ABSTRACT
The origins of today's marketplace for the exhibition of movies can be traced back to the studios divestiture of their movie palaces. Moreover, the studios had developed their own specific brands. There were no ancillary markets, no television, home video cassettes or DVDs, no cable, video on demand, or internet. And foreign markets weren't nearly as developed as they are now. Movies that do not fall into this time frame provide distributors with a solid reason to pass on acquiring a film. Good producers may work with entertainment lawyers to optimize a deal in their favor, but market forces will always play the decisive role in setting the terms for any distribution deal. There's something enormously exciting and attractive about film festivals. Additionally, film festivals provide the perfect venue for a producer, star, or director to meet and greet his or her audience in the flesh, and both parties benefit from the exchange.
