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Indie Filmmakers Turn Profit With Theater-only Release and Announce New Feature

Entertainment6d ago
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Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf have turned a profit on their 2023 film 'It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This' through over 100 worldwide screenings without traditional distribution. They are now releasing the trailer for their new indie feature 'Homebody', which they wrote, produced, and directed.

Facts First

  • Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf turned a profit on their 2023 film through over 100 worldwide screenings without distribution, marketing, or a PR team.
  • The filmmakers are releasing the trailer for their new feature 'Homebody' exclusively with Variety.
  • 'Homebody' is a ghost story about a widow who invites a woman claiming to channel her late husband to live with her.
  • The film was shot on miniDV and VHS in black and white with a minimal crew.
  • Nick Toti expressed a desire to remake 'Homebody' on a larger scale with a budget of $3-5 million.

What Happened

Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf, the creators of the 2023 film 'It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This', have booked over 100 worldwide screenings and turned a profit without using distribution, marketing, or a PR team. The film was released only in theaters and was not released on streaming, VOD, or physical media. The filmmakers are now releasing the trailer for their new indie feature 'Homebody' exclusively with Variety. 'Homebody' was written, produced, and directed by Kempf and Toti.

Why this Matters to You

If you are interested in independent film, you may have more opportunities to see unique, low-budget movies in theaters as filmmakers like Toti and Kempf demonstrate a viable path outside the traditional studio system. Their success suggests a wider range of creative stories could reach audiences directly. You might also see 'Homebody' or a future larger-scale remake, as Toti has expressed a desire to remake the film with a budget of $3-5 million.

What's Next

The trailer for 'Homebody' is being released. The film's cast includes Julie Linnard, Elizabeth Joanne, Eric Stevenson, Meredith Sladek, Shane Mullen, Avery G. Tillett, and Bob Mielke. The production utilized a minimal crew and was shot on miniDV and VHS in black and white. Nick Toti's goal is to eventually have a Blu-ray release featuring both the original version and a larger-budget version of 'Homebody'.

Perspectives

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The Filmmaker expresses immense pride in the project, describing it as a 'weird movie that was made in a weird way' with a 'glitchy and strange' aesthetic. He explains that the goal was to achieve an 'uncomfortably intimate and aesthetically raw' feeling, akin to a 'demo version' of a film or reading 'someone's diary'.
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The Filmmaker views himself and his collaborator as 'two dumb kids from the Midwest' and acknowledges that discussing their track record might 'risk sounding like a pompous ass'.
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The Filmmaker notes that 'things are weird in the film industry right now' and suggests that releasing both a 'demo' and 'studio' version of a film on Blu-ray is a novel concept that 'no one has ever attempted before'.