Hollywood directors who had their glitzy premieres cancelled due to COVID-19 are finding inventive ways to build buzz for their films — including bringing the red carpet into their living rooms.
Movie festivals such as SXSW in Texas and Tribeca in New York have been scrapped in recent days as the deadly pandemic spreads. This has shorn major titles of the publicity generated by opening night reviews and galas, and left hundreds of unsold indie films without distributors.
The makers of The Carnivores , a quirky thriller-meets-love story set to debut at SXSW, took matters into their own hands by shifting the “premiere” to the cinematographer Adam Minnick’s Austin home.
“We have full catering, we have a red carpet, we have a photographer coming, we have local news,” said director Caleb Michael Johnson.
The red carpet will run from the front porch, through the house, and back to a taco stand — which is being catered for free by a local sponsor.
The idea emerged from a bar conversation the day the festival was cancelled.
“Our world premiere was on Saturday 14th and dammit we wanted to still have our screening on Saturday 14th in Austin.”
The same tactic was employed by U.S. actor David Arquette, whose documentary about his controversial forays into pro wrestling shifted from a SXSW premiere to his home near Hollywood within 24 hours.
Mr. Arquette and his wife flew in the director from the East Coast — and made a dash to wholesale store Costco for drinks — before guests gathered on couches and the living room floor, the Los Angeles Times reported.
‘No substitute’
Mr. Johnson said the more intimate nature of these events put guests at ease about the risk of contagion — but others are skipping physical events altogether, turning to technology.
SXSW’s prestigious film competitions will go ahead as planned, with movies available to juries online.
Spencer Folmar’s new drama about the opioid crisis, intended to screen at the postponed Beverly Hills Film Festival, will hit streaming platforms on the day it was due in theaters nationwide.
