Programmer Profile: Mark Flindall, Atlantic Film Festival

Mark Flindall

My name: Mark Flindall

My current festivals:Atlantic Film Festival and the ViewFinders International Film Festival for Youth.

My title: Programming Coordinator

Other fests I've worked for: None, this is my first. I started as a volunteer, and within a month I had a job. I was unemployed at the time, so I had lots of free time to try and impress. I should mention though that I do have the credentials with a BA in Film Studies from Brock University.

Movies that best represent my personal tastes:Being John Malkovich, Bottle Rocket, Cloverfield, Dazed and Confused, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Groundhog Day, I Heart Huckabees, Lost in Translation, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Primer, The Big Lebowski, The Jerk, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou, Wall-E.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Spend time with my girlfriend Trina and our two cats Chomsky and Papa. I also always enjoy working on our house, playing video games, drawing and watching too much TV (Lost, Breaking Bad, Parks and Recreation, Daily Show, Colbert Report, Eastbound & Down, etc.).

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: We definitely didn't premiere it, not even close, but I really loved the short The Surprise Demise of Francis Cooper's Mother. It really felt like something special, and it's also a pretty good distillation of my personal taste in film. It's deeply weird, animated, has cats in it, perfect narration, and the suggestion that life goes on no matter how stupid, insane or unsuitable for life we may be. Which is actually kind of an amazing statement. Did I mention it has cats?

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: 

The accessibility. Who doesn't like to have all of their films (and the people related to those films) in one very compact, walkable, beautiful and historic city on the ocean? The fact that Halifax is an incredibly laid back, fun and culture loving city that likes to drink doesn't hurt at all either. We're also renowned for being extremely pedestrian friendly so no accidents when you're stumbling around town after our parties. Still not sold? We have a huge fort right in the middle of our city. So we're really nice but we're also kind of bad-ass.

Our festival audience has come to expect: The greatest films from here and abroad, with all of the amazing parties that go along with them.

We program the following categories of films:

For the Atlantic Film Festival: Narrative (Features & Short), Documentary (Features & Shorts), Animated (Features & Shorts) and Experimental Shorts

For ViewFinders: Films appropriate for an audience under 19, which include: Narrative (Features & Short), Documentary (Features & Shorts), Animated (Features & Shorts) and Youth-Made Shorts.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve: I'm not sure it's a trend exactly, but I definitely approve of full online submissions. The less things to process and take up space in our office, the better. But if you're not doing everything online (which you should be) please don't send stacks of paper, we want (brief) context, not a novel.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Send in exactly what we ask for. And please dispense with the fancy packaging, It has the reverse effect of what you are going for, in that it impresses exactly no one. Save the passion for your film making, and the promotional effort for when your film actually gets in the Festival.

Last words: I would like to give a shout out to all of my many talented co-programmers, but especially Andrew Murphy and Lia Rinaldo, because without their support I never would've gotten this job. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to watch absurd amounts of movies with.

Programmer Profile: Nina Streich & Kelly DeVine, Global Peace Film Festival

Our names: Nina Streich & Kelly DeVine Our current festival: Global Peace Film Festival

Our titles: Executive Director (Nina) and Artistic Director (Kelly)

Other fests we've worked for: Newport International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, NYC Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (Nina); Tribeca Film Institute, Creative Capital, IFC Channel (Kelly)

Movies that best represent our personal tastes: Nina:  American Dream (Barbara Kopple), The Parallax View (Alan Pakula), Day for Night (Francois Truffaut), Z (Costa-Gavras). Kelly: Love and Death (Woody Allen), Reds (Warren Beatty), Hail, Hail Rock and Roll (Taylor Hackford), The Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov).

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Nina - follow & talk politics and current events; relax with friends and a good glass of wine or vodka; take a long walk in a park or on a beach. Kelly - I love to work in my yard/garden, read fiction and non-fiction on a range of issues and topics (usually with a sociological or philosophical bent), I am news hound - one of the few people who actually watches C-Span!

A movie we recently programmed that we consider to be a great personal discovery: Two films spring to mind: Schnitzel Paradise and One Village, Same Ocean.  Schnitzel Paradise is a romantic comedy from Holland featuring the unlikely love story between a poor Moroccan student and the wealthy Dutch woman whose relatives own the hotel in which they both work.  It's a polished and familiar formula, but for our audiences who hear only the worst stories regarding the relations between Muslim immigrants in Europe it was revelatory - maybe, just maybe the immigrant situation in Europe was both more nuanced and more familiar than they had thought.  One Village, Same Ocean, a doc about the conflict between the existing fisher culture and the proposal to attract cruise ships to the port, is what I like to call a "medium".  With a running time of 44 minutes, it doesn't fit neatly into the screening schedules of the typical festival, but because GPFF was open to this non-typical length, we were able to program a film from a first-time director local to the state and to highlight an issue still very much in discussion that had not attracted statewide media attention prior to the festival showing.

When filmmakers ask us "What's different about your film festival?": Nina - It's more intimate for filmmakers than most other festivals.  The GPFF is dedicated to programming films on issues of peace, justice and environmental sustainability and inspiring and encouraging its audiences to get involved with work on these issues. Kelly - Festivals can be a passive experience.  It's our goal to harness the emotional power of film to engage our audiences and inspire them to take action in their daily lives.  While many of the problems facing us can seem overwhelming, we work with local educators and organizations to offer practical actions individuals can take to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

Our festival audience has come to expect: A diverse selection of films they won't find anywhere else.

We program the following categories of films:  Narrative features, doc features, animated features, Narrative, doc and animated shorts.  There's a Young Filmmakers category for filmmakers under the age of 21.

A recent trend we have noticed in submissions of which we approve: People are submitting earlier than they used to - many more films are coming in before the earlybird and regular deadlines, rather than the late deadlines.  This is a good thing for the filmmakers who save money on submission fees!

If we could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to our festival, it would be: Pay attention to the festival's guidelines.  Many filmmakers submit to festivals that don't program films like the ones they submit.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Submissions are open now.  Regular deadline is May 1st, late deadline is May 21st and the WAB only extended late deadline is June 4th.

