Plum TV plugs in to the pitch
Network's programs aim to bring filmmakers, backers together
At least that's the goal at Plum TV, a New York-based cable network catering to viewers at upscale vacation spots like Aspen and Martha's Vineyard.
The network has two new programs, "DocStock" and "FilmStock," designed to create a virtual pitching platform between filmmakers and the homes of potential backers.
Docu "When I Came Home," directed by Dan Iohaus, which found finishing funds through the show, recently won the doc award at the Tribeca Film Fest.
Producer and founding partner Cary Woods says both series address his passion for discovering new talents and projects.
Woods spent most of the 1990s producing the first films of directors such as Doug Liman, Alexander Payne and M. Night Shyamalan.
"Access to potential financiers has always been the holy grail for independent filmmakers," he says. "We hope to broaden the marketplace so that they can reach out to high net worth individuals who might otherwise not have contact with the film community."
"DocStock" debuted earlier this year, with each episode focusing on a single docu film. This summer, Plum plans to profile low-budget narrative productions with the sister series "FilmStock."
Both are hosted by Rebecca Carroll, former editor in chief at Independent Film & Video Monthly, and include interviews with the filmmakers, the project's status and their ambitions for the film. Sample reels and trailers help convey what the final product will look like.
The concept was a collaboration between Woods and Jage Toba, director of programming at Plum TV and a former independent producer and writer.
Toba says filmmakers are always searching for funding, and there are plenty of willing investors outside the industry. Woods and Toba aim to expand both series to international projects in the future.
"I'd like it to eventually be a matchmaking clearinghouse," Toba says.
