Chapter 60: Film Festival Route

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Film Festival Route

Griffin’s smile faltered subtly for a moment before returning to normal.

"Sophia’s project is a bit of a special case," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"You know, Irene, it’s a work with a very unique artistic temperament, completely different from the commercial nature of Mean Girls."

"I understand, of course. I was just asking."

Since Sophia’s project had inevitably run into hurdles because of her, Irene certainly had to show her support.

"Internally, the company has positioned it as a low-budget independent film, not suitable for head-to-head competition during crowded peak seasons.

We’re more inclined to find a film festival as a premiere platform, such as next year’s Sundance Film Festival.

After building up word-of-mouth, we’ll do an art-house limited release on a relatively mild weekend in the spring, gradually expanding the distribution."

He looked at Irene, his tone sincere.

"This isn’t a lack of importance. On the contrary, it’s precisely because we believe Sophia’s directorial debut has unique artistic value that we want to introduce it to audiences who can truly appreciate it in a more fitting way. Throwing it crudely into large-scale commercial competition might actually be counterproductive."

Irene listened quietly, her face not showing much emotion.

She understood in her heart that this rhetoric was half-true.

Fox was indeed looking for a suitable track for the film, but the promotional resources invested would certainly not be comparable to Mean Girls.

But the film genre was indeed like that.

Compared to just picking any random slot for a messy release, this plan already represented Fox’s attention.

"I understand," Irene finally nodded, her tone calm.

"I trust you can find a suitable slot and release plan for our film. I’ll take my leave now."

Hearing this, Griffin stood up to see her off.

"Then I won’t see you out further. Contact me anytime if there are issues."

When she left the Fox Building, the afternoon sun was still bright, but Irene’s thoughts had already drifted further away.

While waiting for a taxi, she dialed her assistant’s number.

"Vera," she said directly once the call connected, "help me contact Chen Shiyu. Tell him I need him to start screening potential independent film projects as soon as possible. No, television series too. Not limited to scripts. They can also be works in progress that need funding. Yes, we need to start positioning ourselves more proactively."

As soon as Irene left, Adelaide took the new script to the office of Beard Fergus, the current CEO of Fox Pictures.

"What’s the matter?" Fergus asked, hanging up the phone in his hand.

"Irene Coppola’s new script was just delivered."

Griffin placed the script in his hand in front of Fergus.

"I’ve finished reading it. Overall, it’s a traditional revenge action film, but the plot design is quite good, and the car chase scenes are designed with quite some care."

"If even you say it’s good, that proves she really has some skill. But she’s never produced an action movie before. Some risks still need to be guarded against in advance."

Beard Fergus was not a leader who liked to micromanage everything.

He preferred to leave things to his subordinates.

Since the collaboration with Irene Coppola was spearheaded by Adelaide, he wouldn’t interfere midway.

"I understand. This time I’ll find a producer who is relatively skilled in action movies to help her. We will also follow up fully on casting. I won’t give Irene a chance to make a mistake."

Adelaide thought highly of Irene, but that didn’t mean he would blindly trust her.

After all, it was a brand-new genre Irene had never touched, and the investment was at least three or four times that of a teen comedy.

Once the project went wrong, Adelaide couldn’t bear the resulting losses alone, and besides, there was no need for him to provide such a guarantee.

"As long as you’re clear on that. Approve the script first, and we can discuss any issues at any time."

"Alright, Fergus."

After Irene returned home, she didn’t go to play with Lucky first, but went straight to the study.

She knew that at this time, her father and sister would usually be there.

"It’s good that you’re both here," Irene said, closing the door and leaning against the doorframe.

"I just got back from Fox and talked to Adelaide about the arrangements for The Virgin Suicides."

Sophia immediately looked up, her eyes filled with inquiry.

Francis also put down his magazine and looked intently at his younger daughter.

"They suggest taking the film festival route."

Irene walked to the sofa and sat down.

"The plan is to send it to Sundance for its premiere. If the response is good, then arrange for a spring art-house limited release."

Sophia frowned slightly upon hearing this.

This indicated that Fox was not actually optimistic about the commercial potential of The Virgin Suicides.

A brief silence fell over the study.

Irene looked at her sister, and in her mind, two completely different futures emerged.

One where The Virgin Suicides gained some attention at Sundance and won Sophia a bit of a reputation in the independent film circle.

The other was Lost in Translation a few years later, the film that made the whole world remember her.

In her impression, this movie did indeed add some fame to Sophia, but that was all.

What truly brought her recognition was Lost in Translation a few years later, which won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in one fell swoop.

Although many said it was a bit inflated, most people still recognized and accepted it.

Therefore, she was also unsure whether she should accept Fox’s proposal to use the film festival to gain popularity.

If The Virgin Suicides was a huge success, would it affect the birth of Lost in Translation?

"I’m not sure if I should accept this arrangement," Irene finally spoke, her voice very soft.

She left the decision to her more experienced father.

If they didn’t want to take the film festival route, it would be better to negotiate early.

Sophia put down the book in her hand and walked to the desk, her fingers unconsciously stroking the tabletop.

"I don’t want to be labeled as ’niche’," she said.

"But I also know that this movie really isn’t made for everyone."

Francis looked at his two daughters, his gaze shifting between them.

"It’s a delicate balance," he said slowly.

"An early commercial failure can kill a director’s career, but an overly conservative release can also leave you trapped in the ’art film’ circle forever."

Before Sophia could officially state her position, Francis made a decision.

"Rather than letting Fox half-heartedly throw the movie into two thousand theaters to fend for itself, it’s better to first cultivate a group of fans who truly understand your style at film festivals and art-house theaters."

Irene couldn’t help but nod.

"Father is right. Use this movie to establish your auteur identity. By the time your next work comes out, whether you choose a more commercial or a more personal direction, you’ll have a base of loyal viewers."

Francis gave an approving look.

"In Hollywood, being too eager for success often backfires."

Sophia took a deep breath.

"Then I’ll listen to you both. Let The Virgin Suicides meet the audience in the way it should."

After the brief discussion ended, Irene handed the invitation to her father.

Before Irene became famous, he rarely attended such corporate annual meetings anymore.

Except for the Oscars, he would only occasionally attend parties hosted by old friends.

But this time was different.

Both of his daughters’ films were distributed by Fox Pictures, and the possibility of Irene’s next film being distributed by Fox was also very high.

He had to show Fox this courtesy and attend the gala.

Otherwise, Irene’s film would be fine.

Its commercial foundation wasn’t that easily damaged.

But Sophia’s film was taking the art-house route.

If something went wrong somewhere, it might never recover.

"Then let’s get ready and go to the Fox party at the end of the month."

Francis put the invitation into a drawer and said in a flat tone.

Having settled the script and her sister’s film distribution strategy, Irene felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders.

She immediately booked a session at a top beauty salon in Beverly Hills, dragging Sophia along for a three-hour full-body treatment.