American film industry very studio-driven: Danish director Niels Arden Oplev

Streaming services are slowly and steadily breaking the dominance of traditional studios in Hollywood, believes Danish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev, who is presenting his latest film "Daniel" at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.

Talking to reporters, he said it is difficult for independent producers to distribute their films in overseas markets.

"But I think the streaming platforms are going to change that. If you have the film and you sell it to Netflix or Amazon, then people all over the world will be able to watch it. So, I believe the streaming platforms will totally change how we access films in different countries," he said.

Such a trend, said Oplev, is beneficial for upcoming filmmakers who find it difficult to make their mark in studio-led Hollywood.

"American film business is very commercial, very studio-driven. The directors do not hold the same artistic power as I can back home. There is a big difference in working in two places," the filmmaker, who has films such as "Dead Man Down" and "Flatliners" to his credit, said.

He said the European film industry works at its "own pace", which is stark opposite to the work culture in Hollywood.

"Filmmaking in Europe is local and in small countries, so they get money from different funding. Some of it is government money... Most European films are shot on fairly small or medium-sized budgets compared to American films. European filmmaking is more comparable to American independent filmmaking."

His latest, "Daniel" presents the life story of Danish photographer Daniel Rye, who was captured by ISIS in Syria in 2013 and held hostage for 398 days.

About the film, Oplev said, "It was a very powerful story that made me go back to my home country... It was too compelling for me to not go back and shoot."

The 50th edition of IFFI will conclude on Thursday.