Orofino, LLC, is a limited liability company established for the purpose of developing, producing, marketing, and distributing the feature-length film titled Heathens & Thieves.

Heathens & Thieves, a gritty and suspenseful “Western Noir,” will be a feature—length film aimed at wide-screen theatrical release. It is being shot on the RED ONE—a cutting-edge high-definition digital cine camera enhanced with 35mm lenses.

Launched with limited funding already raised by Orofino, LLC, the film’s budget will fall within the “ultra-low-budget” parameters defined by the Screen Actors Guild. These parameters establish a maximum cash budget of $200,000 with the addition of no more than $300,000 in deferred payments. How close we come to these maximums will be determined by the amount of capital we are able to raise from outside investors.

About one-third of the film was shot in spring 2009, and the rest of the shoot is slated for late October through early November 2009. Exact shooting dates will be determined as various factors and scheduling needs fall into place.

We are seeking up to $200,000 in financing. One “share” will be considered $1,000, however we will accept contributions as small as $250. If the film draws a net profit, disbursements to investors will follow a ratio based on the percentage of their investment relative to the total investment from all financial contributors. For example, if an investor were to supply $1,000 to the investment pool out of $20,000 total, that investor would receive a profit equal to 1/20 of the entire investors’ profit pool.

Many resources are available to us at either no cost or on a deferred payment plan. Among these deferred costs are crew members’ time and labor; all locations; most camera, lighting and sound equipment; and most editing post-production labor and facilities. Yet there are hard costs that cannot be avoided in the production of any film. Support from investors will help decide what can and cannot be done toward making this film the best it can be. Regardless, this film has already achieved the robust look and feel of a film that traditionally costs substantially more money due to the many resources and sweat equity that are being poured into its development.

Top-tier film festivals, such as Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and others, will be the film's first target in an effort to secure screenings, awards, excitement, and ultimately, a distributor. Each year scores of films are purchased at festival debuts. Even if film rights are not immediately purchased, the accolades films garner often builds momentum for an eventual sale. While a theatrical distribution is the goal, other alternatives such as cable distribution and DVD sales can render Heathens & Thieves a viable project in the event a theatrical distribution does not occur.

Once an answer print is completed, we will apply to numerous film festivals for consideration. There are more than 1,200 festivals. Among the top festivals are Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Venice, Telluride, Berlin, NY, Tribeca, and Edinburgh. Some of the prestigious smaller festivals include Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and South by Southwest. A comprehensive game plan will unfold, largely based on whether or not our first choice, Sundance, selects our film. It is common knowledge that a film only gets one chance to have a world or U.S. premiere, so festival applications require a thorough strategy. They also require something above and beyond regular submission—in the film world it’s often “who you know.” The members of Orofino have long-standing entertainment industry contacts, as well as colleagues within Sundance and other festival committees, which in turn may improve our ability to penetrate these markets.

If we are fortunate enough to get premiere at a credible festival, we will not send out screenings to industry professionals. Taking advantage of unveiling a film at the premiere forces buyers to see it on the big screen, with an audience, and it generates competition for a potential bidding war. Coinciding with festival applications, a press kit will be established including production notes, synopsis, cast and crew list, stills (taken on set by our Pulitzer Prize-winning stills photographer Barry Gutierrez) and reviews (if available). Key art plays a helpful role here, as will the film’s website, which will be ever-evolving as the project winds its way toward a release date. Depending on where the film is accepted, Orofino, LLC, will retain a producer’s rep and/or publicist to aid in marketing and negotiations. To enhance publicity, clip reels will also be created for local TV coverage.

The distribution of a motion picture involves the licensing of the picture in both the U.S. and Canada, and the foreign marketplace. The distributor will license the following rights: theatrical exhibition; nontheatrical, e.g., educational markets, museums, etc.; home video (including laser disc, DVD, and CDs); cable (free and pay), pay-per-view, video-on-demand; and television (terrestrial and satellite). Additional ancillary markets include airline, military, merchandising, e.g., games, toys, clothing, and music or soundtrack rights. While the major studios have long-standing relationships with the large theatre chains and video stores, exhibitors and video companies will “book” the films that people desire to see. Public demand for a specific motion picture product may translate into profit for a film. Even if a film is not profitable in the domestic arena, it often may recoup its costs and earn a gross profit in the foreign market, video rentals, or online.