
societyJan 27, 202327:58pending
How an Indie Film Becomes an Oscar Winner
About this episode
Live from Sundance, Matt is joined by Michael Barker, the copresident and cofounder of Sony Pictures Classics, to discuss Sony’s ability to discover Oscar-level movies at film festivals and whether the business of making money off of small movies is doomed to extinction. Michael details how Sony Classics has pivoted to survive, his pitch to filmmakers these days, and how to take a Sundance film all the way to the Oscars.
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Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Michael Barker
Producer: Craig Horlbeck
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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