Movie Theaters
Big Screens, Big Future: IMAX Boss Forecasts Strong Pandemic Rebound
IMAX has always seen success in the Asia-Pacific region. Before the pandemic, over 50 percent of their sales derived from theaters in Asia. Now that the eastern region has also seen growth in the streaming sector, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond believes that the latest batch of tentpoles will help reboot the Asian theater markets. Just last month, India, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore all exceeded 2019’s full-year revenue. Once Avatar: The Way of the Water hits theaters, their numbers will soar even higher, possibly breaking some previously held IMAX records. Japan has also seen remarkable success, thanks to both local films and Hollywood films that have crossed the pond. Local film Suzume and Hollywood's Wakanda Forever both opened in IMAX over the same weekend, and both saw great attendance. In contrast, China’s 2022 has been turbulent due to COVID lockdowns and release delays. But Gelfond is hopeful that Avatar 2 could not only boost IMAX’s presence in the country, but it could “actually help accelerate the importation of Hollywood films into China again.” IMAX has had a strong presence in China for the past 20 years, and Gelfond is confident that this relationship will not change, despite recent pandemic difficulties. Additionally, there are now more conversations in the streaming world about incorporating theatrical releases into the model. Studios are convinced that theatrical releases are necessary to help gain back some original investment as well as build excitement for streaming releases. This is an easier model for those who have executed theatrical releases in the past. For dedicated streamers, there may be more hesitancy to show films in theaters. Still, 2023 may see more crossover.
Film
Animation Spotlight: How the Format Opens Doors for More Diversity
The entertainment industry is changing, with discussions of gender parity front and center. The animation sector is showing a lot of growth, employing many women in roles as top film executives across the industry. Meredith Roberts, Executive Vice President of TV animation at Disney-Branded Television, started seeing this shift about 10 to 15 years ago. Since that time, women have opened doors for other women in the field. Roberts went on to say, “I think what we’ve seen is the net result of probably a decade of toiling in the field that has resulted now in the normality of female executives in these higher capacity roles.” The Vice President of Animation at Netflix, Karen Toliver, believes that mentorship is instrumental in the creation of more animation job opportunities for women. Through her connections and relationships, Toliver was inspired to pursue a career in the field and gained the confidence to speak up and enter a position of power. Nora Twomey, who is behind Oscar-contender My Father’s Dragon, thinks that the next generation brings even more promise. According to Twomey, her generation seems to ask for permission often, but younger individuals are becoming more confident when it comes to pursuing what they want. In addition, the shifting attitude towards education is also encouraging people to not settle in just any role. Turning Red, helmed by Domee Shi (who previously won an Academy Award for short film Bao), built out the project with a preponderantly female crew, creating an environment that was authentic and allowed the team to take risks. Even though more women are in executive roles, the percentage still falls behind the 50/50 parity that organization Women in Animations aims to achieve. Marge Dean, CEO of WIA, has seen the industry numbers changing. In 2013, only 20 percent of the animation field was made up of women. A couple of years ago, the industry hit 30 percent. It is possible that the field lost some women due to the pandemic’s shifting workforce, but WIA still hopes to reach gender parity by 2025.
