How did Valenti find himself the center of such rancor? Since 1966, Valenti, now 82, has presided over the MPAA, which is responsible for movie ratings, and represents the seven major studios on Capitol Hill. While a strong leader by all accounts, Valenti does not necessarily speak for the art-house branches of the studios, like Miramax, Fox Searchlight, United Artists, Sony Classics and Focus Features. As the head of one of these “studio independents” puts it, “Jack Valenti wouldn’t know me if he ran over me in his limo.”
And this is where the trouble starts, because those same studio independents have dominated the Academy Awards for the past decade with such films as “The Pianist,” “Chicago” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” For years the cornerstone of Oscar campaigns for these films has been the sending of free DVD “screeners” to 6,500 Academy members. (True indies, like Lion’s Gate, are not bankrolled by a studio. Hence they’re not governed by the MPAA and can send DVDs.)
But Valenti and the seven studios have been watching piracy increase, estimating worldwide annual losses of $3 billion. Citing screeners as one culprit they could control, the MPAA announced on Sept. 30 that absolutely no screeners could be sent out this year. The response was violent. The indie community accused Valenti of sabotaging their Oscar chances, and some added that indies can’t turn a profit without Oscar chances. The Chicago Film Critics Association declared it “one of the most potentially destructive ideas” since the blacklist. Outraged voters began faxing the studios with “No screener, no vote” messages. Even studio spokespeople privately disagreed with the decision. “It was a well-intentioned blunder, characterized by naivete,” says one.
Opponents claim the timing makes it nearly impossible for them to get voters to see their films soon enough. Yes, almost 75 percent of Academy members live within driving distance of New York or L.A., where most screenings are held. (This inspired Valenti to refer to Oscar voters as “lazy.”) But even an ardent voter would be hard-pressed to catch every contender released this winter. Some films surely will be overlooked. The studio indies’ other argument–that they don’t have $40 million marketing budgets like their parent companies do–is even more persuasive. Sending out 10,000 DVDs costs only about $30,000 and gets every film to every voter. “The playing field is unfair,” says director Norman Jewison, who expected screener support for his film “The Statement.” “My movie will only be in one theater.”
Last week, out of earshot of their corporate bosses, studio indies tried to reach a compromise, but in a statement, Valenti said there was no change in his position. “No one will back down now,” says Jewison. “I think we’ll be ignored.” Now they need to figure out how to avoid the same fate on Oscar night.
