Everything was in place for 606 Distribution’s System Crasher; a powerful film from first time director Nora Fingscheidt about a wild 9-year-old girl who has already become what child protection services call a “system crasher”. The release was supported by the Association of Child Protection Professionals and had been selected for BFI FAN New Release support. Then lockdown happened...
Summary
Everything was in place for 606 Distribution’s System Crasher; a powerful film from first time director Nora Fingscheidt about a wild 9-year-old girl who has already become what child protection services call a “system crasher”. The release was supported by the Association of Child Protection Professionals, the chairwoman of which filmed an introduction for the film, and had been selected for BFI FAN New Release support. This included social media budget for venues, regional support and even t-shirts.
Then lockdown happened.
Some cinemas were trying to stay open, but it soon became clear they would all have to close.
Unlike larger distributors, 606 Distribution couldn’t afford to push the release back until cinemas re-opened, so they moved ahead with a swift switch to digital. It wasn’t an easy decision; the film had already received a lot of support from the New Release scheme for its theatrical release and exhibitors had been very positive and planned a number of contextual events.
606’s Pat Kelman checked in with the New Release co-ordinator and they agreed that it was the only option to try and find an audience for the film.
Things moved quickly after this, and Curzon Home Cinema, as well as MUBI, BFI Player and Modern Films agreed to feature the film.
Project aims
To maximise audiences and income from a switch to digital release
Headlines
During System Crasher’s opening weekend, it was the 7th most watched title on Curzon and they were responsible for the largest proportion of what 606 described as a ‘modest’ volume of rentals.
The film has remained visible thanks to a number of independent exhibitors and community cinemas in the UK and Ireland, who have promoted the film on their websites for rent, organised Q & As, watch parties and ‘tweet alongs’. BAFTA also hosted a Q&A with director Nora Fingscheidt.
606 have developed strong relationships with partners and exhibitors that they hope will stand them in good stead for future releases.
The widespread positive press and attention the film received in the UK has proved invaluable to the producers for promotion in other English speaking territories, and helped with the international profile of the film.
Films
System Crasher
Key partnerships
606 have developed strong relationships with partners and exhibitors that they hope will stand them in good stead for future releases.
The Association of Child Protection Professionals have also continued their support of the film, and are keen to use it as a case study at conferences and other learning events.
Budget in brief
N/A
What worked
The whole campaign, even the switch to digital, has helped 606 Distribution build their relationship with independent cinemas which Pat Kelman is sure will reap benefits in the future . “As a new company with no background in distribution I’ve been accepted by the community and there’s been lots of enthusiastic support from venues…. exhibitors have said ‘when its over we’ll do catch ups with the films you’ve missed’”
Pat also notes that in terms of the New Release scheme, as with any partnership, the more you put in, the more you get out “There has been a dialogue, making suggestions, sounding out ideas – I got the sense that the value you get depends on the amount of energy you put in. I saw it as a partnership and I felt supported by the scheme, and part of the team.”
Prior to lockdown the film was generating positive press, and 606’s decision to engage a specialist social issues PR as well as a film PR was paying dividends, with coverage that broke out of the film pages in to the news pages.
What has been difficult
With families trapped indoor together, the film’s subject matter didn’t help, Pat comments “the content was just too dark for that week”.
The first few days were also quite uncoordinated in terms of exhibitors and distributors working together; Pat noticed on twitter that that some distributors were donating a proportion of their rental price to independent cinemas, so began doing that via 606’s own website.
Another challenge was the increased availability of ‘arthouse’ films that were made available on streaming services – increasing the competition for these kind of titles.
What you would do differently if you did it again
Pat reflects that finding the ‘right ‘ film for a digital release, and understanding the public mood of the time is crucial. Whilst things are shifting as lockdown eases, he senses there isn’t much of an appetite for harrowing content in watch at home independent films.
606’s next release, the Eva Riley directed coming of age story Perfect 10 (National Lottery funded by the BFI and the BBC) is a chance to put the learning from the System Crasher experience into action:
- Working with partners is crucial – Birds Eye View’s Reclaim the Frame and Massive are both supporting the film’s release.
- Getting the message out early - this time around, as the film is intended as a digital release there is time to plan and build awareness.
- Building on the relationships developed with System Crasher – featuring Perfect 10 as a “Virtual Ticket” on cinemas’ websites with the support of Modern Films.
Awareness / Attitudes
System Crasher’s release coincided with the first week of lockdown, and 606 were hopeful they could benefit from a ‘first responder’ advantage as all film watching moved to digital. But that didn’t happen; people were still getting their heads around all the implications of lockdown and hadn’t yet got into the habit of watching new releases online in significant numbers.
Audiences weren’t yet ready for deeper engagement either. There were a couple of online Q&As in the first few days of the release, including Curzon and Plymouth, but neither attracted particularly significant audiences, and Pat notes that once lockdown became more normal, Curzon’s Q&As began to attract larger audiences. A Facebook live event with Saffron Screen and a local family therapist that took place a couple of months into the films’ release generated a larger audience, more details and a case study here.
A key learning was the important role that independent cinemas can play, even for a digital release. With established and trusted audience relationships they can promote titles via their own websites, giving these film a credibility and visibility that cuts through the mass of titles available. Cinemas can also make some modest but valuable income through a shared rental system (“Virtual Cinema”) organised by distributor Modern Films, who 606 are delighted to be working with.
Knowledge & Experience
Pat reflects that finding the ‘right ‘ film for a digital release, and understanding the public mood of the time is crucial. Whilst things are shifting as lockdown eases, he senses there isn’t much of an appetite for harrowing content in watch at home independent films.
606’s next release, the Eva Riley directed coming of age story Perfect 10 (National Lottery funded by the BFI and the BBC) is a chance to put the learning from the System Crasher experience into action:
- Working with partners is crucial – Birds Eye View’s Reclaim the Frame and Massive are both supporting the film’s release.
- Getting the message out early – this time around, as the film is intended as a digital release there is time to plan and build awareness.
- Building on the relationships developed with System Crasher – featuring Perfect 10 as a “Virtual Ticket” on cinemas’ websites with the support of Modern Films.
Social Cohesion
Audiences found System Crasher moving and honest. People commented how they feel ‘seen’ in the way the film shows the realities of dealing with challenging young people with empathy and truth.
606 have developed strong relationships with partners and exhibitors that they hope will stand them in good stead for future releases.
The Association of Child Protection Professionals have also continued their support of the film, and are keen to use it as a case study at conferences and other learning events.
The widespread positive press and attention the film received in the UK has proved invaluable to the producers for promotion in other English speaking territories, and helped with the international profile of the film
Economy
During System Crasher’s opening weekend, it was the 7th most watched title on Curzon and they were responsible for the largest proportion of what 606 Distribution described as a ‘modest’ volume of rentals. The film has remained visible thanks to a number of independent exhibitors and community cinemas in the UK and Ireland, who have promoted the film on their websites for rent, organised Q & As, watch parties and ‘tweet alongs’. BAFTA also hosted a Q&A with director Nora Fingscheidt.
What professionals, press and partners said
"A powerful story that needs to be told." - The Association of Child Protection Professionals
Press coverage
"It’s a trip that involves borderline-inappropriate intimacy with this intense child – a risk that appears not to have occurred to the entirely blameless Micha. And all the time, the stakes get higher and the morale lower. There are times, when Zengel is performing with other children, especially younger children, when you get the strange sense that this isn’t acting – it is actually happening. A grisly, gripping watch." - The Guardian
