Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙 ✦ With Horowitz’s praise hanging in the room, everyone in the office smiled.
Horowitz smiled too.
He was genuinely happy for one of his own.
“So,” the professor asked, “did you spend Christmas at the farm?
Did you manage to get any rest?” Evan thought for a moment before answering.
“Yes.
My mother had already called me several times by then.
If I’d stayed away any longer, she probably would have driven to Los Angeles and smashed every film can I owned.” Everyone laughed kindly at the way he teased his mother.
Family still mattered here in a way people rarely mocked too harshly.
Jimmy watched Evan until Evan noticed his look.
Only then did he speak.
“Congratulations.
Honestly, I thought you had made another bloody mess where no one could tell what the story was supposed to be.
Don’t worry.
Once I get back, I’ll start contacting film companies and trying to talk distribution.
Just don’t set your hopes too high.
Even if I use some company relationships, you know I may not be able to bring many people in to see it.” “That’s fine, Jimmy.
Do your best.
I’m prepared.” He was not asking for much.
He had invited Jimmy to build the man’s confidence so Jimmy would work hard to pull people in.
If Evan relied only on random luck, almost no one might come.
“Okay.
As long as you’re ready for that.
January is almost here, and Sundance is not far away.
You need to set a number in your head now.
If a company does become interested and makes an offer, the gap between their price and your expectations may hurt.” Jimmy gave the reminder carefully.
He was afraid Evan had priced the film too high in his imagination.
Jimmy knew exactly what film distributors were.
They sat near the top of the food chain and survived by draining production companies.
Evan heard the warning, but he did not take it too seriously.
His own floor was lower than anyone around him imagined.
If no company offered a high price in the end, he was not afraid to sell the film at a loss to get it into theaters.
The first film was mainly meant to sell himself and prove that he could deliver.
The holidays had given Evan only a brief pause.
He spent a few days with Naomi, slept properly for two nights, and visited the farm before postproduction pulled him back to Los Angeles.
On January 17, 1991, Evan and Luke flew to Salt Lake City with the print and drove from the airport to Park City.
The Sundance Film Festival would officially begin the next day, January 18.
Sundance was built for independent filmmakers, and its influence had grown year after year.
It encouraged low-budget independent films and offered a space very different from mainstream Hollywood.
The Sundance Institute, founded with Robert Redford’s involvement, had become a place meant to support new screenwriters, directors, narrative films, and documentaries.
In recent years, it had become one of the best places for independent filmmakers to sell themselves.
That was exactly why Evan had come.
At two in the afternoon, he and Luke drove from Salt Lake City International Airport to their hotel in Park City.
They did not dare waste a minute.
After dropping off their luggage, they went straight to the screening room they had rented.
Through Horowitz’s connections, Evan had obtained access and a screening room near the festival traffic.
He was not part of the competition, and the film was not an official Sundance selection, but having a reasonably placed room was already more than good enough.
The medium-sized room in front of him and Luke would be theirs for nine days.
After the staff handed over the details, Evan received the keys.
The rental was not cheap at two thousand dollars a day, but the location was strong, just off Main Street.
Once the staff left, Evan inspected the room.
He needed to make absolutely sure nothing would go wrong with projection.
The theater had fifty seats, a modest screen, and a projector Luke confirmed was in good condition.
Evan took out the temporary poster.
It showed poor Naomi looking terrified beside a masked killer.
Only one line sat on it: When a birthday becomes a death day, how do you escape?
The poster was crude, but Evan did not care much.
Its real purpose was only to tell passersby what was showing inside.
Film company buyers would not be judging him by that thing.
After setting up the poster stand, the two returned to the hotel and quietly waited for the festival to begin.
At nine the next morning, Evan opened the theater doors on time.
Luke took the print to prepare the projection.
Tourists began drifting by, stopping to look at the poster and exchange a few words with Evan.
Many passed the entrance.
Few actually went inside to wait for the film.
They were not the people Evan was waiting for.
Jimmy had called earlier.
Before ten, he would bring guests, and Evan needed to make sure the screening did not fail.
Ignoring the tourists, Evan kept checking his watch until Jimmy appeared with two men.
“Evan, this is James from Touchstone Pictures and Albert from New Line Cinema.
