BIRTH of "GUERRILLA MOVIE EXHIBITION".  

"GUERRILLA movie production", is a well known term that began in the 1990's with films like Clerks, El Mariachi. It means shooting a film without a pre-sale, or guaranteed distribution of the film. Usually some guy pulling a few bucks together and shooting a film with his friends. 

We have never heard of "GUERRILLA movie exhibition" where the filmmaker actually SCREENS the movie themselves, does his own marketing ie handing out flyers at film fests, to people coming out of cinemas,.showing the trailer for the film to people in the street from a laptop computer...a director who doesn't want to sell his film to the conventional cinema distributor. 

In fact I have coined this term now! "GUERRILLA EXHIBITION" 

The significance of the "Guerrilla exhibitor" is that is allows the film maker the creative freedom to make the type of film they want, with total creative control! Not have to battle the money men in the movie making machines that consistently produce uninspiring formulaic, or pretentious films whether it is here in Australia, or the USA. I don’t blame them,,.if I was a money man I too would go the safe bet of making movies along the proven formulas. Real creative film making is a risky thing!  

The film maker has to have the guts to screen their film themselves. If the film is any good people will come and see it, as in the case of The Garth Method.  

Getting a theatrical sale for any good indie movie isn't really a realistic option anymore. Fully funded Australian features constantly struggle against imported US product which is generally sh#t! What chance will a good indie movie have? Which direction can an indie movie go? 

Alan Finney, when at head of distribution at Village Roadshow said a theatrically release film in Melbourne has "4 days to live or die"

Even though playing to small audiences, the "guerrilla exhibitor" has the time to allow for word of mouth to spread for his film, as there is not a cut throat pressure to have big audience numbers for him to remain in his screening location, as it is just a bar,or some dark screening room somewhere you enter from some alley way! " 

The independent film maker has to take it upon himself to be an "GUERRILLA EXHIBITOR" if he is committed to getting his film seen. The only alternative is one off screenings at film festivals which is limiting in regards to there is no way to capitalize on good worth of mouth for the film ‘cos it is only a one off screening. If a film maker clinches a theatrical sale then he is up against the US movie monster,..and before long will only end up on the DVD shelf which is not necessarily a bad result, but from that point the film is usually dead. It cannot be publicized anymore and it will probably sit unnoticed on the DVD store shelf, next to squillions of other titles. 

In the context of independent/art house cinemas in Melbourne and Sydney closing down, actors agents closing their doors , the domination of the Free Trade Agreement, and the Australian film industry generally shrinking, we need more GUERILLA FILM EXHIBITORS!!
 
The Garth Method is one of several Melbourne self-funded indie features that has reached audiences recently. Nick Levy's "Radio Samurai" has recently been released on DVD, as has Shannon Young's "Razor Eaters". Leigh Sheehan's "Dalkeith" experienced an independent theatrical release at Glen Waverly Hoyts, while Scott Ryan's "The Magician" experienced a conventional theatrical release through Hopscotch Distribution.  

"I just want to do something different as well though. I am an adventurous person and want to cut a new path for screening a movie. I love interacting with the film, meeting who comes and sees the film, and having a beer with them,..or worrying about the baby crying in the pub while the film is screening! One day there was a big, drunk guy talking loudly during the screening. I went up to him and asked him if he could “please keep your voice down”. He said “What!!” I thought "Great, I am about to get beat up during my own screening!"

The cliché is to go to Hollywood,.but what’s the point? You’ll only end up directing Dukes Of Hazzard 3. Maybe back in the 1960’s/70’s it was worth it, when Hollywood movies were way more interesting. American film director Bill Lustig (Maniac Cop) when president at Melbourne Underground Film Festival jury in ’04 said whenever he and his fellow director friends John Carpenter, Bryan Singer, and John Landis get together and compare notes about where their respective projects are at, they always end up moaning about how hard is it to get what you want with the studios – that they have to have to constantly battle all the elements. And these guys are established!! In my mind it is hard enough trying to make the film you want, let alone battling someone else to be allowed make that film.

So grass roots cinema is where it is at for me. Less money. More imagination.

“Go for funding in Australia!” you say. Well you could, but is that worth it? Our own system is so clogged up with so many projects and so little money that even established directors are struggling. So what hope have us less established directors/producers/writers got?

Also screening the film in such an informal way allows me to fulfill a passion to fundraise for charities. We have created charityfilmnight.com and have screened locally for charities such as Camp Quality, Amnesty International, Salvation Army etc..  Two things are important to me. Film making and charity fundraising. Why not combine the two?

GREGORY PAKIS