Presence was acquired by Neon International and will be screened in Sundance
Talk To Me grossed nearly $100m at the global box office
<There's Something In The Barn> from Magnus Martens of XYZ Films
The European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin is off to a strong start, with many high-profile projects on offer. Some of the notable titles include Talk To Me, which has grossed nearly $100m at the global box office; Presence, which was acquired by Neon International and will be screened in Sundance; I Saw The TV Glow from A24 Films; There's Something In The Barn from Magnus Martens of XYZ Films. These titles are being sold with an emphasis on their unique selling points and the ambition behind them, as well as the presence of high-profile stars such as Margot Robbie, Dave Bautista, Scarlett Johansson, and Will Smith.
Post-strike optimism and an impressive lineup of projects on offer in Berlin this year, including available indie movies with the A-list draws of stars such as Margot Robbie, Dave Bautista, Scarlett Johansson, and Will Smith
Accuracy
Many EFM sellers still see a cloud over the horizon with the unresolved issue of the home entertainment market, particularly the all-important pay-one window
Ancillary revenues have always been the true driver of the indie market, but as streaming comes to dominate post-theatrical exploitation and big platforms are pulling back on how much independent fare they buy, many are questioning how indie movies can make the numbers work
Headline-making deals like Netflix's $17 million acquisition of Greg Jardin's horror thriller It What Inside or Amazon's $15 million buy of Megan Park's comedy My Old Ass, both out of Sundance this year are not making up for the broader loss of pay-one revenue as streamers overall buy fewer indie movies
Most active independent buyers like A24 and Bleecker Street have pay-one output deals in place that guarantee ancillary monies for their entire slate
Without having that pay-one window revenue, financing independent films becomes more challenging
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it presents the idea that indie films are struggling to make money due to a lack of pay-one revenue from streaming platforms. However, this statement is misleading as there have been recent high profile deals made by Netflix and Amazon for independent movies at Sundance which suggest that these platforms are still buying indie content. Secondly, the article presents the idea that streamers are only interested in mainstream genre films while ignoring unique edgy indie fare. However, this statement is also misleading as there have been recent examples of successful streaming deals for unique and edgy independent movies such as Celine Song's Past Lives and Wim Wenders' Perfect Days which suggest that these platforms are willing to buy a variety of genres. Lastly, the article presents the idea that indie producers can get creative with windowing rights but fails to mention any examples or specific details on how this is done.
The statement 'without some form of regulation, as they have in Europe to require platforms to buy a certain amount from the independents, it’s going to be very hard for independent producers and independent films to survive' is deceptive as it suggests that there are no other ways for indie filmmakers to make money on streaming platforms when in reality there are other revenue streams available such as merchandise sales and licensing deals.
The statement 'those kinds of generic action movies are great for Netflix and Amazon but they no longer have currency as a theatrical movie' is misleading as it implies that these types of movies only work on streaming platforms which is not entirely accurate.
The statement 'without having that pay-one window revenue, financing independent films becomes that much more challenging.' is deceptive as it suggests that pay-one window revenue is the only source of funding for indie films when in reality there are other sources available such as crowdfunding and grants.
The statement 'ancillary revenues have always been the true driver of the indie market' is misleading as it implies that ancillary revenue is the only source of income for independent films which is not entirely accurate.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author quotes multiple industry professionals without providing any context or evidence for their claims. Additionally, the article uses inflammatory rhetoric when discussing the impact of streaming on indie film financing and distribution.
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the challenges faced by independent filmmakers in making money due to the decline of pay-one window revenue from streaming platforms. The author quotes several industry professionals who express concern about this issue and its impact on indie films' financial viability.
Genre films like The Avenue’s actioner ‘Land of Bad’ are still popular with streamers but harder to make work at the box office.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all deal with a streamer, essentially a cost plus deal, where you give up all global rights forever,
]There’s just not enough revenue from at-home markets to cover production costs for most films.”
