by Eugene Hernandez

Working here in Austin for nearly another month to produce Doug McGrath's Truman Capote story "Every Word Is True" (financed by Warner Independent Pictures), producer Christine Vachon spent time at SXSW on Saturday morning to participate in a Q & A session.

McGrath's film looks at the period of time in which Capote was writing "In Cold Blood" and while the story is not actually set in Texas, much of it is being shot at Austin Studios. It is one of many films about real people upcoming from Vachon's Killer Films, a company that she founded with Pam Koffler ten years ago. Also on tap are Mary Harron's "The Notorious Bettie Page" and Phyllis Nagy's "Mrs. Harris", based on the Scarsdale Diet Doctor Murder. Both are nearly finished HBO films and "Betty Page" is expected to get a theatrical release, according to Vachon. Talking about the fact that made-for-cable movies often are not released in theaters, Vachon said that she is starting to believe that a cable channel release can in fact trump a limited theatrical release.

"Filmmakers are starting to realize that (by) getting your film (on HBO), more people are going to see it that way than are going to see it at the Angelika (Film Center) with the subway rumbling underneath -- I am starting to think, lets get off the theatrical high horse."

Continuing she explained, "Ultimately I guess I feel like independent distribution and exhibition is really changing and I don?t want to be a dinosaur about it and if I am faced with a little release in like 10 theaters with my movie (versus) a nice splashy cable release, I am going to go for the cable release."

After serving as a P.A. on various New Line horror films, Vachon got her start working for Jill Godmillow, a woman she considers the closest thing she had to a mentor. Later Todd Haynes approached her about producing "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story", a rarely seen movie about the singer made using dolls. "I thought, I am hitching my wagon to this caboose," Vachon joked.

Asked about the people who have influenced her, Vachon said, "The biggest influences on me honestly have been the directors that I have I worked with, because each director I work with teaches me more about the process and teaches me to make sure that I never assume that the way I know is the only way." She also added that she still appreciates the opportunity to work with new directors. "There is something about working with first timers where they tend to be making the movie they have been waiting their whole lives to make," Vachon said, "And that passion is kind of infections and it reminds me why (filmmaking) is fun, because I do forget sometimes."

Now a mother, Vachon said that being a parent has in fact helped her as a producer. "Its a tough business to grow old in -- film producer -- its hard to stay relevant, its hard to really make sure that you are telling the stories that are resonating in the zeitgeist in a way that?s meaningful," she said. It sounds like such a clich頨to say), 'it keeps me young', but it does to a certain extent. It gives me sense of the culture that I wouldn?t have had otherwise."

"What I like most about my job (and) it sounds corny," offered Vachon, "Is seeing that movie at the end and watching it get built from all these disparate pieces and seeing it with its score, timed correctly -- there is always a moment when I am seeing it finally done, and I have a 'penny drop' moment (realizing) that is what we were going for -- that's really the best part."

When described in articles or at Q & A sessions such as the one in Austin, Vachon is usually characterized as being not just a producer, but an independent film producer. Asked whether the term 'independent film' is still a relevant concept for her, she explained, "Most of the so-called independent companies really aren't independent at all. I am not sure what they are independent from."

"I think the term if you take it away from its from financial ramifications -- unless you are self-financing your movies you are not independent, somebody is putting money in your movie for the purpose of getting it back -- to what an independent film truly is, is a movie that is a realization of a singular vision."

"What it means is that a team is united to make something that has a very singular voice," Vachon added, "That is what I really think defines independent film -- and I can point to plenty of examples that were financed by the studios."

Concluding the thought, she said, "And independent film is the independence of vision."

[EDITORS NOTE: indieWIRE Editor-in-Chief Eugene Hernandez moderated the Q & A session with Christine Vachon.]