Is the film ready?” The two men were cool, almost indifferent.
Evan greeted them and quickly went to the back to help Luke.
This screening could not afford mistakes.
James and Albert entered the room and sat separately in the middle.
Once Evan saw that everything was in order, he went back to the front and told Jimmy they could start at any time.
“Jimmy, only these two?” he asked quietly.
“No one else from other companies?” He wanted more people.
More viewers meant a better chance of someone wanting the film.
Jimmy shook his head.
“These are the only two buyers with meaningful distribution reach I could get.
James represents Touchstone, Disney’s adult-oriented label, and Albert is with New Line.
They came because of CAA.
That’s probably it.
Tell Luke to start.” Evan nodded and signaled Luke in the booth.
He was not too disappointed.
The film would keep screening for nine days.
Before the festival ended, there would always be chances.
As the theater lights faded, two more people entered just before the film began and sat in the back row.
Evan did not pay much attention.
He assumed they were tourists.
During the ninety-plus minutes that followed, James’s attitude slowly changed.
He had clearly arrived intending to watch out of politeness to CAA and then leave.
Instead, the film caught his interest almost from the start.
After the heroine was murdered for the first time, James took out a notebook and pencil and began writing while he watched.
Evan, standing near the back, noticed.
James was not the only one.
Of the two late arrivals, one was also taking notes.
Albert, however, looked completely impatient and left before the movie ended.
Evan barely watched the screen.
He watched the people in the room.
Beyond seven or eight tourists, James was the one who mattered.
When the movie ended, everyone clapped politely and filed out.
James, guided by Jimmy, came over to Evan.
“Director Rosenberg, your film is much better than I expected.
I’ll report back to the company.
If it’s convenient, I’d like to come back and see it again this afternoon.” “Of course.
You’re welcome anytime.” James shook his hand with a friendlier expression and left with Jimmy.
Only after James walked out did Evan notice one man still inside, a white man around thirty who had also been taking notes.
“Hello, Director Rosenberg.
Do you have a few minutes?
I’m an acquisitions scout for Castle Rock Entertainment.
My name is Tom Hughes.
You can call me Tom.” “Of course.
Let’s step outside.” Evan had not expected this extra surprise.
He took Tom out of the theater and into the cafe next door.
“Before I came here, Mr.
Jennings specifically recommended your film and told me to take a serious look.” That explained it.
Jennings had sent him.
“You can call me Evan.
I really will need to thank Mr.
Jennings when I get back.
What do you think?
Is Castle Rock interested?” Tom considered his answer before speaking.
“The selling points are clear.
Personally, I think the film has promise.
Of course, I’ll have to report it to the company.
No one knows what will happen after that.” Evan was not disappointed.
He spoke with Tom for a while in friendly terms, then returned to the theater.
The whole morning had only produced one screening, but he understood that the afternoon would matter more.
“Luke, stop pacing.
Sit down and eat something.” Luke was walking back and forth, visibly unsettled.
“Evan, what do you think?
Will that James guy buy our movie?” Luke sat beside him and looked out at the people moving up and down the street.
Every so often, he could hear someone talking about the movie they had just seen, and not all of it was kind.
“We’ve done what we can,” Evan said.
“Don’t panic.
I believe someone will buy it.” He was not as restless as Luke.
He still trusted the quality of the film.
He had just looked into several other screening rooms, and almost none of the low-budget films being shown could hold his attention.
Most of them were endless shaky images, overlong takes, and themes so obscure that even the director’s intention seemed impossible to guess.
As if a film did not count as art unless it made the audience suffer first.
That gave Evan a great deal of confidence.
Among these independent films, at least his was watchable.
At two that afternoon, Evan put on a professional smile and welcomed James and the four people he brought with him.
After introductions, Luke began the screening again.
This screening was better than the morning.
At least a dozen viewers were inside.
Evan kept most of his attention on James’s group.
He could see them whispering now and then as the film played.
When it ended, James asked Evan for his phone number before leaving with the others.
“Jimmy, do you think the Touchstone people liked it?” After sending them off, Evan spoke quietly with his agent.
Jimmy thought back over their expressions.
“There’s a good chance.
I think they’ll contact you.
What you need to do now is keep screening and wait for more people to come.” ✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS TheBacklot Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter drew you further into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.