What makes the US an important market for independent filmmakers from the developing world?
SW: Films screened in major cities in this country can be reviewed in the press and magazines. There’s an enormous difference between reviews in newspapers, and the trade reviews you might receive from a film festival. Reviews in the press can give a film a much longer life, extending a theatrical run, or expanding to more cities, and that’s the best chance filmmakers have of making money on their films. Reviews establish credibility for the film—and for the filmmaker, which can make it easier to raise money for the next film. The reality is that most films are never distributed. Large amounts of money are spent, and no one sees the filmmakers’ work. For films with English subtitles, distribution is usually limited to art-house audiences. This is why the Global Lens series, screening films in major cities for a full year, is so important. What Global Lens does, through your own audience-building, is make certain that the films are seen—and that they have the opportunity to gather criti
