Since producing Todd Haynes’ Sundance-winning drama “Poison” in 1991, Christine Vachon has helped bring some of the most unique and memorable independent films to the big – and small screen. Her work, which includes over 100 films and television projects, ranges from ushering in debut films from directors like Rose Troche and Mary Harron to Oscar dramas like “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Far From Heaven,” to prestige TV like HBO’s “Mildred Pierce” and Netflix’s “Halston.” Within her tremendous filmography, there is one common thread: Vachon has an eye for filmmakers with strong, clear artistic vision.
At the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, Vachon was feted with a special dinner in honor of her body of work, as well as her two films playing at the prestigious festival: Celine Song’s romantic drama “Past Lives” and Emma Westenberg’s familial road-trip drama “You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder” starring real-life father and daughter Ewan McGregor and Clara McGregor.
The Playlist caught up with the prolific producer at the festival to discuss these two films, her pioneering work uplifting female creators, what she looks for in a project, the future of film festivals, the tension between art and business, and more.
The two films you have at this festival are the kinds of projects you often work on, which are female directors and debuts and, in particular, female directors making their feature film debuts. You’ve been doing this from the jump, and it’s now more of a priority for the industry. Was this something you knew in your heart you wanted to prioritize at the beginning of your career?
I think I’ve never ticked boxes. So it was never like, “Alright, gang, we gotta figure out how to do this.” I always was driven by the movies first. But the fact was the kind of movies I wanted to make were often coming from underserved voices. I’m really proud of the fact that we made Rose Troche’s first film [“Go Fish”] and Mary Harron’s first movie [“I Shot Andy Warhol”], etc., really back when you could count the number of female directors on one hand.
But I’m also really proud of the fact that we gave female DPs such a shot. Maryse Alberti and Ellen Kuras were shooting for us the idea of having a woman doing that was…just nobody. There weren’t any. I think, especially when Maryse was shooting “Velvet Goldmine” in the UK in 1997, the crew just looked at her like she was an alien. I can imagine that every morning she was a little like, “I’ve got to deal with all those guys again.” But she did it, you know?
We’re really seeing strides, at least in that more women are being hired for the job.
They absolutely are. When we talk about diversity, it’s essential to talk about the directors and the whole crew.
You mentioned that your process starts with the project. So I’d love to hear how these films come across your desk. Do you read a million scripts? Lots of meetings?
We’re a tiny company. There is Pamela Koffler and I, and then four others. We rely on the staff, who tend to be very young. Our business model is we want to stay small. So you can’t move up in the company that much because there’s nowhere to go. So the model is that we work with young people. We teach them the business. Mentoring is very important to us.
Mason Plotts has a producer credit on “You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder,” you know, he just got thrown off to New Mexico. Like, here you go, do this. And he rose to the occasion, had a ball, and has full producer credit. So they’re the ones who read everything, see everything, meet everybody. We really trust them, and when they come to us and say, “You’ve got to pay attention to this, you have to read this script, or this filmmaker is absolutely worth your while, or please watch this short or watch this first feature,” we really pay attention.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on where film festivals fit for film culture and the industry right now.
I think we’re all still shaking the pandemic out of our heads, and what does it mean for the future of independent film? I got invited to the Venice Film Festival in September 2020 to be on the jury for the Orizzonti because we had a film in competition. We had Mona Fastvold’s movie “The World to Come.” So I was on the other jury, which was a life-changing experience. I was so miserable and depressed like we all were from, except for those few people who had private islands to go to and reconnect with their cats or their children or whatever. I was in New York, and I never left. I didn’t want to leave. I just woke up with an impending sense of doom every day.
But when I went to the Venice Film Festival, spending ten days just thinking about movies was such a recharge. And I was happy I was on the Orizzonti, which is the more experimental/new filmmaker side. It reaffirmed my belief in the power of cinema and the idea that there’s a certain kind of cinema that requires the commitment of watching something theatrical. I had become slightly cynical about that, even pre-pandemic; I was a little like, “This is changing, and you can’t put that genie back in the bottle.” And now I realize that you don’t have to put that genie back in the bottle. You have to lean into what makes that experience so extraordinary.
Also, festivals create community. I probably don’t know this festival as well as you do, because this is my first time here. Still, I can tell that what they’re trying to do is a mix of glamorous events, but also really be a valuable tool for young filmmakers and connect the people starting in the industry to people who’ve been in the industry. I’m doing a masterclass tomorrow, I assume to that end. So you start to feel like okay, nothing really beats that face-to-face, sitting down with somebody. That’s what mentoring is all about. So, those are just ways in which festivals prove their worth.
