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Going global: the role of international film sales agents --
Wed, 07 Oct 2015 11:18
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SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Yuanyuan Sui, operating officer of Sales and Acquisitions at Picture Tree International (PTI), sheds light on the role of an international film sales agent and how filmmakers can better collaborate on getting their films to a global audience.
How important is it for a filmmaker to have international representation for their film?
Usually an international film sales company such as PTI knows where and how to approach distributors from all over the world. Filmmakers need an international sales agent in order for their film to travel internationally to cinemas, TVs and online platforms.
What is the best stage for a filmmaker to approach a sales agent?
It depends on the project, the genre and the budget. PTI takes on some projects at the scripting stage. For some, PTI takes them on after watching a rough cut. Either way the company will usually participate before the film is ready.
How open are sales agents to representing African films? How much exposure do they have to this kind of content?
I have to say that it is not an easy approach. There are more and more great African Films, but they still lack recognition. For a sales agent of course this is very risky, but we would like to try to let the world know about the beautiful films from Africa or about Africa.
Do you think they are in a better position to market or sell a film that the filmmaker? If so, why?
I would say yes in general. In the end, places such as film markets are a lot about experience, about networking, connections, the knowledge of each territory and importantly the deal brokering, delivering and monitoring of closed deals.
How much work do you do with a filmmaker before presenting a project to a particular distributer?
A lot - from the international trailer cut, the subtitles, the press kit, the artwork, the premiere at a festival, etc.
What are some common issues that you assist filmmakers with? What are the biggest mistakes you see with filmmakers trying to get their film to market?
Well, we help the filmmakers to understand the markets, to understand the audience outside of the country of production, to understand the potential of a film and of course also the risks and potential downsides involved.
How do you select films to represent?
Firstly we definitely choose the films we like. Based on that, we have the passion to push the films further.
What makes a film a marketable asset?
That is a very difficult question. I think it depends on too many elements: the genre, the cast, the budget, the message the film is bring out and the content.
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