolled on with news, think pieces, and hot takes – we’ve collected some of the week’s most interesting reads below.
This Week’s Good Reads (Week of May 16, 2016)
Hollywood Has No Business Case for Booking All-White Casts (via Gillian B. White for The Atlantic)
Studies show that diversity makes money. Studios like money. Ergo, studios should embrace diversity.
Equity Crowdfunding is Here – And It Could Be Terrible For Indie Filmmakers (via Chris O’Falt for Indiewire)
How a new law turns “backers” into “investors.”
4 Ways Indie Filmmakers Can Empower Themselves Through Genre (via Emily Dell for ScreenCraft)
Appealing to niche audiences can bolster a film’s success.
Difference Makers: Liz Cook, George Schmalz & Dan Schoenbrun On Kickstarter’s Next Step
(via Stephen Saito for The Moveable Fest)
How the crowdfunding platform is expanding its role in indie filmmaking.
7 Lies Film Distributors Tell Filmmakers (via Jason Brubaker for Filmmaking Stuff)
Some common fibs you might hear when selling your film.
Letter of Recommendation: Movies Alone (via Chris Randle for The New York Times Magazine)
The joy of hitting the cinema solo.
For the traditional theatrical window, the lines continue to blur (via Ryan Faughnder for Los Angeles Times)
Streaming, VOD, day-and-date, and the shifting world of distribution.
Charlie Rose: The Treasure Chest Of First-Class Film Interviews (via Cinephilia & Beyond)
A huge curated list of Charlie Rose’s best filmmaker and actor interviews, from Meryl to Mamet.
New Releases
Movies from our May Movie Picks out this week:
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (Universal Pictures)
- The Nice Guys (Warner Bros.)
- Weiner (Sundance Selects)
A video worth watching
A The Witch playset for the indie-horror-loving children in your life (via Millionaire Playboy)
How ’bout you? Read anything good this week?
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If you’re an independent filmmaker or know of an independent film-related topic we should write about, email blogadmin@sagindie.org for consideration.