Fede Alvaraz has to be feeling great after his 5-minute $500 short film “Ataque de panico!” (Panic Attack) generated such buzz that he has just been signed with a Uruguayan commercials director in a 7-figure deal to turn it into a feature film, making it his feature directing debut.
Most first-time helmers make $250,000, but Fede Alvarez scored his million-dollar deal based on the heat generated by “Ataque de panico!” (Panic Attack), a four-minute, 48-second short about an apocalyptic robot attack Alvarez directed through his commercial production house for less than $500. After the short found its way to the Internet and Kanye West featured a link to the film on his blog, a 30-year old who was not on anyone's radar outside the Uruguayan blurb market suddenly found the biggest agencies in Hollywood in a panic to sign him. That created a chain reaction of activity over two weeks that led to a trip to Hollywood, where he met with every major agency, management firm and law firm that responded to the short.
The deal is similar to the arrangement that brought us “District 9” as Neill Blomkamp was mentored by Peter Jackson, as Fede Alvaraz will have the opportunity to learn from Ghost House’s Sam Raimi.
See the original video that spawned this after the break.
via ‘Panic’ pushes Hollywood buttons – Entertainment News, Gotham, Media – Variety.
