AnaFaria on the Awards Daily Forum wrote:
I dont wish this to flop, I am just surprised they are not doing screeners and building word of mouth, this is a tiny independent film, directed by an inexperienced movie star, going to Toronto or Venice would be a no brainer for me.
I want this to be great, seeing Angelina as a good director would be fantastic.
And in response Matt Mazur wrote:
"The festival circuit is not for every film. Not every film like this needs to follow the same rigid trajectory...and I would hardly call the film "tiny" lol. Besides, in a festival environment where everyone is over-worked and under-paid, why would you release a complex film with sensitive themes that could potentially be misunderstood in such a frenzied climate?"
and
"Festivals are too rushed, too insane. Too regimented. Festival press conferences are also not always the best option to really explain the work...
A film like this is better served by carving out it's own space, away from the noise and clutter of a festival where people might not give it the consideration it deserves."
So there you have it.
I had speculated about Blood and Honey making an unannounced appearance in Venice as the festival's "surprise" film but Mazur's clearly rules that out.
She and Graham King apparently made the decision early on that they would skip the festivals. She told Anthony Breznican during the Cannes festival in May that she was "moments away" from finishing editing but she didn't lock it until late July -- days before the NYFF deadline but past all the others. Even before Mazur's post, it was apparent it wouldn't show in NY either as NY does not have a slot for a surprise film and it has already sent out the detailed priority ticketing schedule for its members.
If she wasn't planning to screen it in NY and had no other advance screenings scheduled, one wonders why she even opted to lock it in July instead of waiting a little longer so she could tweak it further if she wished. She could have locked it in Sept or Oct. and would still have plenty of time to spare if screenings aren't scheduled until Nov. and early Dec. One assumes they'll start screening no later than November as Golden Globes and SAG nominations are announced in mid-December.
