FILM FESTIVALS - play a VERY IMPORTANT PART in BOTH the MARKETING and PROMOTING of any MOTION PICTURE. PREMIERING at a FILM FESTIVAL is the BEST and FIRST TEST MARKETING FOR A FILM. For the first time a FILM is SCREENED and SEEN by REVIEWERS, AGENTS, DISTRIBUTORS and 
a VERY LIMITED AUDIENCE.

Most INDEPENDANT FILMS go to FILM FESTIVALS with hopes to either SELL or FIND DISTRIBUTION for their film. Their first hope is to be accepted by a film festival. 

With literally well over 10,000 INDEPENDENT FILMS being submitted to most of the larger film festivals like CANNES or SUNDANCE, TORONTO, TRIBECA etc., the chances for a small independent film being accepted into a major film festival is almost an impossibility UNLESS the independent film is STARRING KNOWN ACTORS. In the film festival circuit, that's literally a "game changer" for being accepted, in most cases. The festivals are limited as to how many films they can screen within the few days to a week a festival usually runs. 

ON the OTHER HAND! For MAJOR STUDIO PRODUCED BIG BUDGET FILMS and TOP AGENCY REPRESENTED FILMS, the numbers 2 & 3 listed above in the 4 IMPORTANT DATES are in most cases REVERSED. 

BIG BUDGET FILMS go to film festivals already having TOP AGENCY REPRESENTATION and in many cases, DISTRIBUTION DEALS already in place and it's the distributor who submits the film to all of the top festivals. 

USING OUR KEYS for SUCCESS listed above, our producers have already begun the process of securing TOP AGENCY REPRESENTATION and TOP FILM DISTRIBUTION for "THE GANGSTER ZONE" and WE KNOW from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that WITH OUR LAURELS and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the RIGHT STARRING CAST we will quickly be ACCEPTED by the LARGEST FILM FESTIVALS. Once we have the FIRST STAR in PLACE the TOP AGENCIES and TOP FILM DISTRIBUTORS DOORS will START to OPEN.

Once AGENCY and DISTRIBUTOR REPRESENTATION are in place FILM FESTIVALS  and WINNING as MANY FESTIVAL AWARDS that we can will help with our PUBLICITY, MARKETING and DISTRIBUTION and of course, most importantly to increase the POTENTIAL FUTURE PROFITS on OUR VENTURE.
The AMERICAN FILMMAKERS DOORWAY TO THE WORLD!

Going to the AMERICAN FILM MARKET, will be one of the most cost efficient ways 
for our distributor to sell "THE GANGSTER ZONE" to the world.

The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak at the AMERICAN FILM MARKET (AFM). EIGHT THOUSAND (8,000) industry leaders. 
Eight (8) DAYS of DEAL-MAKING and PUBLICITY SCREENINGS and PARTIES. 

Acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world press all those who provide services to the motion picture industry will be in attendance.

Our Producer Talbot Perry Simons attended AFM with his award winning film "Still the Drums", it was actually part of his award. It was a learning experience, to say the least.

With "The Gangster Zone", our initial goal would be to have representation by a major film distributor before and when attending AFM. 

If for some reason "The Gangster Zone" is not already represented by a major distributor when the American Film Market is held, our producer and production company, STORY AVENUE, LLC, already have a well thought out and in place PRE-PLANNED CONTINGENCY PLAN with the necessary funds in our budget to be able to carry it out. 
We will have the funds set aside to obtain an office at AFM and have a "large footprint" by using the allocated funds for publicizing "The Gangster Zone" throughout the film market. In comparison, most other low budget independent films will not have the funds or knowledge to even compete. 

Once we start negotiating and closing deals the major distributors will quickly get wind of what we are doing. They hear very quickly when an independent film company is making sales they will take a serious look to see what we have.

When distributors see a filmmaker with all of the awards and laurels Talbot garnered from his film "Still the Drums", his Guinness World Record and now a new award winning screenplay cast with known stars, one of the major distributors will grab us quickly. 
When the buying is done at AFM by a distributor rather than before AFM they usually end up paying much more for a film. There could be a buying frenzy battle for our film at that time. Won't that be exciting and a lot of fun! :) 

In our budget plan FUNDS have been allocated for us to attend the 
AMERICAN FILM MARKET.
With our production company Story Avenue, LLC being home based in Los Angeles area of California we will save a ton of money in travel costs, lodging and other expenses usually incurred when attending a film market located in other states and countries. 

The FOREIGN MARKETS for FILMS TODAY are HUGE! 
BUYERS and DISTRIBUTORS from all over the world attend the AMERICAN FILM MARKET, Last year OVER 80 COUNTRIES were represented. 

Foreign distributors and buyers attend film markets like the American Film Market with one goal in mind. They come to negotiate and to buy films! THEY PAY HUGE SUMS to obtain the rights to distribute movies in their countries and then we will share a percentage of their profits.

For a potential box office hit independent film like "THE GANGSTER ZONE" they will recognize that the potential profits are enormous when compared to our film's overall costs.
At AFM "The GANGSTER ZONE" will have the opportunity to EXPAND it's RELEASE WORLDWIDE to INCLUDE ALL INTERNATIONAL FILM MARKETS.