Filmmakers can contact us here: info@peacefilmfest.org

Twitter account): @peacefilmfest

Last words: Both of us are interested in leaving the world a little better than how we found it and we have found that most people feel the same way.  The festival is about more than just the films, it's about creating an event for the community to engage, connect and share.

Programmer Profile: Sean Doherty, Estes Park Film Festival

My name: Sean Doherty

My current festival: Estes Park Film Festival

My title: Executive Director

Other fests I've worked for: Central Nebraska Film Festival (2005), Florida Film Festival (1999-2001)

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Sunset Boulevard, The Searchers, Goodfellas, The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: I like to make movies too! I work for a production company here in Estes Park, CO that makes travel documentaries for PBS. I'm also a long distance runner (just completed my second marathon with a third one coming up this October).

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: I would say it was the winner of our feature film award last year. It was a British film from Paul Cotter called Bomber. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Everything that I love about movies was in this film! We were also so happy to have Paul here to answer questions about the film when it was done screening.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: The biggest thing that sets us apart is the theatre our festival takes place in. The Park Theatre is the oldest continually operating movie theatre west of the Missiissppi. It opened 1913, and when filmmakers come to our festival they are just in awe of the old relics still in the theatre. The fact that the festival benefits the theatre's renovation is a huge plus as well! The other thing that's different is the personnel attention the filmmakers receive at our festival. Since we're a smaller festival, we tend to treat each filmmaker as part of our family as opposed to just a name attached to a film title. Because of this, we've had filmmakers return to our festival year after year regardless of whether they have a film in the program or not.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Great films with engaging characters and storylines.

We program the following categories of films: narrative features, short films in all genres, student films, and documentaries.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve: The overall quality in terms of acting and story has definitely gotten better with each passing year. Our audience here always gives each of the films very high marks which of course makes the audience award very competitive! The only thing I disapprove of is the growing obsession from some filmmakers over the latest and greatest filmmaking gear while paying less attention to the most important component, the story.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Submit early and don't be afraid to ask us questions about our festival. Visit our website to read about and see pictures from our previous four film festivals so that you can get an idea of what a great time you will have here!

The submissions period for our next festival is: December 15 - June 1

Filmmakers can contact me here: Sean Doherty, sean@estesparkfilm.com , 970-231-2580

Blog: www.estesparkfilmblog.com

Twitter: @epfilmfest

Last words: Hope to see you at 7522 feet in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado!

Programmer Profile: Rachel Morgan, Sidewalk Film Festival

My name: Rachel Morgan

My current festival: Sidewalk Film Festival

My title: Lead Programmer

Other film-related organizations I've worked for: I wrote reviews for Film Threat very briefly and interned with New Line Cinema during my undergrad film studies. Everything else is broadcast/film related academia and advertising, so I won’t bore you.

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Halloween (1978), Birth (2004), Manda Bala (Send A Bullet) (2007), Beyond The Valley of the Dolls (1970), Modern Love Is Automatic (2009), American Movie (1999), Foxes (1980), Valley Girl (1983).

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Cage fight, free walk, clog, participate in competitive eating, attend slumber parties, eat sushi and shop at the mall, visit Renaissance Festivals and, of course, go to pizza parties.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: General Orders No. 9, though we weren’t the first festival to program it. Kyle (McKinnon, my programming partner) and I actually caught a screening of it at the 2009 Atlanta Film Festival and were both all like ‘what an amazing film, too bad we can’t program it in Birmingham’, as it is certainly not an easy film by any stretch. But it stuck with us and I/we eventually got to a place where I/we couldn’t imagine not programming it. I love how meditative the film is. I think it’s a true work of art. For me it serves as a love letter and a note of apology to what is lost and will never be recovered and that is intensely sad. It’s not a film that is very kind to humans and I suppose it makes sense why some people are so put off by it. I think it’s a really important experimental documentary and certainly a truly Southern work that can have quite a bit of difficulty in regards to interpretation. While it certainly has its influences, as a whole, I’ve really never seen anything quite like it. A great film and one that Kyle and I were very proud to bring to Birmingham and see screen in the extremely beautiful historic Alabama Theatre. We were also very proud of last year’s opening night film, Best Worst Movie. For us, in Birmingham it is such a risk to program a documentary for opening night, but we just kept coming back to how incredible, funny and strangely relevant the film is. We decided to program with out hearts and not our minds… as cheesy as that sounds. So opening night, standing on the stage looking out at a nearly sold out crowd of 2,200 seats and then seeing the audiences incredible response to the film was beyond awesome.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: It’s a super relaxed festival, people don’t really attend Sidewalk to hustle their film, so I think everyone has a chance to hang out and have a lot of fun. We always work hard to have an eclectic mix of people in attendance every year and we throw some awesome parties. I don’t want to brag, but I’d also say we have some really diverse and interesting programming, We don’t program for political reasons and that can be a good and a bad thing for a festival, but I think it’s the right thing to do and it certainly helps to establish a strong line-up.

At Sidewalk you can walk to all of the venues and we have some really unique ones, plus we’re not in a multiplex which is a combination that I think makes the festival a lot more fun. Also, one of the venues is the aforementioned famous Alabama Theatre, the most beautiful theatre in the United States; you really have to see it to believe it.

Our festival audience has come to expect: That’s a difficult one. I’d say our screening committee (who are also part of our audience) have come to expect to be surprised by at least a couple of our (Kyle and I) choices. The audience, at this point, has come to expect a couple of stellar later night horror screenings and in general, I think they’ve come to not know exactly what to expect, but perhaps to expect to be pleasantly surprised (I hope).

We program the following categories of films: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Short Narratives and Docs, Children’s Films, Animated shorts and features, student films (narratives, shorts and docs). We also accept experimental films of all kinds though we don’t have a specific category for such.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: As I’m sure that you’re hearing from many folks, with the advent of home video editing software programs like iMovie, there is a trend in everyone thinking that they are a filmmaker and certainly not everyone is. I started to go on a long rant about such, but then used my delete key; I think I’d better just leave it at that.

