Indie film has always, and will always be, the backbone of the film industry. It’s time for Industry folks who hold the keys to the doors, to start unlocking them for Indie filmmakers again. Invest in smaller unknown projects, invest in indie films from unknown entities, stars aren’t usually made from blockbusters, blockbusters are usually made with stars who got their stardom from a breakout Indie film, want me to name a few of these breakout Indie films that launched the careers of people who have since been used as bankable stars on blockbuster films… Star Wars, Rocky, The Terminator, Trainspotting, The Full Monty, Lost in Translation… the list can, and does, go on.

These films are often referred to as some of the greatest films in cinematic history, a benchmark for filmmakers to aspire to, but at their core, they were Indie films, made with minimal budgets, and mostly no name cast. So the next time you’re in a meeting with an Indie producer like myself, who is presenting you with a great story with an unknown cast but all the right things in place to make a solid Indie film, consider that it genuinely could be the next Star Wars, or the next Rocky. It also might not be but a breakout film didn’t get made because of a trend, it creates the trend that the industry then chases (ie Blair Witch)

These Indie films not only made massive returns on their investments, they launched the careers of the very same people, every sales agent, investor, distributor, studio is asking me to attach in order to invest in my film… think about that before you say NO to an Indie producer.
It all starts with a solid script, if you have that, it shouldn’t matter who directs it or stars in it as long as they’re good at what they do, and good doesn’t become seen or bankable until it’s been given a platform to demonstrate its ability on, that platform is Indie film. Create the trend by investing in Indie films, don’t chase it in blockbusters

Lucinda Bruce

Film Producer/Owner Lady of the Light Productions

A new filmmakers hub emerges at Seattle Center

Across Fifth Avenue from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the brick building at Seattle Center that once housed news website Crosscut and the KCTS 9 TV station has gone quiet since parent company Cascade Public Media’s long-term lease ended in 2023. Built in 1986, the unassuming two-story structure isn’t flashy — but with a floor plan of over 60,000 square feet and furnished office and multimedia studio space right in the heart of the city, the building is ripe for cultural use. This month, it’s being rebranded as the M5 (Mercer & Fifth) Creative Building, a hub for Seattle’s film industry.

Under a new, short-term lease with Seattle Center, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development will manage tenancy at the M5 Creative Building through March 2025. Terms of the lease were not immediately available. The goal is to encourage filmmaking in and around the Emerald City, whether from local amateurs or established national names.

By

Eric Olson

Special to The Seattle Times