As the Toronto International Film Festival’s Industry Conference went into its fifth day, panelists presented the audience with some tips and insights about what challenges sales agents and distributors are currently facing, and how to stand out in a crowded market. Playback brings you some of the highlights.

State of Sales and Distribution
Kicking things off was Mike Goodridge, CEO of London-based sales agent Protagonist Pictures, who spoke on the state of sales and financing in 2015. Goodridge, like many panels before him at this year’s Industry Conference, called casting “the biggest thorn in our sides” in 2015. It’s a problem that has become increasingly prevalent in the past 12 months, he said, because risk-averse distributors are only betting on sure things. An example he used was the Protagonist-repped Testament of Youth, starring Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington and Taron Egerton (Kingsman) both recognized names but not powerful enough brands on the global market. “It was a very tough call getting people to commit to these names, because they cannot sell this film into territories on the promise of these names. It’s one of the most frustrating parts of our business,” he said. The power wielded by critics (especially the U.S. trades) is also more decisive now than ever, he added, with early reviews having a massive impact on a film’s chances of success and influencing buyers’ opinions more than ever.

How to Win at Digital Distribution
Getting your film in the right spot was the theme in this hour-long discussion, moderated by Brad Pelman, CEO of The Fremantle Corporation. Creating awareness of your film is the name of the game, with Impact Global Media founder Eric B. Stein telling audiences that interactivity with audiences is an often overlooked aspect of marketing. Information is often given to audiences, but actually getting audiences to do something (like vote) or to actually go somewhere (like an event) is the best way to trigger discussion and awareness. Stein added that the surface has only been scratched in regards to what is possible with discovery tools, such as Netflix algorithms, which will dictate a great deal of what comes next. With the entire supply chain of a film now being involved in its promotion, getting talent to promote the project using their own assets is key, the panel agreed.

Spring – The Modern Distribution Model
The modern distribution model talk focused on the film Spring from XYZ Films and how the film got to the top of iTunes in both the romance and horror categories. The panel discussed the potential they saw in the film’s hybrid genre and the ways in which they incorporated elements of both genres into its artwork. Namely, the image that appeared on iTunes and the impact it had on the film’s visibility. Playing equally on the film’s romance and horror themes the poster achieved visibility by its contrast to other titles in its category on iTunes. The film also landed an editor’s pick, which was a huge boost for the visibility of the film and drove a considerable amount of users to the film.

Moguls: David Garrett

Mister Smith Entertainment CEO Garrett (who co-founded Summit Entertainment prior to Mister Smith), who now runs the boutique financing, co-financing and licensing company, walked the TIFF Industry audience through some of the global trends shaping his business, which include new partnerships – most recently with producer Broad Green Pictures – and an increasingly celeb- and broadcaster pre-sales-driven global market. While broadcaster licensing remains critical – Garrett said that internationally, exhibitors are increasingly wanting to see a broadcaster deal locked down before signing on – he also noted that such deals are increasingly hard to secure. “In old days of selling a film had a safety net of DVD and [TV deals],” he noted. “The whole market has now changed and buyers are much more cautious.” Even prior beacons of market-hope, like China (“unless you have tent pole you are consigned to the dustbin of VOD”), Russia (“barren as a landscape”) and Latin America have all fallen into economic crisis, weakening the international sales market further. Even Germany, which has remained stable as a vital film market, leans heavily toward action-oriented films like Taken that grab viewers “in the first five minutes,” he noted, leaving the less-thrilling in European limbo. “There aren’t any territories that you can turn to and say ‘this is amazing,'” he said. – Katie Bailey