Of course whenever there is a major event we get tons of docs related to the event. A lot of the films are really good, but the subject is exhausted and often times you have to consider how much an audience can take. You hate to seem insensitive, but you just can’t have, for example, the Hurricane Katrina Film Festival (I suppose that comment itself was insensitive, my apologies).

Other than that, we just recently opened our call for entries, so who knows; last year was a mixed bag. I’m really glad that the mockumentary thing has slowed down, but for a while it was about every 12th film and so rarely are they decent.

For a really boring response: I believe DVD stock has gotten super crappy – lots of faulty DVD screeners, it seems to increase every year. [See related article about the effect of paper labels on DVD performance. -Ed.]

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Shorts are good short. 21 – 35 minute shorts are so hard to place and they have to be really strong for us to fit them it to the line-up.

Send pizza.

The submissions period for our next festival is (please indicate start and end date): Now! Our first deadline was March 15th and our last is April 15th.

Filmmakers can contact me here: rachel@sidewalkfest.com

Last words: sidewalkfest.com, see you in September!

Programmer Profile: Lane Kneedler, AFI Fest

Lane Kneedler

My name: Lane Kneedler My current festival:AFI FEST

My title: Associate Director of Programming

Other fests I've worked for: Sundance, LAFF, Cinevegas

Movies that best represent my personal tastes:Primer, Network, Container, and Chain Camera

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Game, read comics, mainline internet culture.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Last year we had the world premiere of the film Playing Columbine by Danny Ledonne. It’s a great film because it highlights how some subject matter requires a long form documentary investigation to be fully understood, some subjects can’t be reduced to a sound bite or 2 minute trailer.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Our new free festival model allows us to support filmmakers that are taking more risks. Audiences risk little in coming to see our free show so they can be a little more adventurous, in turn we are looking for filmmakers who are taking risks and making art on the edge. I see our festival as a safe place where we can challenge our boundaries together, audiences and filmmakers alike.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Challenging world cinema and original voices, I hope that’s what they are expecting because that’s what they are getting!

We program the following categories of films: Short both narrative and doc (and experimental), feature length docs and narratives.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: Alarming declines in bribes, would it kill a filmmaker to send a pizza along with their submission? In all seriousness though its always the worst films that come with all sorts of fancy packaging or candy in the box, the best films are always in just plain brown wrapper, that being said I would actually love a pizza right now.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Do your homework, follow instructions and please please don’t take it personally if you get rejected, I wish I had a dozen more theaters to show films in but we simply cannot show all the films we love every year.

Blog URL:http://blog.afi.com/afifest/

Twitter account:@hlkneedler

Last words: Film is life, art is everything but if you can’t get tickets, try and remember it’s only a movie.

Programmer Profile: Jon Gann, DC Shorts Film Festival

My name: Jon Gann My current festival: DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition

My title: Festival Director (and creator)

Other fests and film-related organizations I've worked for: I started the DC Film Alliance, a non-profit organization which unifies the Washington, DC regional film and media arts community through the sharing of information, a monthly Film Salon, online resources, and a comprehensive calendar of every film event from Baltimore to Richmond. Before that, I ran a small production house which created short films, commercial and industrial works for hire.

Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: Sunset Boulevard, Big Night, Soapdish.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Write new screenplays and theatrical pieces, knit, cook, meet with visiting filmmakers, travel.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Every season, there is one film that touches me deeply to the point of tears. Last year, Marc Havener's And What Remains was that film. I must have seen it a dozen times before it hit the bigs screen during the festival -- and I still melted into a mess -- as did a large portion of the audience. I love short film's ability to move people and register some deep-seated emotion in only a few minutes. That is the power of good storytelling.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We are one of the only festivals in the world which was designed from the ground-up as an event for filmmakers. Every entry (last year more than 800) received the judges' scores and feedback -- a huge undertaking, but an integral part of what we do. During the festival weekend, filmmakers have access to see all of the films, panels, classes and parties at no cost. If you come to Washington, we will house you, feed you, and make sure you can get around town.

Our festival audience has come to expect: As we have grown, our audiences have become more sophisticated. They expect the best short films from around the globe -- a challenge for our programmers, as we receive so many incredible films. I try to make sure that in a 2-hour screening, audiences see a solid cross-section of what is out there: drama, doc, comedy, experimental, local, foreign and animated. It's a challenge, but I know it's working when audience members leave the theater and head straight to the box office for tickets to another screening.

We program the following categories of films: DC Shorts programs in every category and from filmmakers of any skill level -- we have screened films from teenagers to major Hollywood directors. Last year, we screened 100 films from 16 nations, including 9 locally produced films (one which has been shortlisted for an Oscar).

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: I think that many new filmmakers are all about the equipment, effects and editing. Filmmaking has always been -- and will always be -- about storytelling. When we started in 2003, the films were produced on shoestrings using cheap VHS and Beta cameras or 8mm. The production values were low, but the stories and scripts were exceptional. Now the trend is for gorgeous hi-def films with all the extras -- but the stories are empty and leave the audience wondering, "what?"

We created the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition a few years ago to help counteract this trend. We select 6 scripts, bring in the writers, and have the screenplays performed in front of a live audience. The audience and our judges choose a winner, and the writer receives $2,000 -- $1,000 up front to shoot the film, and $1,000 on completion to help with post-costs and marketing. Plus the film will guaranteed a slot at DC Shorts. We have seen some amazing films created through this process -- some have gone on to do very well in the festival circuit.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Research the festival and read the rules. Every festival should have a list of previously screened films and winners so you can see what they are all about. And every festival posts rules for a reason: they are gateway devices to see if you are paying attention to the festival and what they are offering. A little research will go along way in selecting festivals which are appropriate for your film.

The submissions period for our next festival is: The submission process is going on now. The final deadline for film submissions is April 30, and for scripts, May 30.

