Movieline Handicapping: Who Should Buy the Joaquin Phoenix Documentary?

Among the hundreds of titles available to distributors at this year's Cannes Film Festival marketplace, only one wields the cachet of being a verite glimpse at an American actor's performance-art public meltdown. But despite everything promised by the Casey Affleck-directed mock-doc I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix, prospective buyers remain hesitant to gamble on the project. That doesn't mean it won't sell, though. After the jump, let's have a look at five adventurous-enough distributors who might be in the running for Phoenix's pholly.

· IFC Films

PROS: Vertically integrated company with theater and VOD platforms perfectly aligned for a film like I'm Still Here. Just today launched IFC Midnight, a program devoted to horror, erotica, foreign curios and other offbeat cult classics, of which this is most certainly one (assuming it's any good). Currently doing well with The Human Centipede, another controversial effort involving grudges, perversion and innovative uses for defecation. Distributing Affleck's Killer Inside Me this summer.

CONS: Not the most generous distributor with its minimum guarantees, which could limit (at best) and thoroughly preclude (at worst) advanced negotiations for a pick-up.

ODDS: 5-1

· Oscilloscope Laboratories

PROS: Distributor for artists by artists gets pranks, docs and other indie adventures on a fundamental level. Hip-hop angle seems almost custom-made to win founder Adam Yauch's heart. Growing profile every year included three Oscar nominations in 2010 for The Messenger and Burma VJ. Bonus: Their lead publicist personally handled/witnessed Phoenix's Two Lovers crazy-train tour in NYC, including the actor's infamous David Letterman whistle-stop. Experience is everything!

CONS: Also not especially liberal with advances. Can they get this film exposed effectively in the platforms and markets WME wants?

ODDS: 7-1

· Magnolia Pictures

PROS: Also equipped with proven, in-house VOD platform. Was the distributor of Phoenix's film Two Lovers, whose promotional tour in 2009 was dominated by the actor's rapping/retirement pretense and Affleck's camera. Has valuable experience of witnessing madness (and its method, whatever that was) first-hand.

CONS: Has valuable experience of witnessing madness (and its method, whatever that was) first-hand.

ODDS: 15-1

· Roadside Attractions

PROS: Won this year's Best Documentary Oscar for a graphic film about the butchering of dolphins. If they can sell that, then God knows they can sell a batshit Joaquin Phoenix quasi-doc.

CONS: Might be too small for Phoenix and Affleck's team at WME. Inversely, might also not want to deal with the circus attending the parties and egos involved with the promotion and release strategy.

ODDS: 30-1

· The Weinstein Company/Miramax

PROS: They're the Weinsteins! They've got at least some money again -- not to mention naked-girl viral marketing for all!

CONS: Is it Weinstein Co. or Miramax, anyway? And how aggressively will Harvey hack out offensive material for both the theatrical release and the unrated DVD prospects? Affleck and Phoenix might not want to -- or need to, for that matter -- play ball.

ODDS: 45-1

Also-rans: Lionsgate (60-1), Screen Gems (125-1), Sony Pictures Classics (150-1), Apparition (20,000,000-1)