By Simon de Bruyn
Madman Entertainment aims to use the distribution strategies it learnt on Kenny for the upcoming release of Mark Hartley’s "Ozploitation" documentary Not Quite Hollywood, which is due in cinemas on August 28.
Madman plans to release the doco on 46 prints nationally, with one digital copy at the Hobart State Theatre. Further digital locations will commence from Sept 11.
In an interview with INSIDEFILM, Madman’s managing director Paul Wiegard said the late August release date gives the doco time to capitalse on word of mouth from its Melbourne International Film Festival opening night slot, as well as a range of preview screenings the distributor is holding in various cities.
“The key strategy with this film will be word of mouth. We will require a lot of screenings prior to release. Kenny for example had many word of mouth screenings and we’ve learnt quite a bit from the release of Kenny. Mark [Hartley] has managed to capture an energy with this film that I think audiences will respond to,” he said.
“Film distribution is often about timing. For Not Quite Hollywood I think the timing is quite good and also it’s very entertaining. August 28 is after the Olympics so hopefully audiences will be going back into cinemas.
"The film is quite relevant right now, with censorship issues coming up again recently with the Bill Henson thing, so that could also work to our advantage.”
Preview screenings have already begun for the acclaimed doco, with Popcorn Taxi holding one screening earlier this week and the Palace George in Melbourne holding another screening this coming Saturday. Madman also plans to re-release some of the films featured in the doco, like Brian Trenchard-Smith’s The Man From Hong Kong, on DVD.
Wiegard said Madman wanted to do justice to the effort Hartley has spent pushing the project over many hundles to completion.
“It’s very rewarding just to be involved in something like this. I think Mark has done an excellent job getting the participation of so many people and now it’s up to us as distributors to get the participation of audiences too. I hope Not Quite Hollywood inspires others, whether it is audiences or filmmakers, and it can only do this if it’s seen,” he said.
Earlier this week, Madman launched the full website for the documentary, featuring old trailers from the films featured in the doco, trivia and screening locations. Check out all this and more here: http://www.notquitehollywood.com.au
Hartley will also be the special guest at tonight’s Friday On My Mind, held from 5pm at AFTRS in Sydney, and hosted by INSIDEFILM‘s Rachael Turk.