Independents’ Overseas Film Sales Up 21%

Overseas film sales by U.S. independent filmmakers rose 21% in fiscal 1996 to $1.65 billion, according to figures released Thursday by the American Film Marketing Assn.

The organization, composed of 130 independent film companies that license their mainly English-language films overseas, said the figure--which combines foreign sales payments to distributors for theatrical, TV and video rights--is a record.

AFMA President Jonas Rosenfield said higher-quality filmmaking--made possible by bigger budgets--accounted for the growing international demand between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1996.

“Also, there is a growing market for pictures that break away from the routine of big-budget studio pictures. Independent films are really the cutting edge and the films garnering the most critical and awards attention,” Rosenfield said.

He said such films as “Trainspotting” and “The English Patient” are of high quality and have won critical acclaim, although much of what is distributed by AFMA members is less highbrow. Films such as New Line’s “Dumb and Dumber” account for a significant proportion of independent business overseas.

As to what AFMA classifies as independent, Rosenfield said: “Miramax considers themselves an independent. We call them an independent because they do business the way an independent does business: They license the rights to their pictures territory by territory.

“New Line is also considered an independent; Sony Classics isn’t, because it’s a division of Sony and not independent,” Rosenfield said.

AFMA sponsors the annual American Film Market in Santa Monica. This year the market runs from Feb. 27 to March 7.