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The Global Pitch: A Journey through the International Film Market
“...I see movies that release in the U.S. and then they're like in movie purgatory and there's no thought about the rest of the world in distribution," says actress and producer Ella Mische, who also founded the Croatian International Film Festival. "It's so important to think beyond just our countries, wherever we are.”
The views expressed are those of the speakers and does not reflect the views of JPMorgan Chase and does not convey endorsing any companies, brands, products, or third parties mentioned during the panels.
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Film festivals are now more important than ever, especially for the next generation. Younger audiences want a sense of community that goes beyond a film and festivals are often the first place that anyone hears about an independent film. It’s about finding your audience, and the international hubs have gained a lasting advantage.
In the quest for a global audience, many filmmakers make the mistake of trying to be "universal," often resulting in a diluted, bland story. Valerie Steinberg, one of Variety’s producers to watch, argues for the opposite. To go global, you must go local.
The film industry is both a business and an art form, and across the board the stories that travel are those that lean into their specificity. The globalization of film affects every level of how they are made – from changing financing models to faster distribution. Filmmakers understanding the importance of international sales early on is how they can swing open the door to the global market.
“The stories that really travel, that really break through, those are ones that lean into the specificity," Steinberg observed. Whether that specificity is cultural, social, or emotional, it is the "conviction behind the storytelling" that resonates across borders. When a film feels true to a specific place or person, it gains a "trust engine" status that generic content lacks.
The journey from a finished film to a global screen is fraught with what Mische calls "movie purgatory” – a state where great films are released in the U.S. but never find their way to eager international markets due to a lack of foresight in distribution.
Solving this requires viewing festivals not just as red carpets, but as vital marketplaces. David Magdael, a veteran marketing strategist, looks for a specific spark to pull a film out of the void, he said.
“One of us has to love the film 150% more than the filmmaker.” That level of passion is necessary to navigate a landscape where placement is as critical as quality.
In a "sea of content," the role of the film festival has shifted. They are no longer just exclusive clubs; they are curators of attention. Steinberg noted that festivals serve as "signifiers of what we should pay attention to." They provide the context that algorithms cannot.
For the modern filmmaker, the strategy must begin at the point of conception. Producers are now encouraging creators to think about their global platform before the first frame is shot. It is no longer enough to make a great movie; you must understand where people are watching content and who, in the furthest corners of the globe, is waiting to join your community.
