Q&A with indie movie mogul

Jonathan Sehring, president of IFC Entertainment, which is distributing “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” introduced director Werner Herzog’s 3-D documentary Monday at the IU Cinema.

“This feels like an event,” IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said to the packed and buzzing theater before the show. Introducing the film, Sehring lauded the theater’s quality.

“This is one of the best, if not the best, theaters I’ve ever been in,” Sehring said. “It’s a spectacular venue. You guys are very, very lucky.”

He explained why his company immediately chose to distribute Herzog’s documentary.

“This is something, unfortunately, none of us will ever get to see with our own eyes,” he said of the Chauvet Cave, which houses the 32,000-year-old cave paintings featured in the film.

After the screening, Sehring talked with Vickers and answered audience questions.

“The overarching thing for us was to work with Werner,” Sehring said of distributing the film. “You want to work with filmmakers whose movies will stand the test of time.”

Earlier in the day, Sehring talked to the Indiana Daily Student to about the movie business.

On working for an independent film distributor

“I’ve been doing this almost my whole life, my professional life. Everyone I work with is passionate about movies, art-house movies especially.”

On choosing films to distribute

“Sometimes, if it just sticks with you, there’s probably an audience.”

On life after college

“I wrote to every film and TV company in existence, literally. I got an offer from Janus Films. That was my first job.”

On whether knowing how a film is made changes the viewing experience

“The only time it changes is if it’s a movie you’ve made. You always see everything wrong with it ... (Otherwise) that doesn’t change the film-going experience at all.”

On ‘Cave of Forgotten Dreams’

“You come out of there and your head is swimming.”

On distributing ‘Cave’

“This is the first 3-D movie we’ve done. If somebody told me a year ago that we’d be doing a 3-D movie about cave paintings, I’d say you’re nuts.”