By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
Rashomotor
Lou Lumenick’s blog sent me scurrying for more info about the Volkswagon Relentless Drive Award, given to a Sundance filmmaker each year. This year it went to deborah Kampmeier, who made the now infamous Dakota Fanning movie, Hounddog.
As “reported” in a press release written by The Motion Picture Group, which is funding Ms. K’s next film:
“The Relentless Drive Award” pays homage to the incredible amount of dedication, determination, sweat, tears, spit and downright unyielding will to get an independent film produced. This year, Volkswagen owners selected the director with the best story of how they used music in their quest to make their film happen. VW owners were able to vote throughout the Festival in the Volkswagen tent, after which the “Relentless Drive Award” was awarded to Kampmeier.
Volkwagon announces the competition on its own site:
The theme this year will be Music in Film. The award will go to the director whose movie was most inspired by music, or in which music played a huge part in it’s (sic) creation. Directors will submit their stories, and we’ll advertise them on the back page of the Daily Insider. VW Owners will vote on the winner who will then drive off into the sunset with the use of a free VW for one year.
So…. Volkswagon owners who were at Sundance and who voted for the film most inspired by music, or in which music played a huge part in its creation made this call. Could it have been more than 50 people voting? And is there any way they wouldn’t vote for the film named after an Elvis Presley mega-hit? And is this one reason why there is no publicity on the win – going to a very controversial film – from Volkswagon itself?
It’s not a big deal. But once again, one person’s dedication, determination, sweat, tears, spit and downright unyielding will is another man’s minor marketing ploy.
even if Hounddog is nothing more than an issue-ploition shocker, from everything I read it was much more difficult to get made than most independent movies. Maybe it was easier to get accepted to film festivals and get press, but they had a hellaciously bad time funding it. Or maybe the difficulty was exaggerated as much as the rape scene in the final product.