Sundance Offers a Glimmer of Hope for the Struggling Documentary Market: ‘We’re No Longer in a DOA Situation’
variety.comAddie Morfoot Contributor The 40th edition of Sundance proved that despite corporate consolidation, there is still a market for independently made documentaries.
While there haven’t been many sales so far, there has been strong buyer interest in two celeb-focused docs — “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” featuring Will Ferrell — and healthy interest in others. “The market didn’t have a pulse six months ago,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who came to the festival with nine documentaries seeking distribution, including “Daughters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” and “Union.” “So there was a reason to be a little bit fearful coming into Sundance.
But now we are feeling a pulse. We are heading in a good direction. The patient still needs some treatment, but we are no longer in a DOA situation.” While Submarine has not yet closed deals for any of the titles, Braun is optimistic, given the fact four of his films have received offers. “Last year, when we went to Sundance, we had ‘The Eternal Memory’ and five or six other titles,” says Braun. ” ‘The Eternal Memory’ sold, which was a big deal, but then nothing happened.
This year, nothing has sold, but four of our films have offers.” Several titles Braun is repping garnered top Sundance prizes, including “Daughters,” which took home the U.S.
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