Without having that pay-one window revenue, financing independent films becomes that much more challenging.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Scott Roxborough has financial ties to Netflix and A24 through his ownership of Highland Film Group's U.S distribution arm The Avenue.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Scott Roxborough has conflicts of interest on the topics of European Film Market, indie film industry, pay-one window and ancillary revenues. He also has a financial tie to Netflix through his reporting on their acquisition of Greg Jardin's horror thriller It's What's Inside.
Scott Roxborough reports on indie film industry and pay-one window in his article, which could also be seen as examples of conflicts of interest if he has any financial ties or affiliations with those topics.
Scott Roxborough reports on Netflix's acquisition of Greg Jardin's horror thriller It's What's Inside , which is a clear example of a conflict of interest since Scott Roxborough has reported on the topic and also has a financial tie to Netflix through his reporting.
Scott Roxborough reports on the European Film Market in his article, which could be seen as an example of a conflict of interest if he has any financial ties to that market.
Post-strike optimism and an impressive lineup of projects on offer in Berlin this year, including available indie movies with the A-list draws of stars such as Margot Robbie, Dave Bautista, Scarlett Johansson, and Will Smith
Accuracy
The big question is whether the tepid AFM was an anomaly brought about by strikes and industry pullback or if it indicates a more sustained downturn in the film industry.
Many EFM sellers still see a cloud over the horizon with the unresolved issue of the home entertainment market, particularly the all-important pay-one window.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it claims that the European Film Market (EFM) will be a watershed market but does not provide any evidence to support this claim. Secondly, it quotes various industry insiders who make statements about the EFM without providing any context or analysis of their opinions. Thirdly, it presents information in an unbalanced manner by focusing on high-profile projects and ignoring other aspects of the market such as low-budget films and international distribution.
The article quotes various industry insiders without providing any context or analysis of their opinions. For example, Martin Moszkowicz states “There’s a lot more coming out,” but this statement is deceptive because it implies that there will be an increase in new product launches when in fact the market may not see significant growth.
The article presents information about high-profile projects such as “Featherwood” and “Game of Thrones” but ignores other aspects of the market such as low-budget films and international distribution. This is deceptive because it creates a false impression that only high-profile projects are important in the film industry.
The article claims that “the EFM is going to be a useful bellwether.” However, it does not provide any evidence or analysis to support this claim. This statement is deceptive because the reader may believe that the EFM will accurately reflect market trends and consumer preferences.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the market as a 'watershed' and an 'anomaly'. They also use dichotomous depictions by stating that the AFM was either a dry or busy market, without providing any evidence to support this claim. Additionally, there are several examples of appeals to authority where the author quotes industry professionals without providing any context or analysis of their statements.
The big question is: “Was the tepid AFM an anomaly brought about by the strikes and a broader industry pullback in 2023? Or was the AFM an indicator of a more sustained downturn?” he asks.
Of high-profile tutles, Johansson stars in Andrea Arnold's “Featherwood,” from FilmNation, “Game of Thrones” Sophie Turner and Kit Harrington in “The Dreadful,” from UTA/Film Bride Int.
A lot more announcements
There's definitely more of a thirst from buyers who were starved of the usual array of new product launches in the second half of 2023, as indicated by the late Sundance sales flurry, argues Alison Thompson, at Cornerstone Films.
The most difficult thing to accomplish right now is finding out talent schedules
Will audiences keep returning to theaters for non-tentpole films
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author John Hopewell has a professional affiliation with Variety as they are an employee of the site. This could potentially influence their reporting on topics related to the entertainment industry.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
John Hopewell has conflicts of interest on the topics Berlin and Scarlett Johansson.
The article mentions that John Hopewell is a contributor to Variety's 'Global' section. This suggests that he may have financial ties or professional affiliations with companies in the film industry, which could compromise his ability to report on these topics objectively.
