5 pieces
Mubi, once a streaming service with a small cinema programme, has become one of the most active theatrical acquirers in the independent market. The Substance made it profitable. What it does next is the question.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival acquisitions market cleared more titles than any edition since 2022, but at substantially lower average price points. The buyers are active. The cheques are smaller.
The specific function of the international film festival circuit has quietly changed across the last five years. An essay on what Cannes, Venice, Sundance, and TIFF are actually doing now, and what they have stopped doing.
The UK's new Independent Film Tax Credit raises the rebate rate to 53% for qualifying productions under £15 million. Early application data suggests the scheme is already reshaping the mid-budget production calendar.
Sean Baker's four-award sweep for Anora at the 97th Academy Awards was the industry headline. His acceptance speech, which explicitly called on audiences to see films in cinemas, was the industrial subtext.