Chapter 58

Seeking recommendation votes!

Park City, Utah, is renowned across America for its skiing, but by mid-January, the city becomes the exclusive focus of film. Filmmakers like Murphy, who are desperately seeking opportunities, converge from all over the world, hoping to make a splash and transform from obscurity to fame and fortune.

To put it simply, countless filmmakers see the Sundance Film Festival as a stepping stone for their careers.

This is because the festival is also teeming with various film evaluators and buyers, who may come from distribution companies or video publishers.

They all share one common trait: the ability to bring an independent film to a wide audience.

Dressed warmly, Murphy walked the streets of Park City, where he could see film-related content everywhere. The streets were filled with hurriedly passing professional viewers in suits, who not only paid attention to the officially screened works in theaters but also sometimes whispered to people on the roadside selling their own works, doing everything possible to find films that could bring profit.

When passing through a square, Murphy specially stopped to watch Paul Wilson for a while. Despite it being only mid-afternoon, a crowd had already gathered there. They brought portable screening equipment and would start showing their works once it got dark.

This was also a way of promotion. The works they shot with video cameras might be noticed by someone and become the next "The Blair Witch Project."

If Murphy didn't have an invitation, he might have been one of them, but with the invitation, he only had a slightly higher-level entry ticket.

And this entry ticket also required payment.

After crossing the square and turning a corner, Murphy arrived at the festival committee's office. After inquiring at the entrance, he quickly found the corresponding office, took out his invitation and the necessary documents, and processed the screening procedures.

"Mr. Stanton,"

Behind the desk was a middle-aged woman with glasses, who said formally, "According to the schedule, your film will be screened at the Morris Theatre on the afternoon of the 20th. You need to pay an entry fee of $3,000, printing material fees of $200, theater screening fees of $300, and staff salaries of $300..."

Listening to this series of fees, Murphy felt a headache but had no choice. For a film to participate in any festival, the production company must submit an entry fee to the festival, which is often substantial, along with various other expenses such as printing promotional materials, transportation fees, staff salaries, screening expenses, and public relations costs...

Fortunately, this was the Sundance Film Festival, with relatively lower fees. Murphy ultimately paid $5,000 and completed all the procedures.

Murphy could only sigh inwardly; film is an art, and to realize this art, money is the most basic condition.

Most people who have attended film festivals know that hosting a film festival requires many venues and human resources, with substantial expenses. Although the festival has sponsors, in addition to collecting basic fees, most film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and the three major European film festivals, also take a certain percentage of the profits from films sold at the festival.

Leaving the committee's office, Murphy had no interest in wandering around. Now, Park City was filled with people like him.

The sky was enveloped in darkness. Back in his hotel room, Murphy casually ordered dinner and sat by the window, eating while looking outside. Park City was brightly lit, with people bustling on the streets. From a high vantage point, he could see the special glow of screens on larger open spaces, turning the city into a city of film that never sleeps.

After finishing his meal, he first called Bill Rossis. The latter had many clients and couldn't serve only him. He would only come to Park City on the day of "Hard Candy's" screening. Additionally, Murphy had contacted several professional film evaluators from distribution companies, who would be present in the theater.

Perhaps it was being away from Los Angeles; perhaps it was the constant busyness of the past few months, always working with others; or perhaps it was the agonizing wait before the dawn. After hanging up the phone, Murphy felt a sense of loneliness.

In Bill Rossis's eyes, he was a studious and ambitious person, a promising stock.

In Paul Wilson's eyes, he was incredibly lucky, directing a real feature film in his early twenties.

In James Franco's eyes, he was despicable and shameless, a liar who didn't even need to draft his lies.

In Carey Mulligan's eyes, he was understanding and the best person in the world.

Murphy roughly understood their views of him but knew deep down that he wasn't any of those people.

For some reason, Murphy thought of Cara Fies, who had gone to New York. They were truly kindred spirits, but Cara Fies, with the support of Fox Television, had returned to her alma mater for further studies, which would undoubtedly elevate her career. What about him?

Although he had a key, Murphy knew his future was still uncertain.

Subconsciously, he reached for his phone and entered Cara Fies's number. Just as he was about to press the call button, his phone rang. The screen displayed an unfamiliar number.

He pressed the answer button, "Hello, this is Murphy Stanton."

"Hi, Murphy."

A clear voice came from the receiver, "It's Carey."

"I recognized it."

Hearing the familiar voice, Murphy's somewhat depressed mood improved, "Why are you calling now?"

"I just sneaked out of my house and am using a payphone to call you," Carey Mulligan answered, not directly addressing his question, "Murphy, is the screening time for the film set?"

Murphy stood up, "The 20th of this month."

"I'm so excited," Carey Mulligan's clear voice gradually turned low, "I... I miss you, Murphy."

Switching the phone to his other hand, Murphy frowned slightly. Before he could say anything, Carey Mulligan continued, "I dreamed about you. Well, I have to go, my mom is coming to find me. If she finds out I'm calling you, it'll be bad."

The call was quickly disconnected. The image of her cute doll face suddenly popped into Murphy's mind, and he couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He wasn't James Franco.

Perhaps it was a case of daydreaming leading to night dreaming. That night, Murphy actually dreamed of Carey Mulligan. In the dream, the blonde girl held a sharp knife and walked step by step toward him, tied to a chair. Her doll-like face wore a cute and innocent smile, but the knife ruthlessly cut toward his vital areas...

For two consecutive nights, Murphy was awakened by such dreams. Fortunately, as the screening of "Hard Candy" approached, his focus finally shifted to other things.

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