The World's First Film Auction
Art In Motion has announced that Films4Auction will begin accepting entries for The World's First Film Auction, to be conducted live on March 3, 2000 in Los Angeles by William Doyle Galleries. In an age where literally hundreds of independent films are made each year but don't always find a distributor, Art In Motion has come up with Films4Auction, a unique way to aid independent filmmakers around the world in their quest for recognition. It's an effective, innovative, never before used concept that could revolutionize the business of film buying and selling. There has never been a better time for independent features. Audiences are growing. So is the number of outlets for distribution: theatrical, TV, video, cable, satellite, the Internet and more. But the downside is that a bottleneck is created throughout the buying/selling process. Films4Auction hopes to alleviate the bottleneck with The World's First Film Auction. For filmmakers, this is an opportunity to have their films be seen without doing all the legwork: going door-to-door, playing phone tag, trying to network those ""big contacts,"" and scheduling and re-scheduling meetings with distribution executives. For film buyers, an auction simplifies the buying process: 20 outstanding and available films will be pre-selected and at auction, the buyers get a complete buyout, eliminating costly negotiations and accounting. Filmmakers who wish to enter films for consideration must submit a non-refundable entry fee and six VHS copies of the film, plus other supporting documents. The fee for entries submitted by November 13, 1999 is $375.00. Entries received between November 14 and December 10, 1999 will have to pay $475.00. The entry fee will be credited to the filmmaker for any sale. All entries will be screened by a blue-ribbon panel and 20 films will be chosen and announced no later than January 21, 2000. Those 20 films will then be screened for potential buyers between February 29 and March 2, 2000, culminating in a formal live auction March 3, 2000. William Doyle Galleries of New York is one of the world's leading auctioneers and appraisers of fine art, jewelry, antiques and other categories. Through the years Doyle has served the Hollywood community as the auctioneers of the estates of film legends Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Rock Hudson, Rex Harrison, Ruth Gordon and Louis Armstrong. ""Art in Motion created Films4Auction to break a bottleneck in the film business,"" said Hal ""Corky"" Kessler, one of Art in Motion's three managing partners, all of them experienced film professionals. ""Film festivals and going door-to-door have worked reasonably well in the past but the future success of independent film demands new methods and a new marketplace to complement more traditional means. The World's First Film Auction will prove that film buyers and sellers can do business in an exciting and efficient new setting, paving the way for many more film auctions to follow."" Applications for The World's First Film Auction, as well as additional information, can be downloaded from the Web site: FILMS4AUCTION.com or by contacting the Los Angeles office at 323 467 4444 (fax 323 467 3165) or the Chicago office at 312 726 0110 (fax 312 726 0489). For more information, contact Art In Motion LLC/Films4Auction, Renie Colwell, 323 467 4444.