Talk To Me has grossed nearly $100m at the global box office
Neon snapped up Steven Soderbergh's Lucy Liu ghost story Presence in Sundance and is talking to buyers in Berlin
A24 is selling I Saw The TV Glow, Jane Schoenbrun's take on gender dysphoria and teenage isolation which also debuted in Park City and receives its international premiere in Panorama
Magnus Martens' Norwegian comedy horror There's Something In The Barn from genre aces XYZ Films is on Charades slate
Accuracy
Highland Film Group is hoping buyers respond to possession story Rosario from Mucho Mas Media and Silk Mass, the producers behind last year's shark horror The Black Demon with Josh Lucas
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in that it implies that the elevated genre titles at EFM are being sold by sellers because they have something unique and ambitious. However, this is not entirely true as some of these films were already successful before their acquisition by distributors. For example, Talk To Me grossed nearly $100m worldwide before its Berlinale Special screening in 2023.
The article implies that the elevated genre titles at EFM are being sold because they have something unique and ambitious. However, this is not entirely true as some of these films were already successful before their acquisition by distributors.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the focus is on originality and scope without providing any evidence or reasoning for this claim. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Talk To Me as a counter-programmer despite it being rated R and not having a name cast.
The focus is on originality and scope.
Bias
(85%)
The article highlights the trend of elevated genre titles at EFM 2024. The author mentions that sellers are aiming high with these titles and provides examples such as Neon's Lucy Liu ghost story Presence in Sundance and A24's I Saw The TV Glow, Jane Schoenbrun's take on gender dysphoria and teenage isolation which also debuted in Park City. This suggests that the focus is on originality and scope.
A24’s I Saw The TV Glow, Jane Schoenbrun's take on gender dysphoria and teenage isolation which also debuted in Park City
The NYT is hiring a new Media Correspondent to cover non-traditional media organizations including those behind newsletters, podcasts and new video formats at a salary range of $120k to $155k.
JLo is going on tour this summer, tix go on sale Feb. 20 for members of her fanclub and Feb. 23 for fair weather fans.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that there are well-paying jobs in journalism despite evidence to the contrary. Secondly, the author quotes a source without disclosing it and then proceeds to use information from that source as if it were their own. Thirdly, the article contains selective reporting by focusing on positive job related news for disabled individuals while ignoring other societal shifts such as increased WFH work.
The author quotes a source without disclosing it and then proceeds to use information from that source as if it were their own.
The author states that there are well-paying jobs in journalism despite evidence to the contrary.
The article contains selective reporting by focusing on positive job related news for disabled individuals while ignoring other societal shifts such as increased WFH work.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when discussing the state of journalism and how it is well-paying despite negative perceptions. Additionally, there are appeals to authority in the form of quotes from experts such as Michael Feroli and Warren Buffet's sale of his stake in Paramount.
The NYT is hiring a new Media Correspondent to cover non-traditional media organizations including those behind newsletters, podcasts and new video formats at a salary range of $120k to $155k. See? There are well-paying jobs in journalism! Just try not to call me that gif guy in your coverage D83DDE4F.
Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway sold 1/3 of its 15% stake in Paramount in Q4 (PARA stock was nearly -5% after hours last night). It bought most of its stake in the company in Q1 2022, when the stock was trading at over $30 a share. The stock was trading between roughly $11 and $17 in Q4 23.
Caitlin Clark goes for the women's college hoops scoring title again tonight against Michigan, exclusively on PEACOCK at 8 p.m.
Bias
(80%)
The article contains several examples of ideological bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes and demonizes those who hold different political views than their own. For example, the phrase 'white supremacists online celebrated' implies that all white people are racist and extremist.
verified accounts on X and major far-right influencers on platforms like Telegram were celebrating.
white supremacists online celebrated
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Sean McNulty has a conflict of interest with The New York Times as he is their media correspondent. He also has a financial tie to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway through his work at the company.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Sean McNulty has conflicts of interest on the topics Media Correspondent and non-traditional media organizations as he is a journalist for The New York Times.
