With Toronto now in full swing, it's useful to take a look back at last year's festival and to note what an impact the nonfiction films of Toronto 2008 have had on the box office of 2009. No fewer than four of this year's top 6 earners screened at last year's festival - FOOD, INC., WALTZ WITH BASHIR, VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR and EVERY LITTLE STEP. Two other Toronto '08 titles - IT MIGHT GET LOUD and SOUL POWER - are in the top 20.
That's more than any other festival. Sundance 2009 can currently claim four films - TYSON, THE COVE, IT MIGHT GET LOUD and THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. Currently only TYSON (which premiered at Cannes) is in the top 10, although THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE stands a strong chance of breaking out significantly when it expands this weekend. Sundance 2008 is represented this year by the self-distributed ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL.
Among distributors, Sony Pictures Classics, which has been active in acquiring docs at Toronto and Cannes, leads with five films in the top 20 (BASHIR, EVERY LITTLE STEP, TYSON, IT MIGHT GET LOUD and SOUL POWER), far and away more than any other distributor. Disney has two three films, but they two of which are the year's box office champs (by a country mile) - EARTH and JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE.
ADDED 09/13/09 - Disney/ESPN also released X GAMES 3D: THE MOVIE, which in a single week in late August made nearly $1.4M.
Other distribs sporting two-fers include Magnolia, which has had huge success with FOOD, INC., and Roadside Attractions, which is hoping to strike doc gold with THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE after THE COVE disappointed.
As always, there are some surprise hits that suddenly appear without the benefit of a huge festival debut or PR push. This year, space doc THE WONDER OF IT ALL, the religious-themed THE CROSS: THE ARTHUR BLESSIT STORY and bio-pic YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG all have scored a place in the top ten despite lower national/industry profiles prior to their release.
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