Calling All Soldiers For Cinema

The Orem Film Festival (OFF) is looking for good soldiers of cinema—those with a strong artistic vision, earnest ambition, and a deep love for creativity and community. We encourage filmmakers and creators to submit their work and join us in sharing our passion for this medium. Our goal is to provide a high-quality experience for film enthusiasts to watch great films, showcase their work, and connect with other passionate individuals.

“I am trying to be a good soldier of cinema.” - Werner Herzog

Lately, it seems as if every other movie in theaters is a remake, sequel, or an adaptation of a video game or a plastic doll. Originality and artistically-driven films made with passion feel increasingly scarce compared to the endless wave of Hollywood blockbusters shamelessly created for financial gain. With the grand popularity of these formulaic films, it often feels like there are no other options. I feel that original works are becoming less and less common. But, maybe this is a romanticized view of the past. Are original films actually becoming less common? To test this, I looked at the top 20 highest-grossing films (domestically) of each decade and categorized them into three groups to see if original films are indeed less appreciated. Here’s what I found.

This graph represents the top 20 highest-grossing films of each decade, based on data from Filmsite.org.

Adaptations: Films based on existing works (e.g., books, plays, or comic books). Includes the first adaptation of a comic book series (e.g., Iron Man qualifies, but Iron Man 2 does not).

Originals: Films with an entirely new, original screenplay written for the screen.

Sequels: Includes sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, or any continuation of an existing franchise.

Pre 2000s, there seemed to be a balance of original films, adaptations, and sequels (at least imo). However, as the table shows, in the 2010s and 2020s (so far), sequels have become significantly more prominent, and original films have seen a notable decline in representation amongst the most popular films. In an opinion piece published by The New York Times, Martin Scorsese wrote, “In the past 20 years, as we all know, the movie business has changed on all fronts. But the most ominous change has happened stealthily and under cover of night: the gradual but steady elimination of risk. Many films today are perfect products manufactured for immediate consumption. Many of them are well made by teams of talented individuals. All the same, they lack something essential to cinema: the unifying vision of an individual artist. Because, of course, the individual artist is the riskiest factor of all.”

“Many films today are perfect products manufactured for immediate consumption… they lack something essential to cinema” – Martin Scorsese, The New York Times

Of course, the financial success and popularity of these films do not necessarily reflect their quality. But, I believe this trend illustrates a gradual shift in priorities among filmgoing audiences and creators—a depressing shift. While bold, original films are still being created, they often require more effort to discover. As lovers of cinema, we must resist complacency and actively seek out these works rather than passively consuming the manufactured content churned out by finance bros and their algorithms. As good soldiers of cinema, it is our duty to contribute to our film community and champion bold expressions in the medium.

Although the Orem Film Festival is small in the grand scheme of things, I hope it serves as a reminder to celebrate and support good cinema. This festival is an opportunity to showcase great art being created in our community, to provide a platform for original works, and to foster connections among creatives and audiences alike.

It can be disheartening to think that support for film as an art form is waning, but I assure you it is very much alive! I invite you to attend the festival this September, celebrate the incredible local artists being showcased, and engage with the talented creatives in our community. Thank you. Long live cinema.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Orem Film Festival’s sponsors and partners