The Question Concerning the Cooptation of the Sundance Film Festival: an Analysis of the Commodification of Independent Cinema
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 12-2009 The Question Concerning the Cooptation of the Sundance Film Festival: An Analysis of the Commodification of Independent Cinema Matt Dee Cottrell Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Cottrell, Matt Dee, "The Question Concerning the Cooptation of the Sundance Film Festival: An Analysis of the Commodification of Independent Cinema" (2009). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 485. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/485 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE QUESTION CONCERNING THE COOPTATION OF THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: AN ANALYSIS OF THE COMMODIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT CINEMA by Matt Dee Cottrell A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Sociology Approved: _______________________ _______________________ Christy Glass Richard S. Krannich Major Professor Committee Member _______________________ _______________________ Richley Crapo Byron R. Burnham Committee Member Dean of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2009 ii Copyright Matt Dee Cottrell 2009 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT The Question Concerning the Cooptation of the Sundance Film Festival: An Analysis of the Commodification of Independent Cinema by Matt Dee Cottrell, Master of Science Utah State University, 2009 Major Professor: Dr. Christy Glass Department: Sociology, Social Work & Anthropology The Sundance Film Festival has transformed from being a fringe festival to a leading showcase for independent cinema. This research shows that studios now descend upon the festival to acquire films for commercial distribution. The Sundance Film Festival seems to currently operate as a marketplace for films rather than an independent festival. This research seeks to examine how Hollywood studios have been able to infiltrate and commodify independent projects from the Sundance Film Festival and what the potential ramifications are for emerging independent filmmakers seeking to have their projects screened at the festival. In other words, have Hollywood studios coopted the Sundance Film Festival and if so, what does this process look like? This research seeks to answer these questions through an analysis of Sundance Film Festival data and interviews with festival informants. (98 pages) iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This wouldn’t have been possible without Christy; thank you so very much for all your help and everything you have done for me. I want to thank you for your encouragement and willingness to help me through every aspect of this project. You have always been there for me and I just want to thank you for that. I also want to thank Kelly and Richley for their willingness to be on my committee and for their support. This has been an interesting process; thank you for sticking with me. A special thank you to Shannon. I also want to give a shot-out to Stephanie, Teresa, Jeremy, and all those in the north side cubes, peace. Thank you to G and Rick for helping me get this done. I want to give special love to Rose Park, 84116, Park Life, RPC, all those in the 801, and those along Riverside, Redwood, and Glendale, peace. I want to give a shot-out to all the scholars without colleges, peace. Thank you to Tee, Mos Def, Nas, Dead Prez, NWA and 2Pac, rest in peace, we’ll mourn you till we join you, Thug-Life. I would also like to thank the Salt Lake Film Society and the Salt Lake City Weekly. Also, I want to thank Tanya from the Sundance Institute for the help with the film guides. I want to thank all those in Sociology for the support and the chance to let me do this. I also want to say that USU and the Wu is for the children. A special shot-out to the RZA, the GZA, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard for the inspiration. Peace to the Gods and Earths, Killah bees are on the swarm, word is bond. Read to the seeds. Yo, peace, I’m out. -Matt Dee Cottrell v CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv CONTENTS .........................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii RESEARCH QUESTION ....................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION…. ..........................................................................................................2 THEORETICAL ORIENTATION ......................................................................................5 CULTURAL PRODUCTION OF FILM .................................................................8 THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT FILM .................................................................10 MARKET SUCCESS AND THE STUDIO ..........................................................13 APPROPRIATION OF SUNDANCE FILM ........................................................19 THE MATTER OF MARKETABILITY ..............................................................23 THEORETICAL AFTERTHOUGHTS .................................................................26 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................30 ROADMAP........................................................................................................................32 THE BIRTH OF THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ...................................................33 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS... ......................................................................................36 SCREENINGS .......................................................................................................37 ATTENDANCE ....................................................................................................42 DISTRIBUTION....................................................................................................48 SPONSORSHIP .....................................................................................................51 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................56 CROSSOVER APPEAL IN INDEPENDENT FILM ...........................................57 OPPORTUNITIES AT SUNDANCE....................................................................61 POPULARIZATION AND ATTENTION ............................................................66 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS .........................................................70 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................73 RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS .........................................................................................81 vi RESEARCH LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................85 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................................90 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Number of Films Screened Each Year from 1985 to 2008 ..................................38 2 Yearly Composition of Film Submissions from 1992 to 2008 ............................40 3 Number of Seats Purchased from 1983 to 1998 ...................................................43 4 Yearly Attendance from 1996 to 2007 .................................................................46 5 In-State and Out-of-State Attendance from 1996 to 2007....................................47 6 Yearly Submissions Compared to Films Screened from 1992 to 2008 ................49 7 Number of Festival Award Winners and Films Acquired for Distribution from 1985 to 2007 ..........................................................................................................50 8 Yearly Official Sponsorship levels from 1979 to 1998 ........................................52 9 Number of Distribution Sponsors from 1985 to 1998 ..........................................53 RESEARCH QUESTION The research presented here revolves around the question of whether the Sundance Film Festival has become commodified and how this may affect the types of independent films that are screened at the festival. Specifically, how has Hollywood studios been able to infiltrate and commodify independent projects such as those that are screened at the Sundance Film Festival and what are the potential ramifications for emerging independent filmmakers seeking to have their projects screened at the festival? In other words, has Hollywood studios coopted the Sundance Film Festival and if so, what does the process of cooptation look like? This research seeks to describe the process of studio cooptation of the Sundance Film Festival through analyzing historical trends in acquisition, distribution, and sponsorship. 2 INTRODUCTION The Sundance Film Festival has been described by those in