Banking on a resurgence from independent cinema, American independent entertainment company “A24” continues to find an audience with their reputation for filmmaker-driven films. With newly discovered gems such as The Lighthouse, The Farewell, Midsommar, and Uncut Gems, they continue to pull no punches and stand out as the future of the film industry.
The little studio in the big leagues
In 2012, founders David Fenkel, John Hodges, and Daniel Katz, who previously worked in film and production, left their jobs to start the production company “A24 Films.” Now known as “A24,” the admiration for 90s independent cinema made them notice a void those movies had once been in. The independent scene during the decade of the 90s put Miramax at the forefront. With the said company’s inspirational edgy films like Pulp Fiction, it cemented itself as one of the greatest films of the 20th century.
In the same year, its first official theatrical release was A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, starring comedic actor Charlie Sheen in a comedy-drama about a breakup. Charles Swan III (Sheen) is a graphic designer who copes with the split with his lover by having unusual fantasies in his head. Despite the negative reviews, the overlooked A24 feature laid the groundwork for the films that focus on the Roman Coppola’s artistic vision.
A24’s finest
Over the past decade, different genres of films have shared the A24 brand. Being original and different continues to stand out. Every bit of passion from the filmmakers’ visions, each film has its own identity that sets them apart from one another.
2012’s Spring Breakers is a relatively small film that only few studios would take a chance on, but A24 did.
In director Harmony Korine’s wild and crime-filled story, Vannessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez went all out in Spring Breakers. The former Disney stars join drug dealer and aspiring rap artist Alien (James Franco), in a life of crime. Despite the small budget, the film was a worldwide commercial success at the box office. Film critics have called it a “potential cult classic” due to its simple story but told in a surreal and colorful portrayal of reality. “A lurid, luminous teen-bender movie, as ludicrous as it is stylish, and Harmony Korine’s best film in years,” according to Simon Crook from Empire Magazine.
On the other hand, A24’s first financed film Moonlight, showcases the coming-of-age tale of an African-American gay man named Chiron. A24 was put on the map after the film edged out La La Land, a film starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, for the Best Picture category in probably the biggest Academy Awards mix-up in history. According to Swiss Army Man director Daniel Scheinert, the film marks the company’s transition from an indie distributor to an art-house studio.
In 2017, Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, Lady Bird, was nominated in the Best Picture category at the 90th Academy Awards. Gerwig was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress, and Laurie Metcalf for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The coming-of-age film follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson’s (Ronan) struggles with her relationship with mother Marion McPherson (Metcalf) and her last year in high school. An outspoken teenager, Lady Bird aspires to have a good life by getting into her dream school and living a life not on the right side of the tracks. At the same time, her mother tirelessly works as a nurse to keep her family afloat financially.
Undoubtedly, A24 has started to garner numerous Oscar nominations and wins on their belt with Lady Bird (2017) and Moonlight (2016), respectively—as the movie studio redefines the decade with a diverse plethora of films.
The independent identity
In an interview with The Benildean, Benilde film sophomore and regional filmmaker EJ Gagui (Kalinguan Tane Ing Lutu Nang Ima, 2019) shared his thoughts on cinema today, saying, “For me, the current state of cinema is one of the best eras of blockbusters and movies. […] filmmakers are pushed to do kinds of films that go beyond the resources of the general audience.”
As an independent filmmaker from Pampanga, Gagui discussed the importance of independent films.
“Most of the time, independent films are used by filmmakers as tickets to become mainstream directors […] Many directors stayed with independent films because they wanted to become preservers of cinema […] Independent cinema, most of the time, serves the world and mainstream cinema, most of the time, serves the people,” the 20-year old director said.
Recently, at the Lakbay Museo Cinemabuhay Awards which concluded last year, Gagui won first prize and Best Cinematography for his film, Hometown.
With the widespread acclaim for A24 films, they’ve also gained recognition from the general audience.
“A24 deserves its recognition [from] the general audience because of how they mix general taste [with] independent cinema. If other production companies imitate what A24 started, there will be good movies in the cinema without comparing indie and mainstream,” Gagui added.
Changing the game
From starting as a distributor for low-budget passion projects, A24 has transformed into a full-fledged art-house studio. It builds its branding by showcasing racial minorities, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community issues in the limelight.
In 2019 alone, A24 has released a diverse lineup of films such as 2019’s comedy-drama, The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang. The film earned the Best Feature award at the 35th Independent Spirit Awards.
Meanwhile, The Safdie Brothers (Josh and Benny Safdie) follow up their 2017 A24 feature, Good Time, with the crime-thriller Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler. At the 35th Independent Spirit Awards, the film also took home awards including Best Director (The Safdie Brothers), Best Male Lead (Sandler), and Best Editing.
Ari Aster’s sophomore feature, Midsommar, differentiates its eerie feeling in broad daylight rather than the usual dark and gloomy setting similar to his first A24 feature, Hereditary.
Moving forward, A24’s horror tradition of unconventional stories continues with the British psychological horror, Saint Maud. A Ghost Story director David Lowery returns with the upcoming medieval fantasy, The Green Knight. The film stars Dev Patel as King Arthur’s reckless nephew, Sir Gawain, and his quest to confront the Green Knight. Furthermore, Zola, a film based on an infamous Twitter thread, follows Stefani (Riley Keough) as she invites Zola (Taylor Paige) for the craziest and most unexpected trip of her life.
With defying risks, A24 creates works without adhering to the conventional, compared to most big-budget production companies. As they produce original, diverse, and critically-acclaimed films, this rising independent film company surely has a place in the industry as it serves as an avenue for personal stories catering to diversity.
With the progression of cultural appreciation, A24 is at the forefront of the film industry’s bright future.
This article is also published in the first ever fully-online issue of The Benildean: Update Vol. 6 No. 2.