Filmmakers can contact me here: info@dcshorts.com

Twitter account: @dcshorts

Facebook: DC Shorts Film Festival

Last words: I created DC Shorts out of frustration. As a filmmaker who traversed the globe a few times for my own films, I was often disappointed at how I and my fellow filmmakers were treated. You'd arrive, be handed a program and a cocktail, and that was all. I knew that a festival dedicated to filmmakers -- not money or parties -- would be something special. While I am glad to see the growing success of DC Shorts, I am overjoyed at how filmmakers clamor to return, recommend the festival to their friends, and help us with an international reputation as a filmmakers' favorite.

Programmer Profile: Jenn Murphy, New Orleans Film Festival

My name: Jenn Murphy My current festival: New Orleans Film Festival

My title: Program Director

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: My top 3 would probably be: Requiem for a Dream, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and My Neighbor Totoro. The longer list would include: Rear Window, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Princess and the Warrior, Wild at Heart, Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Control, Dancer in the Dark, Oldboy, Heavenly Creatures and The Muppets take Manhattan.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Play roller derby with the Big Easy Rollergirls, make delicious vegan meals and cakes, hang out with my boyfriend and two cats, and reading film magazines and comics. A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: I saw Make-Out with Violence at SXSW and was blown away by the story and the beautiful cinematography. It was the first time I had seen a film and knew immediately I wanted to bring it to New Orleans and show it to everyone I know, which I did!

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Well, it is in New Orleans which speaks for itself. But beyond the general appeal of the Big Easy, the New Orleans Film Festival really wants to be a filmmaker's festival. We provide ample opportunities for filmmakers to network with one another and really try to make the filmmaker feel at home. We can't pay the way for you to get to NOLA yet, but we are working on exciting partnerships and sponsorships so that in the future we can fly our filmmakers in and give them a place to stay.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Eclectic programming, fantastic parties, great Q&As, and a chance to see something they wouldn't otherwise see in NOLA.

We program the following categories of films: Narrative Features, Narrative Shorts, Documentary Features, Documentary Shorts, Animation (Shorts & Features) and Experimental Shorts.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: This isn't a trend but it is something that happened to me this past year which I totally disapprove of. Do not have a contest on your film's website in which you tell your fans to email me and tell me how great your film is. I don't make decisions based on 30 e-mails showing support for your film, I make a decision based on your film itself. You shouldn't have to sell it to me.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Read the Call for Entries information throughly, most of the answers to your questions are in there. Also, please please please don't send us press kits, we have no need for them and they usually end up in the bin headed for recycling. And finally, don't take it personally. Ok that was 3 things!

The submissions period for our next festival is: Our call for entries began at the end of December and the final deadline is April 30, 2010.

Filmmakers can contact me here: jenn@neworleansfilmfest.com

Twitter account: @jambot0110

Last words: I want to give a shout out to my uber talented counterpart, Artistic Director John Desplas, he handles all the curated films that are invited to screen at the festival. He has been with the festival for 20 years and really knows what will play well in NOLA.

Programmer Profile: Adam Roffman, IFF Boston

My name: Adam Roffman My current festival: Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston)

My title: Program Director

Other fests I've worked for: Past/Forward Film Series (Chinatown, Boston - 2002), Member of IATSE Local 481 film union 1998-present, Advisory Board Member - Women in Film & Video/New England, 2008-present

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: DIG!, The Cruise, Man On Wire, Miller's Crossing, Brick, The Kid Stays In The Picture, Day Night Day Night, The Puffy Chair, The Hole Story, Frownland and Decasia: The State of Decay.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Do set decoration on or produce feature films: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0736526/

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: This isn't very recent, but the movie that stands out the most in my mind as a great personal discovery was Alex Karpovsky's The Hole Story. This film hadn't played anywhere yet when I got it and I was immediately taken with its originality, its humor, and its perfect blend of documentary and fiction. I thought it was unlike any other film we had shown at the festival at that point and was excited to bring it to Boston audiences. I was so taken with the film that I called other program directors around the country to recommend the film and have since produced Alex's next two films.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: IFFBoston takes great pride in our reputation as one of the most filmmaker-friendly and well-run film festivals around. Before starting this festival we visited numerous other festivals, among them Sundance, Slamdance, SXSW, Toronto, Hamptons, Cleveland, and Seattle. We studied each of them, seeing what we thought did and didn't work and we talked with the filmmakers, audience members, and festival staffers and volunteers to find their likes and dislikes and designed our festival based off of all this information. We continue to try to find new ways to improve the festival and make it as enjoyable as possible for the filmmakers, audience, and our loyal group of volunteers.

One thing that is different from our film festival that I don't usually tell filmmakers is that IFFBoston is the only film festival of its size where the entire staff, all 100% of them, work on a completely volunteer basis on the festival. The fact that the entire staff works year-round for free on the festival is a indication of the passion that has gone into the formation and continuation of this festival.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Quality films, fun parties, lines around the block, and many very interesting Q&As, all at a very affordable price.

We program the following categories of films:

1)NARRATIVE FEATURE - This includes live-action and animation, as well as sub-sections AFTER DARK (horror, sci-fi, kung-fu, and generally twisted films) and NEW ENGLAND FOCUS (films made in New England, by New England filmmakers, or about New England subjects) 2)DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 3)SHORT FILM - This includes experimental film, animation, documentary, and live-action narrative

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: A trend that I have noticed in submissions that isn't necessarily recent, but seems to be getting worse, is filmmakers putting all of their eggs in one basket by submitting to one festival which they consider their top priority festival and then waiting until they hear from that festival before applying anywhere else. For example, many filmmakers make the mistake of waiting until they've heard from Sundance about their submission before they will apply to any other festivals under the misguided notion that their film will get into Sundance, land a distributor, and they won't need any other festivals. The reality is that most films don't make it into Sundance, most that do don't land distributors or at least not right away, and many of those films then miss the Spring lineup of festivals, the strongest part of the festival season. Waiting up until the very end of the final deadline or waiting until after the final deadline and then trying to get the festival to bend the rules and still take the submission at that point are good ways to kill a film's festival run before it begins.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: It is better to send a mostly done rough cut than to wait till the very end of submissions to send a final cut. If things such as the color correction or the soundtrack aren't quite done yet it is highly unlikely that that would determine whether a film gets into IFFBoston or not. Our programmers are able to look past such minor flaws if there is a note of some sort indicating that that work still is being done and we have had films that we accepted when they were works-in-progress end up winning awards at our festival.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Our submissions opened back in August, but our upcoming deadlines are: November 30th - Regular Deadline, December 31st - Extended Film Submission Deadline, January 7 - Withoutabox Extended Film Submission Deadline

