by Anthony Kaufman
As 1998 nears completion, and critics' groups announce their picks for the best films of the year, indieWIRE decided to offer an alternative to the traditional year-end list. Given that our editorial team has had the unique opportunity to see a whole slew of films that have not been acquired for U.S. distribution, we decided to conduct a survey of the staff and regular contributors, asking the question: "What were your favorite films of 1998 that have yet to be acquired for theatrical distribution."
From Sundance to Seattle, the LAIFF to Cannes, Toronto to Thessaloniki, indieWIRE has been on the scene over the course of the year, scouting out the best in international cinema. Our results are eclectic to say the least: "Broken Vessels," "1999," "After Life," "The Hole," "Bedrooms and Hallways," "Edge of Seventeen," and "Miss Monday." This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive; and it is true that for all the films we saw, there are hundreds more that we didn't. Why are no documentaries on our list? Is this is a reflection of the marketplace or just a general prejudice against non-fiction work that even those at indieWIRE can't escape? Incomplete yes, exclusionary perhaps, hierarchical you might allege, but here are seven films we saw over the course of 1998 that indieWIRE recommends. Our only criteria: it played at a festival; we saw it; and no U.S. theatrical distributor is attached as of yet.
Two films popular with gay audiences also made our favorites list: "Go Fish" director Rose Troche's second feature "Bedrooms and Hallways" and David Moreton's debut "Edge of Seventeen." From Toronto, indieWIRE called "Bedrooms" "a British comic romp with a cast of eccentric characters and startlingly campy production design. With roars of laugher and heavy applause during and after the film, it's definitely a crowd-pleaser." Although "Bedrooms" finally acquired a British distrib, the U.S. is still waiting.
A winner of four awards at L.A.'s OutFest, "Edge of Seventeen" is an honest depiction of an Ohio teenager's first experiences with his sexuality in the 80's. In indieWIRE's interview with "Seventeen" screenwriter Todd Stephens, Aaron Krach wrote, "What could have been a witty nostalgia trip back to 1985 instead became a remarkably small film with a heart the size of Ohio." "Edge of Seventeen" will next screen at Sundance '99 in the American Spectrum section.
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