The audacity to approach

The silver-clad Park City welcomed the first ray of sunlight in the morning. The cold air gradually retreated amidst the golden light, and the chattering and playful voices unveiled another lively day at the Sundance Film Festival.

Just like yesterday, Lyman got up early in the morning. Tonight, there was a party waiting for him. For Hollywood, many networking opportunities are established at various parties, and the Oscar Night hosted by Vanity Fair after the Academy Awards is the most prestigious party in the film industry.

Of course, Sundance may not be as prestigious as the Oscars, but there are always similar events held during film festivals. However, these parties are very exclusive and cannot be accessed without proper connections. Many filmmakers who come to participate in the festival are not even aware of the existence of such parties. But George had already arranged everything. For him, or for EuropaCorp, establishing connections with people in the Hollywood film industry was undoubtedly advantageous. Of course, it was also very beneficial for Lyman, so he agreed to attend such a party.

As evening approached, Lyman returned to his hotel room and freshened up again, then changed into a light blue suit and set off with George. The party had a limited number of attendees, so apart from the two of them, Thomas and the others stayed at the hotel. This was an official party hosted by Sundance, so there were quite a few people coming and going.

Lyman took a glass of champagne from a waiter and took a sip, feeling the relaxing effect of the alcohol easing his slight nervousness. Frankly, he had never attended such a party before. In the past, networking was usually done at drinking sessions, and he had never been in a place like this before.

Surrounded by people dressed in formal attire and evening gowns, and from what he could see, there were hardly any familiar faces, and most of them were strangers. It felt as if he was standing at the intersection of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with bustling pedestrians and heavy traffic, but no one would pay attention to anyone. However, this was not an outdoor intersection but a grand party venue. The scent of perfume, the flickering lights, the extravagance and flamboyance, and the intoxicating atmosphere rushed at him, slowly entangling him like quicksand, making him unknowingly sink into it.

"Let's go over there." George seemed much more relaxed. He had attended such events many times on behalf of EuropaCorp and had become quite adept at it.

They walked through the crowd, and George signaled with his eyes towards the front left. "The person opposite Robert Redford is Kevin Durant, the distribution manager of Warner Bros. I've met him once before, so I have some impression of him."

Lyman nodded, accepting George's briefing. They had been searching for Robert Redford's figure in the crowd all along since he was the founder of the Sundance Film Festival and had some interaction with EuropaCorp, making it a priority to establish a good relationship in such a setting. However, knowing the location now didn't mean that directly approaching him was the best choice. They needed an appropriate moment to intervene.

Besides the two people at the center of the circle, there were four or five people on the periphery engaged in lively conversations. But George didn't mention their identities, so they probably weren't influential figures or of any help to them. Undoubtedly, the center of the circle revolved around Kevin Durant, the distribution manager at Warner Bros., with others seemingly engaged in conversations around him.

Lyman observed carefully from the side, patiently waiting for signs of the crowd dispersing. As soon as he noticed it, George started walking briskly towards them. Lyman was also preparing to take the initiative, holding his champagne glass and stepping forward, following behind George. However, after taking only a couple of steps, a figure blocked his path.

A robust and slightly overweight figure walked directly from the side and stopped Lyman. "I didn't expect us to meet here." Standing in front of him was a face that Lyman detested, Harvey Weinstein.

Although Lyman was somewhat surprised that this guy seemed to recognize him, he only showed a slight expression of astonishment. Soon, he regained his composure, put on a polite smile, and said, "Really? I am honored to meet you, Mr. Weinstein."

In Lyman's simple greeting, the sarcastic tone was quite evident because he didn't even extend his hand, clearly indicating that he didn't want to get acquainted with Harvey.

Harvey didn't expect Lyman to take a jab at him right from the start. However, he was experienced in dealing with such situations, so he smiled calmly and said, "I'm also delighted to meet you Mr. Lattes. " With that, he proactively extended his right hand.

Although Lyman was unwilling, he didn't want to lose face or be impolite. Therefore, he also extended his hand for a friendly handshake. Harvey looked at the young face in front of him and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration deep down.

He hadn't paid attention to such a newcomer in the directorial industry, but he happened to need to make some connections now. This was Sundance, the birthplace of Miramax Films' rise, and they never missed the festival every year. They had known the list of films competing in this film festival early on. Initially, they didn't know that Lyman was among them. However, since the premiere of "3 Idiots", it had received numerous positive reviews.

When Harvey sent someone to investigate the director of this film, he discovered that they had a prior connection with Miramax. Even at last year's Venice Film Festival, they had stood together as colleagues. Not to mention, Lyman's debut film was distributed in North America by Miramax.

Suddenly, Harvey had an impression of this person. Memories needed a trigger to become clear. He still remembered the day when they had come to him, saying there were issues with the distribution contract terms. He heartlessly refused to negotiate.

The director, whose talent had shone through in his first film, brought Miramax a profit of over $3M. Although they didn't secure the distribution rights for his second film, through various channels of investigation, EuropaCorp had learned that the film would bring in over $30M in revenue, deducting production costs.

That was $30M. Miramax's year-long effort would only yield half of that, even with all their tactics. So, despite knowing that the relationship between them was far from good, even terrible, Harvey still took the initiative to approach him. He needed to see if he could win over Lyman and make him the second "Quentin Tarantino" discovered by Miramax.

"Is the North American distribution rights for "3 Idiots" still in EuropaCorp's hands?" Harvey asked. Every year, Miramax would seek collaborations or deals in Park City, and Harvey was decisive and had a keen sense. His decisions were often made in a flash, securing the desired results before other distributors even realized. This was one of the important factors that allowed Miramax to dominate the independent film circle: wide casting of nets, careful selection, and slow deployment.

Since the beginning of the year at Sundance, Harvey continuously discovered films at major film festivals throughout the year. By the end of the year, he would select the potential candidates and concentrate resources on awards promotion, leading the international A-class awards season and even becoming the biggest winner at the Oscars.

Among all this, Harvey deserved the most credit. His judgment was always sharp, as evidenced by his investment in the film "Reservoir Dogs" at an unknown time, later helping Quentin win numerous awards with his masterful operations.

Thus, an outstanding post-modernist director was born.

Lyman raised an eyebrow, looking interestedly at Harvey. Did he hear correctly? Miramax wanted the North American distribution rights for his film. Wow, what a sense of achievement! How exciting and happy! Even after being deceived once, they were still making such requests amidst Lyman's taunting words.

It had to be said that Harvey was truly Harvey, completely disregarding the estrangement, prioritizing everything based on self-interest. Even if he had to slap his own face and endure mockery, he acted decisively, embodying the air of a cunning leader. Miramax had reached its current status not merely by luck or simple judgment.

But so what?

Lyman was no longer the same person as before. The power was in his hands now, and he had the final say. "Sorry, I don't have a say in EuropaCorp. I'm just a small director and can't handle such big matters."

Was this reason for refusal sufficient? In fact, until now, the North American distribution rights for "3 Idiots" hadn't been secured. EuropaCorp, being an outsider, couldn't get involved in this market. However, Paramount Pictures, with whom they had collaborated before, had shown some interest. But George had come on this trip to see if they could find more beneficial distribution terms for the future.

Collaboration? How could it work without competition? That's what EuropaCorp thought.