Black Independent Filmmakers Feel Pinch Of Piracy

Greg Carter spent the last three years scraping together $250,000 to write, direct and produce “A Gangland Love Story,” a gritty, urban retelling of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Since its DVD release in July, audiences have embraced it: More than 60,000 viewers have watched the movie on the Internet, giving the independent filmmaker a coveted public following.

Unfortunately, winning an audience has come at a steep price. The viewers of Carter’s film watched if from pirate movie sites and never paid for it. Carter figures the unauthorized viewing has cost him as much as $100,000 in lost revenue, dashing hope that he’ll ever see a profit.