Filmmakers can contact me here: adam@iffboston.org

Twitter account (if any): @adamroffman and @iffboston

Last words: I think we have created at IFFBoston (with very few resources and in a very short time) one of the more fulfilling festival experiences for filmmakers. We provide luxury hotel accommodations at the Liberty Hotel, flights via JetBlue Airways, nightly parties and events, sold-out screenings, more food than anyone could possibly eat every day at our filmmaker lounge, press interview areas, panel discussions, on-field tours of Fenway Park, a filmmaker-only candlepin bowling night, and a friendly staff that will promote alumni film whenever they come out theatrically, on dvd, or on television. The Independent Film Festival of Boston has become the highest-attended film festival in New England and it takes place in the top arthouse theaters around Boston; the Somerville Theatre, the Brattle Theatre, the Coolidge Corner Theatre, and the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Programmer Profile: Paula Martinez of the Atlanta Film Festival

I hadn't planned to post two programmers from one festival, especially not back-to-back, but Fridays are normally pretty low traffic and I like the different perspectives on the same festival. It is also important to note that there are always several opinions in an organization that matter when it comes to festival programming. So please, Friday readers - enjoy this alternate take on the Atlanta Film Festival from Paula Martinez. My name: Paula Martinez

My current festival: Atlanta Film Festival

My title: Managing Director/Festival Producer

Other fests I've worked for: Out On Film

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Half-Nelson, Office Space, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and my guilty pleasure movie - Benny & Joon

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Travel, listen to music.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: WE FUN. This movie has so much character and I was so excited about it as I was screening it. It has a lot of Atlanta and Athens bands in it, but it's really transferable to any city - or indie music centric areas.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We're all inclusive. We include LGBTQ programming each year into our festival (called Pink Peach) and issue an award. We also tend to spotlight a specific program each year. Last year we spotlighted Mexican cinema. This year will be another. Since Atlanta is such an eclectic city, our programming mirrors that. There is truly something for everyone.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Great movies, original films, emerging voices, good parties, excellent networking opportunities with artists/filmmakers.

We program the following categories of films: All categories. We are an Academy Award Oscar® qualifying festival for narrative, animated and student shorts. We also screen some works in progress - Make-out With Violence premiered at our festival two years ago as a partial work-in-progress.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: We give everyone a fair shot through the submission process. All of our films that get submitted get watched at least twice before the final selections are made. Festivals that use in "pay to play" tactics are exploiting filmmakers and doing a disservice to audiences. Open submissions with a fair process makes festival submissions a truly democratic process.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Don't include a bunch of press kits or anything other than the movie when submitting. Most of the time everything else goes into the recycling bin - save yourself some money. Be sure to follow the submission directions on Withoutabox - label your movie appropriately - name, tracking number, etc. Please read everything about submitting on Withoutabox - most of the time all of the answers to your questions are listed there.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Our submissions are currently open and the final deadline to submit is December 18, 2009. We usually open our call for entries in August and run it through December.

Filmmakers can contact me here: Paula@AtlantaFilmFestival.com - also, our festival programmer is Dan Krovich and you can reach him at Dan@AtlantaFilmFestival.com. The office phone number is 404-352-4225.

Last words: I don't want people to think I'm the programmer. I produce the festival but Dan Krovich is the ultimate programmer for our festival - although we all watch and fight for our favorites.

Programmer Profile: Dan Krovich, Atlanta Film Festival

My name: Dan Krovich My current festival: Atlanta Film Festival

My title: Festival Director

Other fests I've worked for: Maryland Film Festival

Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: Three was definitely too few, but I decided to limit myself to 10. (Of course, then I went to 11.) Capturing the Friedmans, Elephant, Funny Games, Harold and Maude, Hukkle, Morvern Callar, Moulin Rouge, Piranha, Primer, Schizopolis, The Unbelievable Truth.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Who would have thought that this would be the most difficult to answer? I like sports, but I seem to do a lot more watching of them than playing - tennis, football, college basketball. I also like to read, and I seem to be more on a nonfiction kick lately.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Make-Out With Violence - What I liked most about it is that I couldn't easily describe it. It didn't fall into a simple categorization so it felt very fresh. It had creativity, originality, and the energy of new filmmakers.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We're a general festival in that we show all genres and types of films, and I feel like we are really democratic across the genres. For example, the competition section will often feature films that might traditionally play in a midnight section at other festivals.

Our festival audience has come to expect: What I hope they've come to expect is to be challenged. We have our share of what I would call the more "mainstream indies" from indie distributors that are doing the festival circuit. Those are great, but I really like it when I see an audience take a chance on something that perhaps doesn't come with a recognizable cast or a pedigree of showings at the major festivals.

We program the following categories of films: narrative features, documentary features, narrative shorts, documentary shorts, animated, experimental.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: One thing I've noticed a lot that I'm not a big fan of is starting the film at the end and then jumping back in time. It can take the suspense out of the rest of the movie because I know where the movie has to end up, and if you put a character in jeopardy I know they have to get to the scene that I've already seen. I was trying to come up with a trend that would be positive, but when you watch so many entries anything that you see enough to classify as a trend can become old quickly.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Our final submission deadline is December 18, 2009

Filmmakers can contact me here: dan@atlantafilmfestival.com

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Originality is a big key to standing out. We receive many very good submissions, and they can sometimes run together and start to seem overly familiar. A film stands out when there's something about it that feels new and fresh. It can be the story, a character, a setting, or filmmaking style. That's a difficult thing to pull off when a programmer is watching literally hundreds of films, but when you see it it's really exciting, and it can make you forget about some of the shortcomings a film might have in other areas.

