Malkovich: Writers and independent cinema face growing challenges

Nov 18, 2007, 14:02 GMT

Thessaloniki, Greece - Actor John Malkovich says the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike and the future of independent cinema have one thing in common - how people will continue making money.

Speaking at the press conference at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, the Balkan's largest film festival, Malkovich, who is there to promote his newest film 'Juno' which he co-produced, said 'one of the principle reasons for the writers' strike in America is how people in this industry make money in the coming years and how well will that work.'

'We see all the record companies having trouble with sales - what you can get for free people do not want to pay for,' he told reporters.

'The same challenges hold true for independent cinema - how will people make a living out of it and how money is derived from their product and what part of that money will go to the people who actually work.'

The Writers Guild have now entered their third week of strikes after negotiations with major film and TV studios on a new contract for its 12,000 members reached an impasse in a dispute over higher fees the union is seeking from Internet revenues.

The strike has thrown the television industry into disarray as work on movies, talk shows, comedies and dramas ground to a halt.