Television
Immigration Representation: AAPI Study Shows Big Increase From 2020
Define American, a nonprofit that focuses on humanizing the immigrant narrative, released their latest study, titled “Change the Narrative, Change the World 2022: The Power of Immigrant Representation on Television,” which notes that Asian American and Pacific Islander representation on television increased from 12 percent in 2020 to 28 percent today. This means that representation is now consistent with current U.S. immigration data, which shows that 27 percent of all immigrants have AAPI heritage. Back in 2020, AAPI were the most under-represented minority group in comparison to their real-life numbers in the U.S., so this increase is quite substantial. In addition, other immigrant groups saw increased representation. For example, Black immigrants doubled in television roles, compared to 2020. Define American partnered with USC’s Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project to complete this study, which looked at 167 characters across 79 scripted series that aired between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. Sarah E. Lowe, Director of Research and Evaluation at Define American, said this report looked through an entertainment lens with the hope of creating “research that has practical use to content creators in Hollywood and beyond.” Despite these impressive increases, minority groups and immigrants are still often under-represented. Latino depictions saw a drastic decrease, from 50 percent in 2020 down to only 34 percent. Negative stereotypes of immigrants still take the forefront, with 40 percent of all immigrant characters associated with crime (a record high and an increase from 2020’s 22 percent). Erica Rosenthal of the Norman Lear Center believes these inaccurate representations and stereotypes actively create real life prejudices against immigrants. This study also included an audience survey, which found that due to increased immigrant representation, more individuals have reported gaining a deeper understanding of immigrants’ lives. Poorna Jagannathan, who stars on Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, says that because of this increased representation, “there is more empathy, understanding and nuance” towards immigrants now.
International
Incentives and Co-Productions: Saudi Arabia Makes a Mark in Entertainment
Red Sea 360° was a four-day event during the market arm of this year's Red Sea Film Festival that welcomed over 50 panelists to a series of talks and. This year, Saudi Arabia stepped up to the plate, detailing how they aim to become a leading production country in the Arab region. During a panel on international co-productions, many industry leaders from other countries shared their interest in working in Saudi Arabia. Mohamed Hefzy, founder of Egypt’s Film Clinic, said there is a huge population in the country who are eager to consume content. Livia Van Der Staay from France’s Wild Bunch Intl. showed interest because Saudi Arabia is “a new market for us and it’s quickly expanding, and it’s very young when compared to European audiences.” In addition, Saudi Arabia also established an attractive tax incentive just this year—a 40 percent cash rebate. American producer David M. Uslan and his father, Michael Uslan (executive producer of the Batman movie franchise) are both interested in working in the region on local and original IP. David said, “I have been surprised with the quality of what has been created in this region, so that is what we have been hunting down, the next IP to adapt into franchises.” But when it comes to producing content in a new area, it is vital to create natural connections with the location and to build good relationships with the locals. Uslan said it is all about making a real effort by being present in these international locations and making friends who can then become partners. The panel advised people who are seeking to create co-productions to adapt to how production is done locally, rather than trying to replicate what is done in western countries. With co-productions, the aim should never be to renounce a culture to fit a mold of what production is supposed to look like, but to fully embrace a location, their culture, and way of life to create authentic content.
Film Festival
Sundance Ahead: Programmers Share Their Thoughts on the 2023 Festival
It’s official: Sundance is heading back to Park City, Utah, on January 19 for its 2023 edition. The festival recently announced its lineup, featuring films and adaptations from top film talent. Once again, Sundance is embracing a hybrid model. As in past years, Sundance 2023 will hold both digital and hybrid events. When deciding on this year’s format, Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente said, “We felt that while we’re going to prioritize in person, we also felt that we couldn’t turn our back on what proved to be a very successful platform for Sundance.” The digital Sundance platform has incredible reach and was able to launch films that went on to win Oscars in the past, so it was important to continue this offering and create these digital connections. But the platform has flexibility, and filmmakers and distributors who would like to keep their screenings in-person have the option to do so. With the current COVID environment, festival executives are confident that an in-person event will still happen in 2023, but the key is to provide a safe experience where everyone feels comfortable. Additional precautions will be in place as needed. In terms of contents, the year’s organizers have spotted a lot of real-world issues in the narratives; topics like the war in Ukraine and the protests in Iran will be reflected in the programming. In addition, a lot of the festival’s dramatic competition titles do not have distribution deals. Director of Programming Kim Yutani says that this is because Sundance hopes to use its platform “to be able to influence where the industry is going.” The festival also hopes to be a place of community where industry types can come together and embrace new voices. The festival recently updated their submission process to include a question about a film team’s relationship to its subjects, and these answers helped inform the programming for the year.
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