Programmer Profile: Andrew Rodgers, RiverRun International Film Festival

My name: Andrew Rodgers My current festival: RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

My title: Executive Director

Other fests I've worked for: Sundance Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: If I were stranded in a North Korean prison with only three movies, I’d want to have All the President’s Men, The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon with me. Films I seem to find myself watching about once a year include Good Night and Good Luck, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Fog of War and The Red Violin. Other films I love intensely include Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Spirited Away, The Jerk, The Seventh Seal, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Muppet Movie (which was the very first film I ever saw in a theater as a kid). Great films I’ve seen in the last 12 months include Choke, Moon, Dogtooth, The Informant, La Danse, In the Loop and Push.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Well, I like spending time with my wife, swimming, playing racquetball, cooking healthy food and reading novels from the 1800’s and biographies. But I usually end up neglecting my wife, getting fat on chocolate and fast food and ignoring my stack of books to spend all my spare time trying to raise money for RiverRun.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: One of the best things about being a programmer is when you stumble across a movie you didn’t know much about and, as it plays, your grin gets wider and wider because you know you’ve found something you want to show. And then, at the end of the credits, you jump out of your chair and do a little dance because you found a gem. It happens so rarely . . . but when it does, it’s what keeps you motivated to watch that fifth horrible film in a row on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. This past year, Brett Ingram’s documentary Rocaterrania was just that sort of film for me. It was a beautifully structured portrait of a quirky and compelling outsider artist.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Because we provide airfare and hotel accommodations for lots of our feature-length filmmakers each year… and hotel accommodations for as many of our short filmmakers as possible, we end up with a pretty fun mix of film folks from around the world, who take the time to get to know one another, see each other’s films… and just have fun talking with audiences about their work. It’s a relaxed atmosphere where you can see some of the year’s best new films from around the world. Plus, since Winston-Salem is the corporate headquarters of Reynolds American, Hanesbrands and Krispy Kreme, we’re the spot for you if you’re particularly into cigarettes, underwear or doughnuts.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Our audiences come to RiverRun willing to see new films that offer powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints . . . to meet and interact with filmmakers . . . and to walk away having seen films they can’t see anywhere else. We’re a general audience festival . . . but our audience is passionate!

We program the following categories of films: It’s probably easier to describe what we don't show, because we’re open to just about anything. We typically don’t show music videos, porn or medium-length films (for us, between 30-65 minutes)… that is, unless it’s a really good music video, porn or medium-length film. Our bread and butter, though, is short and feature-length narratives, docs and animation . . . and we’re open to films from all corners of the globe.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: I know that making a small-budget independent film is a hard slog… and the people who help you out deserve all the credit in the world. But it just drives me nuts when filmmakers include unnecessarily lengthy credits at the front of a film to make it feel more substantial. I recently sat through a short film where the entire cast of completely unknown actors got big, up-front billing and the filmmaker credited the caterer and the music editor before the actual film even started. Keep your absolutely key people up top (even if it’s only you) and thank all the rest of your minions at the end. Don’t resort to puffery just to make your film seem bigger. Oh, I’m also getting tired of on-screen quotes at the start of “meaningful” documentaries. One more quote from Gandhi, Aristotle or Eleanor Roosevelt and I’m going to gag.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: I’m going to have to echo some of my fellow programmers here. First off, don’t call us to submit new cuts of your film… unless you really truly made a crap-load of changes. (And even then, it’s got to be really major . . . like turning a 65-minute feature documentary into a 20-minute short. Color corrections, cutting a scene, adding a new song or re-dubbing your voiceovers don’t count.) When we hear a lot from a particular filmmaker during the submission process, we start to think he or she might be too high maintenance for us. Just send us the best film you can by the end of our submission period. Also . . . don’t take rejection personally. We’ve had to turn down friends, filmmakers whose films we’ve shown before, people who have done big favors for us, well-known filmmakers and really-really talented emerging talents . . . all because their film doesn’t fit the complex matrix of films for us in that particular year. Also . . . if you feel compelled to write a really nasty, expletive-laced letter to tell us how stupid we were to pass on your film, expect that we will post it on our bulletin board and laugh at you mercilessly. That said . . . because you’ve taken the time to submit to our Festival, please know that we take the time to seriously consider your film. We make sure that every single submission is seen by at least two people so that one person’s opinion doesn’t sink a film’s chances . . . and many films are reviewed by many others in order to collect a range of viewpoints.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Our next Festival is April 15-25, 2010… and, officially, we’ve only got a few days left. Our formal submission process closes on December 11th. However, this one-time only (and don’t tell anybody else), if you mention “Film Festival Secrets” on your Withoutabox entry, we’ll give you an extra week . . . until December 18th to postmark your submission.

Filmmakers can contact me here: Andrew at RiverRunFilm.com

Twitter account: @RiverRun

Last words: My wife’s a filmmaker herself, so I know how expensive it can be to submit to festivals and how frustrating it is to be kept in limbo, waiting to hear if your film got accepted. If you’re passionate and have patience, though, I really believe that it’ll all pay off in the end. That said, for first-time filmmakers with a finished low-budget short, I’d advise holding off on spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to send it around with fingers crossed. Instead, try a different approach: Spend that money actually going to some of the festivals you’d like to get into… and attend as many screenings, panels and parties you can with the goal of meeting your filmmaking peers. Hopefully you’ll also bump into some festival programmers or folks in the industry who can help you out in some way. Take lots of DVD screeners along and hand them out liberally. Ask for opinions, advice and assistance wherever appropriate . . . and don’t be pushy. If you’re nice about it… and you take a couple of these trips . . . I’m convinced that you’ll end up meeting lots of great people and advancing your career way more than you would just by making repeated trips to the post office and rolling the dice.

Programmer Profile - Gary Williams, Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Film Festival

My name: Gary Anthony Williams. (also known as that one black guy from Malcolm in the Middle, Boston Legal and The Boondocks.) I'm Googleable. My current festival: L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival

My title: Artistic Director

Other fests I've worked for: Santa Barbara Film Festival as juror for the shorts program.

