Getting Out the Checkbook

Over at the main site, Karen Kramer chatted with a bunch of local distributors about their preparations for this year's festival. It's one of those things where time-worn practice collides head-on with circumstance, not an especially unusual phenomenon in the acquisitions game or anything -- unless you count factors like the snow, the lack of parking and those pesky sub-zero hallucinations of brandy-barreled St. Bernards charging forth to rescue exhausted buyers.

But Tuesday morning prayers for Shannon Attaway, the former Criterion producer who is taking up the Zeitgeist Films banner at her first Sundance:

“Since I’ve never done it before, I’m trying to get as much advice as possible on how to strategize -- to see as many films as I possibly can that I think might be good," she told The Reeler. "It’s a little fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. I’ll do the parties too; I think that’s an important part of it -- the networking.”

I don't really have any suggestions for her; Will Shortz isn't hosting brunch this year and I don't think the Beastie Boys are performing anywhere. At least half of what she "think(s) might be good" won't be, another 45 percent she can't afford and that 5-percent X-factor will comprise more short films than anything. A potentially useful solution would be to just give Ray Tintori $100,000 and two months and get out of his way; directors Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa and Aaron Augenblick are on rolls of their own. Anyway, just an idea. Pass along your (much) better advice in the comments.

Posted at January 16, 2007 8:03 AM