The COVID-19 pandemic has created plenty of “firsts” for Hollywood and the film industry. But even with the cinemas around the world being closed for the foreseeable future, perhaps the biggest aspect of the industry to be affected is the lack of film festivals. Already, we’ve seen a ton of film festivals canceled or postponed, with more expected as this pandemic runs its course. This has led to some events, such as the SXSW Film Festival taking extreme measures to stay relevant in 2020, much to the chagrin of some filmmakers.
Recently, it was announced that SXSW and Amazon had come to an agreement to show a selection of festival selections on Amazon Prime Video for free to film fans. On paper, this sounds like an incredible deal for fans, and something filmmakers would want to seriously consider, as Prime Video is one of the biggest platforms worldwide. Of course, not all things that sound great at first might be the best solution in the long run.
Speaking to THR, various filmmakers that had films selected to take part in this year’s canceled SXSW discussed the option and why they don’t necessarily think it’s the right move. For some, it’s impulsive, while others would rather have the option for more traditional distribution. Regardless, it seems as if not everyone is excited by this newfound opportunity.
“I love South By and I love Amazon and I love that they are trying to do something, but it feels like this might hurt the filmmakers in the end,” said an unnamed director, who entered a film into the Narrative Feature competition and will not take part in the Amazon offer.
READ MORE: Amazon Teams With SXSW To Provide A Free Streaming Version Of The Canceled Festival
For one documentary producer, who won’t be taking part in the SXSW/Amazon partnership, the feeling is that streaming for free doesn’t help anyone and that the platforms need to start purchasing films instead of offering them for free.
“Unfortunately, showing things for free isn’t going to make a dent,” the producer said. “It’s a really challenging time, but the best thing these platforms can do is go back into business and start buying films.”
READ MORE: ‘Shithouse’ Leads The Winners Of This Year’s SXSW Film Festival Awards
For another filmmaker, jumping at the first opportunity so soon after the cancellation of SXSW seems a bit impulsive. “It has only been a month [since the SXSW cancellation]. There is still a lot of uncertainty. As a filmmaker, it is hard to have patience right now. But the right thing will come. This didn’t seem like the right thing,” they said.
It’s still unclear which films will take part in the Amazon/SXSW deal. And we’re not sure when a lineup announcement will happen. That being said, the release of the SXSW films for free on Prime Video is expected to happen later this month.
