International Information Programs
eJournal USAAn Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State, June 2007

The Movie Business Today

PDF version of 'The Movie Business Today'
Cover Photos: Theater: © 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation Inset of Scarlett Johansson at 2005 Academy Awards: © AP Images/Kevork Djansezian

This issue of eJournal USA analyzes the increasing internationalization of the film industry, both in terms of audiences and filmmaking talent; the rise of a more personal style of independent filmmaking in recent years; the market for foreign-produced films in the United States; and the effects of the Internet and the digital revolution on how movies get made and distributed. Shorter pieces focus on film festivals like Sundance that seed young talent and some film studios' efforts to go green in making movies.

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The Movie Business Today

CONTENTS

About This Issue
The Editors

What's American About American Movies?
Thomas Doherty, Professor of Film Studies Brandeis University
The American film industry, despite its critics, continues to dominate the world market for movies. The author discusses why this is and relates the impact of several recent movies in the United States and abroad.

Fields of Dreams: American Sports Movies
David J. Firestein, Bureau of East Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
What recent sports movies (Remember the Titans, Friday Night Lights, Coach Carter, and others) tell us about American values.

Coming to America
Timothy Corrigan, Director of Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania
The author traces the development of the international movie scene in the United States.

Film Festivals in the United States
Carolee Walker, Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State
New interest in films supports film festivals and filmmakers.

Sidebar
· The Box-Office Numbers

Photo Gallery of Young Filmmakers
Young international filmmakers are making their mark in the world of cinema. Some are actors, some directors or producers; most combine two or more roles.

The Rise of the Independents
Kenneth Turan, Film Critic, Los Angeles Times
Public appreciation for independent films has enabled the independent film industry to grow and thrive.

Sidebar
Sundance—Supporting the Work of Independent Filmmakers Worldwide
A Film Festival in Your Living Room
 
VIDEO FEATURE video feature icon

A series of independent films made by U.S. and foreign fimmakers shown to American audiences through the Public Broadcasting Service

A series of independent films made in the United States that is available for overseas broadcast

 
RELATED ISSUES
Related Journals


The Digital Revolution
Steven Ascher, Documentary Director and Author
Filmmakers first used digital technology in the 1980s to create fantastic new images. Since then, increasingly sophisticated tools have made it possible to produce, market, and distribute motion pictures digitally.

Hollywood Goes Green
Robin L. Yeager, Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State
Hollywood's environmentally friendly efforts are described.

Sidebar
· Government and the Movies

Additional Reading

Bibliography

Internet Resources

The Movie Business Today

eJournal USA

eJournal USA:
Society & Values

Volume 12, Number 6, June 2007

The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State publishes five electronic journals under the eJournal USA logo—Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, Foreign Policy Agenda, and Society & Values—that examine major issues facing the United States and the international community, as well as U.S. society, values, thought, and institutions.

One new journal is published monthly in English and is followed by versions in French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Selected editions also appear in Arabic, Chinese, and Persian. Each journal is catalogued by volume and number.

The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. government. The U.S. Department of State assumes no responsibility for the content and continued accessibility of Internet sites to which the journals link; such responsibility resides solely with the publishers of those sites. Journal articles, photographs, and illustrations may be reproduced and translated outside the United States unless they carry explicit copyright restrictions, in which case permission must be sought from the copyright holders noted in the journal.

The Bureau of International Information Programs maintains current and back issues in several electronic formats, as well as a list of upcoming journals, at http://usinfo.state.gov/pub/ejournalusa.html. Comments are welcome at your local U.S. Embassy or at the editorial offices:

Editor, eJournal USA
IIP/PUBJ
U.S. Department of State
301 4th St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20547
United States of America

E-mail: eJournalUSA@state.gov

Editor-in-Chief George Clack
Executive Editor Richard W. Huckaby
Production Manager Christian Larson
Assistant Production Manager Sylvia Scott
Web Producer Janine Perry
Editor Robin L. Yeager
Contributing Editors Carolee Walker
Martin J. Manning
Associate Editor Rosalie Targonski
Reference Specialist Martin J. Manning
Photo Editor Ann Monroe Jacobs
Cover Designer Min Yao
____________________
Editorial Board Jeremy F. Curtin
Jonathan Margolis
Charles N. Silver

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