Interview with Screwdriver film director Cairo Smith: 'Divorce is an outcome from a relationship failing'

There’s obviously a dream in all filmmakers to have some sort of theatrical run, be it a limited American run or a release overseas — perhaps in the European market. I’ve been lucky enough to see Screwdriver twice with a theatrical audience, and I certainly think it’s the best environment to experience the story. I’m also very much in favor of VOD, meeting audiences in the places where they’re most comfortable consuming content. I think that’s the way you capture the zeitgeist and take part in the cultural narrative, most of the time.

The question of ‘overcrowding’ on streaming platforms is complicated for me. It’s definitely a real phenomenon. The reality is, as filmmaking technology becomes more affordable and democratized, the amount of completed feature films will continue to outpace most audiences’ capacity to ingest them. The most important thing you need to overcome that ‘slush pile’ effect is to have a really, really good project. It sounds obvious, but that’s a high bar, and even then it’s not enough to just be good. To stand out in distribution, you need to catch the attention of the people who are willing to promote the film in a serious way, elevate it above the churn and make sure it isn’t just being ‘sent to die’ on streaming. There are a limited number of firms and individuals on Earth who know how to do that, and if you want to have a big impact in VOD you’d better hope they pay attention to you.