Three movies that best represent my personal tastes: No can do this. I'm a comedy ho.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: See live performances. Do the daddy thing. Do the friends thing. Laugh at stuff. Play Tennis.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: At LA Comedy Shorts, the three founders (Myself, Jeannie Roshar and Ryan Higman) program as a group. We can easily name 10 or 20 pieces that would be considered personal favorites from last year's festival that not many folks have seen. All of which were original and made us laugh out loud. Here are a few of those in no particular order. The Deposition of Lou Bagetta, The Horribly Slow Murderer with an Extremely Inefficient Weapon, A Bit of Counseling, Love on the Line, The Lutheran, Cinderellis.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Hello filmmaker, my name is Gary. The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival is the largest comedy film festival in the USA. It's dedicated to introducing the newest and hottest comedic talent to the industry in a four-day, fun-packed weekend of screenings, parties, industry panels, and a star-studded red carpet awards event. It's run by funny folks for funny folks. The founders either currently work in or have worked on stage live and/or in the comedy film and TV industry. Because we're in the business, we have direct and friendly contact to Celeb-types, production companies, management companies, etc. Also, we hook up our winners (and festival attendees) with interviews and in-room meetings with folks who can really help their career. There is much hob-knobbing and shoulder rubbing to be done at the festival. Good-bye, filmmaker.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Funny-ass films, High-larious and informative panels, and Kickin' parties. An overwhelming number of patrons last year watched every single film block in the 4 day festival. That made us feel real good.

We program the following categories of films: All our films, be they live action or animation, are short comedies. Nothing over 30 minutes. We even give special award to films under 5 minutes. This year in particular, we are really doing a push for more animation. In the script writing competition, we accept features as well as shorts. The only prerequisite is that they are comedies. Preferably ones that makes us bust our guts, slap our knees, or wet ourselves.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: Everybody's doing zombie movies. Yes, I enjoy a good brain-eating. I'm sucking on grey matter right now. That being said, pleeeeeeeeease send in something new, unless you have the zombie film to end all zombie films. Which might be nice.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Cut the fat. I know I've personally made that mistake with my own projects. Also, just make sure it's laugh-out-loud funny. You don't have to have a huge budget to tell a good story and make everyone laugh. Thirdly, if your film doesn't make it into LA Comedy Shorts, that doesn't mean you don't have the best film ever. It simply means that it wasn't right for our program. It could also mean we are really stupid or drunk.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Right NOW through December 18th, 2009.

Filmmakers can contact me here: gary@lacomedyshorts.com

Last words: Check out the website and read some comments and see some celebrities and get an idea of what we're all about and send in your comedy film or script. And stop using "and."

Programmer Profile: Joanne Feinberg, Ashland Independent FIlm Festival

My name: Joanne Feinberg My current festival: Ashland Independent Film Festival, Ashland, OR

My title: Director of Programming

Other fests I've worked for: My first programming related job was Assistant to the Programmer at the Bleecker Street Cinema, an "art house" theater in NYC, when I was a student at NYU in Cinema Studies and Film Prod. It was an amazing education in film history. I'm going to date myself here, but this was when you could still see "classic" and "foreign" films on the big screen any night of the week in NY. After that, I worked as a freelance film and video editor for many years, and served on several juries and selection committees in the Bay Area.

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Check out the AIFF festival programs for the past 5 years for a good representation! My tastes are really diverse, and there are just so many films that I love, for different reasons. Just off the top of my head - some that took my breath away the first time I saw them: Badlands (Terrence Malick), The Times of Harvey Milk (Rob Epstein), His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks), Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard), Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee), Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden). The film I think I have seen the most times ever, because I have kids, is Iron Giant - it's wonderful and I’d see it again, anytime!

When I'm not watching movies I like to: I just ran my first marathon a few weeks ago. And I have 3 children. So running on the trails in Ashland, and running trying to keep up with my kids!

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Ashland does not put an emphasis on premieres. But we do love to program great films that have not been seen widely yet to help build an audience for the film, as that is a large part of what festivals are ultimately about. We love screening short films, and this is a genre where there is lots of opportunity to discover emerging filmmakers. And there is nothing more satisfying then hearing what a great experience they had with our festival, to develop on-going friendships with filmmakers, and then to screen their next short or feature length film. When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Ashland is not a film market type of festival. But we do, and I quote, "treat filmmakers like rock stars." It's a great festival to see some films you haven't had a chance to yet, visit with other filmmakers, go to our panels, special events, and parties, and to enjoy your own screenings. We have incredibly engaged and intelligent audiences who pack the theaters for every show, and will come up and talk to you (maybe even give you a hug!) on the street, in the coffee shops and restaurants. In the words of animator Bill Plympton, "Ashland is an amazing, freakin’ town! The audiences here are so excited about film. I go to lots of festivals, and this is very unique."

Our festival audience has come to expect: Excellent programming, interaction with filmmakers, and a great community event that takes over downtown Ashland for 5 days in April.

We program the following categories of films: We program all genres and all lengths. We also have a "Locals Only" program (S. Oregon productions), and a local Student Film competition "The Launch."

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve: Recently, I have seen a surge of filmmakers who are taking new and creative approaches to storytelling in both docs and narratives that is very exciting. Filmmakers are taking chances with the medium and the results are refreshing, especially when my days are filled with screening submissions. Definitely approve!

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: We take our submission and screening process very seriously, and it is very respectful and thorough! All films are viewed by at least two experienced screeners, many films are seen by 4-6 people, and films programmed in the festival are often seen by as many as 7-8 programmers/screeners. Having to say "no" to so many quality films is really difficult for us. If your film is selected, we hope you will attend. If not, please consider us again.

The submissions period for our next festival is (please indicate start and end date): Submissions for our 9th Annual Festival, April 8-12, 2010 opened in August and will run through December 2009. Our late deadline is Dec. 4, 2009 and Withoutabox extended deadline is Dec. 11.

Filmmakers can contact me here: joanne@ashlandfilm.org. There is lots of information on our website at www.ashlandfilm.org and you can sign up for our mailing list at info@ashlandfilm.org

Last words: I love my work! And I am incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to see so many great films from so many talented filmmakers. To have Albert Maysles (AIFF Lifetime Achievement Award honoree) tell me "I have received many honors, and none of them have touched me as deeply and soulfully... I want to come back," well, it doesn’t really get much better than that!