In today's film market FOREIGN DISTRIBUTION CAN EQUAL AND OFTEN SURPASS SALES FROM THE U.S.A. 
There are literally hundreds of countries that market films. 
The SALES FOR FOREIGN RELEASE WILL SELL in the SAME TYPE of MARKETS that we have right here in the U.S. A. with the SAME TYPE of REVENUE STREAMS. 
There's Foreign Theatrical Release, Foreign Television, DVD, Digital Download, Video On Demand, etc. 
When a film is SIGNED with a MAJOR DISTRIBUTOR, the DISTRIBUTOR would from that point on take care of and handle all of the costs for MARKETING, PUBLICIZING and everything needed to attend film markets and release the movie in theaters all over the world.

For INDEPENDENT FILMS without a DISTRIBUTION DEAL, FILM MARKETS
are the DOORWAY to the WORLD!  

FILM MARKETS are the FASTEST WAY to INTRODUCE a FILM to the 
LARGEST NUMBER of INTERNATIONAL FILM DISTRIBUTORS at ONE TIME!

FILM MARKETS are also the MOST COST EFFIECIENT WAY to PROMOTE 
"THE GANGSTER ZONE" to the world under on roof! 

MANY FILM FESTIVALS also have FILM MARKETS attached. Not all FILM MARKETS have festivals. 
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL in FRANCE has a gigantic FILM MARKET that runs along with it's festival. SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL in the U.S. also has a FILM MARKET running along with it's festival.
In CALIFORNIA there are TWO MAJOR FILM MARKETS attended by DISTRIBUTORS from 
ALL OVER the WORLD.
One is The LOS ANGELES FILM MARKET, usually held in the spring.
The other is THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET held in NOVEMBER in Santa Monica, California. 
THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET known as "AFM" is one of the highest attended film markets in the world. 
A THEATRICAL RELEASE is where the MAJORITY of the PROFITS can be made for a motion picture. 
With a "BOX OFFICE HIT", the frenzy sales of tickets can be very fast and humongous! With all of the news coverage for hit films today on TV the word spreads very quickly. As the word spreads around the marketplace, the momentum for sales can speed up like a snowball rolling down hill. We've all seen news reports about how many millions of dollars a hit film makes on it's first weekend. 
THEATRICAL RELEASE - When a film is released in theaters.
In today's film market big budget films distribute worldwide sometimes premiering in as many as three thousand (3000) theaters. 
A full on THEATRICAL RELEASE in a theaters worldwide is a gigantic cost for a film and unlike big budget films, many LOW BUDGET INDEPENDENT FILMS never do a theatrical release. In most cases it is simply not affordable. A full on THEATRICAL RELEASE can cost upwards of $200 MILLION DOLLARS! For an indie without a major distribution deal that type of plan is out of the question.

With our KEYS TO SUCCESS, with a completed film it will be as if we own a very valuable piece of real estate. As a finished film with an award winning screenplay and starring known celebrity actors made by the filmmaker who holds the Guinness World Record for filmmaking any one of the major distributors, like Warner Brothers, Lionsgate, etc., could call us today to buy "Still the Drums", or work us a deal for WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION!
The LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE is another way to launch a film 
and RECEIVE GREAT ATTENTION. 
When an INDEPENDENT FILM wants to attract the attention of  TOP DISTRIBUTORS they can do what is known as a LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE.
This is done by PREMIERING in a SMALL NUMBER of THEATERS to TEST MARKET and EXPOSE a film to REVIEWERS, to the FILM INDUSTRY and to the PUBLIC.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE of a LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE was the 2008 BOX OFFICE HIT, "THE WRESTLER" starring MICKEY ROURKE. 
"THE WRESTLER" was a LOW BUDGET FILM launched in FOUR (4) theaters and it caught the attention of MAJOR FILM DISTRIBUTOR "FOX SEARCHLIGHT" who then increased the distribution to 776 theaters. The film's REVENUES (for it's limited audience) were EXCELLENT and are now part of indy film history. The BUDGET for "THE WRESTLER" was $6 MILLION and it EARNED $44,703,995 WORLD WIDE! 
For The "GANGSTER ZONE", we have planned for the cost of doing a LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE in our budget if we choose to do one.
THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET!
NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK 
at the 
RISKS vs REWARDS
PAGE
WARNING: There are “CONFIDENTIAL” materials that require a password to view on this website. All  information and materials contained in this site are Patriot Partners, Limited Partnership and American Patriot Pictures, LLC, proprietary information. All proprietary information herein are disclosed in confidence and are the property of PPLP and APP and shall not be used, disclosed to others other than for the purposes intended or reproduced without the express written consent of PPLP and APP, including, but without limitation, they are not to be used in the creation, development, configuration, or any changes made to any of the materials or information contained herein. This information is not to be shared with any competitors.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION - NOT TO BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED.


GREAT NEWS! December 4, 2018 
I spoke with David Spitz, GM at Lionsgate. 
David is in charge of USA Film Distribution and 
he is familiar with our screenplay from when I won
the Best Screenplay award at the Los Angeles 
Screenplay Competition. David said, he would 
like the opportunity to be the first to screen, 
The Gangster Zone, for Lionsgate. He personally requested that when the film is completed, before I submit to any film festivals, that I contact him to set up a screening. This is spectacular news! This is how a major film distributor picks up an independent film that it would then represent, take to film festivals and distribute worldwide. This is a great accomplishment for any independent film, especially at this early stage of pre-production and an amazing very lucrative potential opportunity for our film and the partnership. David Spitz did request that I not advertise this information, so I am only sharing it "in confidence" with my partner investors.

INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE