Harry Potter star Timothy Spall told us the struggle is real for independent filmmakers at the Raindance Film Festival opening gala last night. "Most independent films are really made and brought to screen by the skin of their teeth, by love," the actor, who played worm tail, told us. Why? "Because the stories are not immediately seemingly commercial. They are unusual or they’re challenging," he said.
Another more likely reason is the domination of the industry by streaming services. Harry Potter director and film producer David Yates said "the streaming model has been a real challenge. There was a period where that was an existential threat for the indie sector," he said. "Even for the studio system it’s been a bit of a head scratch." That's one way of putting it.
Boiling Point's Vinette Robinson also weighed in. "People are going to the cinema less and covid had a real impact," she said. "How do you cut through the noise? How do you compete with the big streamers?" In spite of challenges, Robinson's starring role in BBC drama Boiling Point was made as a follow up to the success of an indie film of the same title. "That came from independent cinema, those were the roots," she said.
For Spall, it's a matter of resilience. "People really dig out so many different resources to get things made," he said. Yates shares Spall's optimism. "The thing about film industry is it’s extraordinary adaptable," he said. "There’s room for that indie aesthetic, that authorial edge to exist in the mainstream. The two aren’t mutually exclusive."
Is Spall working on anything at the moment? "I do a lot of independent movies. I've been in about three or four in the last few years. They’re the only people who’ll employ me!" he joked. His focus for the time being though, is his upcoming second solo art show. Spall's works will be unveiled at the Pontone Gallery, nine years since he painted on screen as the eponymous Mr Turner. "There will be a private view," he said, giving nothing away. We're waiting patiently for our invite.
