The path of an indie film maker is long and arduous.

SO LET'S CHANGE THAT!

Let's set out on a journey that will not be long and arduous but adventurous and fun. We simply decided to walk through a few countries and meet our fellow indie film makers and indie film supporters out there.

Why Unitedfilm?

Unitedfilm is a non-profit organization that supports independent film, domestic and foreign.

Our mission is to help indie film makers create quality products according to their ideas and help them find their audience. In order to do this we run a website unitedfilm.cz which offers articles on many topics involving film making, interviews with renown film makers, film and tech reviews, lending equipment and offering various consulting, all for free! We also hold film festivals to promote the films for a wide public, screened as they are meant to be, in a cinema. Nearly all members of the organization are active independent film makers.

Why support indie film?

The unprecendented creative freedom and style are equalized by obscurity and lack of funds.

While the commercial productions strive for profit, indie film can be something more. But the indie film makers can't afford to spend huge amount of money on advertising. In Czech Republic it is hard for the indie film makers to get their movies seen. In most cases the only viewers are the people from an immediate surrounding of the creators, even for the quality projects. This does not mean devaluating or fighting against the commercial productions. Our goal is for both the productions to coexist side by side and benefit each other.

Why do this walk?

Bring more awareness to something that has been trodden down upon so far and connect the film makers.

Independent film in Czech Republic has been devaluated and until just recently, virtually nonexistent. But it is rapidly changing with the new wave of the Czech independent film. By walking through other countries we want to promote the newfound Czech independent film and connect with the outside world after being cut off for so long. In the spirit of reciprocity, we want to create cooperation, exchange movies, contacts, experience and festival attendance. Plus something cool might happen along the road, one never knows. :)

Like any independent project, we rely on the support of the public. Then walk and shoot videos of what we're doing, across the whole one and a half thousand kilometers.

The path of an indie film maker indeed is long and arduous. While a commercial project's crew can easily take a plane and arrive at the destination quickly and comfortably, we indie film makers have to do with what we can afford. This walk is therefore a metaphor on creating an indie movie. We don't get any huge sum of money from government to do this nor we are paid by a huge production company. We can only do with whatever anyone donates. It could be enough for the whole trip, it might be nothing at all. Either way, we are determined to get to the finish, do something useful and have fun in the process.

How to execute such a daunting idea? One man, one backpack and a pair of durable shoes. Unitedfilm's Tomáš Burian, also called Brian, took it upon himself to walk this distance, 1500 km but most likely more than that. On the way he will meet any people involved in independent film making, let it be the creators themselves or the organizations supporting them. On the road he will create video blogs reporting in Czech language for people back in Czech Republic and also his personal video blog in English. Sharing information is vital. We will share information about Czech indie films and in turn we will find information about the situation in other countries and what to do to improve both. Food will come from wherever available, sleepovers as well - Couchsurfing, hostels or other places provided by kind souls. Indie film makers can't choose easy comfort either.

From CR to Sweden, from Hradec Králové across Náchod, Wrocław, Poznań, Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö, Gothenburg all the way to Stockholm. It's a long road and should something go wrong, it's good to be in a country where we can get around with our language skills. Czech and Polish are closely related and German, Danish and Swedish are related as well and completely within our competence. If the project is a success, we'll undertake more trips like this and venture to other countries to connect with as many allies as possible. Since this is the first walk of its kind, we want to play it safe. After all, even the starting film makers start with topics they know before diving into the unknown.

Every bit of help counts. And you might gain something from it, too.

We want to see what the film makers can do without any ideological restraints of commercial production. New and interesting films can come to be if we work together and support people who do this for passion. If the studio films disappoint you, the indie film is here for you with its only limit being the budget. By connecting the film makers, helping them improve and promoting their works we create a competent environment for interesting works and also a healthy competition to the commercial films which will have to improve in order to keep their viewers.

We can't promise money for your support but you can become a part of this project and we will make sure that everybody knows that you helped a good cause. We'll be grateful for any financial or material support you might provide. Even providing a place to sleep is a valuable asset for our quest. Through this cooperation we can prove that teamwork can exist among people for a good cause which is the spirit of an independent film as well. And hey, if you're feeling up to it, you can come along for as long as you want. :)

If you wish to contact us, don't hesitate to do so on our Facebook page. You can find the link at the bottom of this page next to our logo. If you want to send us and email, please use the address provided in this picture: