Producer Jim Stern Tells Indie Filmmakers to Cut Costs (No Stars) and Think About Marketing From the Beginning

With the traditional means of distribution collapsing, indie producer Jim Stern spoke about the tough times for indie film at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival.

As Stern acknowledged, the state of the independent film business at the end of the decade is especially bleak: Nearly 10,000 films were submitted to Sundance in 2008 -- and only three have been released theatrically as of mid-June 2009. And the number of indies that have grossed $1 million or more at the box office has dwindled from sixteen at this point last year to six currently.

But Stern thinks there are strategies for dealing with this mess. Here is a link to the full text of Jim Stern's speech.