You may remember how in January the BFI (British Film Institute) launched a pilot scheme to help out Brit films at Sundance with US distribution. Well, now this initiative has been extended to the upcoming film, music and arts SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
The scheme offers UK films without a US distribution a budget of up to £25K to help with promotion and marketing. Three films have already benefited from the scheme at Sundance; Hong Khaou’s LILTING, Stuart Murdoch’s GOD HELP THE GIRL and Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s documentary about Nick Cave, 20, 000 DAYS ON EARTH all bagged a US deal.
So which films might get lucky at SXSW? The potentials are all documentaries. First up there’s drugs cartel feature THE LEGEND OF SHORTY and coming of age exploration BEYOND CLUELESS. The other three films explore British music, with the story of Edwyn Collins’ rehabilitation after his stroke THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS, musical biopic of ’90s Sheffield darlings PULP, and a Spandau Ballet docu called SOUL BOYS OF THE WESTERN WORLD.
SWSX runs March 7 – 16 in venues across Austin, Texas.
Source: Deadline
