Filmmakers Discuss Navigating Independent Cinema in Today’s Industry at DGA’s Sundance Director’s Cut Panel
Independent filmmaker Jay Duplass emphasized the importance of creative autonomy in the industry, stating, “I don’t want to put the power into other people’s hands as to what can be made.” His comments highlight the perseverance of indie filmmaking amidst increasing consolidation in the motion picture sector.
This year, Duplass showcased his dramedy feature See You When I See You at the Park City Film Festival.
On the industry’s unpredictable future, filmmaker Greg Araki remarked, “Everyone doesn’t know what’s going to happen,” particularly in light of anticipated mergers, including one involving Warner Bros.
In times of transition, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) remains a critical support system for independent filmmakers. “They ensure residuals,” said filmmaker Lina Davis. “They watch out for you and get (you) paid; there’s a company there — the union has your back. If anything is weird on set, there’s somebody who is there for you.”
Duplass praised the DGA for its efforts in “raising minimums” and “training,” emphasizing that the quality of these mechanisms impacts the filmmaking experience. “If you hate your life on set, that determines whether you make a good movie,” he stated, reflecting on his extensive experience at Sundance.
Describing the challenges of directing, Duplass pointed out, “Directing is by far the hardest job a million times over. It’s just the hardest job. Everything is on your shoulders; you’re the fulcrum that everything — financial, emotional — comes through the film.”
Filmmaker Rebecca Stapleton praised the DGA for fostering a community among filmmakers: “What the guild has done for me, it has forced community with other filmmakers.”
During a recent panel discussion, the filmmakers addressed various challenges they faced in bringing their projects to fruition. These included Stapleton’s work on The Brittney Griner Story, which involved collaborating with the WNBA star following her release from a Russian gulag; Araki’s decade-long development of I Want Your Sex, in which changing societal contexts like the #MeToo movement altered the narrative; and Davis’s documentary that required extensive legal clearances for rich archival footage she shot from concerts featuring the Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, and Beck. Duplass discussed the inherent risks associated with creating a suicide/PTSD/cancer comedy in See You When I See You.
The full panel discussion is available for viewing online.
The video is presented by Casamigos and created in partnership with DGA.