Programmer Profile: Claudette Godfrey, South By Southwest

Claudette Godfrey

Originally posted Dec 1 2009. 

 My name: Claudette Godfrey My current festival: South by Southwest (SXSW)

My title: Film Festival Coordinator / Shorts Co-Programmer. 

Other fests I've worked for: CineVegas

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: In no particular order - Top Gun, E.T., and Tommy Boy. Those films defined my childhood and I seriously list those three when anyone asks. I remember more than a few times in film school where other students would say something like Citizen Kane or Modern Times and I would pipe up with one of those classics.

More professionally I list films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Dear Zachary: A letter to a son about his father, A Town Called Panic and Año Uña. Typing that I realize that none of them are entirely conventional, so maybe that's the way I'd define my personal taste.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Talk about movies. Eat Mexican food. Swim. Take photos. Go to shows. Dance. Hang out at bars with friends. Edit my project. Hug. Watch HBO/Showtime. Sleep.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery:TRIMPIN: the sound of invention was a World Premiere for SXSW and one of the very first films we accepted last year. A trusted documentary screener and friend got it in his first round of watching really early in our 2009 season. He came in glowing about it so I watched it immediately. Just a month earlier I saw Trimpin's work for the first time while on a trip to Seattle with my mom. His IF VI WAS IX: Roots and Branches sculpture is installed in the Experience Music Project and I remember hanging out watching it "perform" for quite some time. I was mesmerized. When I watched the film and connected the dots I was instantly hooked. Trimpin himself is such an phenomenal inventor and musician that he easily becomes an interesting and absorbing character. Peter Esmonde's handling was superb, allowing you a unique window to this melodious joyful world of Trimpin's. I loved it and lobbied for it. It was an easy yes because it is such a beautifully well crafted film about a true innovator. It struck notes with every arm of our festival and that's what SXSW is all about.

Later, I introduced the film's screenings at the festival and was blown away by the audience reaction. There was this connection with the music and with Trimpin (who came with Esmonde to the festival) that was awe-inspiring. That's really what festivals are all about, connecting a truly great film to an audience. Sharing the experience. I actually have a Trimpin poster on the wall next to my desk to remind me of that.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We're unique because we're a part of this massive cross-platform multifaceted cultural event. We're Austin in March. It's the people, the city, the weather, the food, the venues, and the programming sensibility that make us really stand apart.

Our festival audience has come to expect: I think people come to SXSW for good films, good access, and a good time. We have been able to strike an amazing balance between those factors and Texas hospitality. The audience attends our screenings expecting to see variety, originality, innovation, and great storytelling. To discover new voices, and to see a little of that trademark weirdness. In short they come to SXSW for an experience. An awesome one.

We program the following categories of films: We program films from these categories both made in the United States and Internationally: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Animated Shorts, Experimental Shorts, Music Videos, and Texas High School Shorts.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove:  Multiple replacement copies. Meaning, there are a lot of filmmakers who submit an unfinished rough cut in August and proceed to send me a new copy every month until our final deadline. If you submit early, submit a finished film. If you're still working on your film and there are 2 months left until our deadline do yourself a favor and hold off to submit the most complete and finished version you can. This is your film, and you shouldn't undercut it in an effort to save $20 on the submission fee. That said, if you have a new/better/different cut that changes the world you can send in a replacement, just don't make it a habit!

Oh, and if you're going to make a short film, make it short.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: Don't take it personally.

I think it's easy for filmmakers to become jaded when they don't get into the festivals they want to. It's easy to focus on the rejection letters and channel negative feelings into hating the establishment. Instead, do your research. Submit to festivals that have an audience for your film. Reexamine your edit. There are factors that you can control.

When a festival doesn't play your film it doesn't necessarily mean that your film is bad or that you're a bad filmmaker. Programming a film festival is like a giant puzzle and there's no way to fit in every good film. There are a lot of factors at work and we really accept a very small percentage of the films that submit. Hone your craft. Keep working.

The submissions period for our next festival is:Submissions are open now through December 3 for our late deadline and our last minute deadline is December 11.

Filmmakers can contact me here:claudette @ sxsw . com or film @ sxsw . com

Blog URL: stoptimeproject.com

Twitter account:@claudasaur

Last words:  We love you. No matter what you've made or how you've made it, we love you. We love that you're out there putting yourself on the line for what you're passionate about and believe in.

Programmer Profile: Anna Feder at Boston Underground FF

My name: Anna “insert clever nickname here” Feder My current festival: Boston Underground Film Festival

My title: Festival Director/ programmer

Other fests I've worked for: Northampton Independent Film Festival, Newport International Film Festival, Global Voices UN Film Festival. I am also the program director in the Visual and Media Arts department at Emerson College and serve on the board of Women in Film and Video of New England.

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Juliet of the Spirits, Sante Sangre, Donnie Darko, Oldboy, Thirst, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Trust, Day of the Beast, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Opera, Secretary, Survive Style 5+, Wild at Heart, Hausu

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Sing karaoke, dance to new wave music, and travel to exotic destinations like Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, San Francisco, and Austin (to sit in darkened theaters and watch more movies). Also digging on schlock TV such as Weeds, Dexter, Big Love, True Blood, as well as Britcom The Mighty Boosh, IT Crowd, and The Mitchell and Webb Look.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: The Last American Freakshow was screened at BUFF 2009 where it had its American premiere. I have a special place in my heart for this doc about a real traveling freak show made by a British filmmaker who had a hard time finding a home for his film. Many festivals turned it down or suspiciously pulled out of planned screenings because they were uncomfortable with the unique way that disability is portrayed. Our audiences responded in a really thoughtful way and made Mr. Butchins feel like he’d finally found a home for his baby.

There are a host of filmmakers that we have built relationships with over the years, giving these folks an open invitation to submit: Steve Balderson, Bill Domonkos, Leah Meyerhoff, Patrick Smith, Ben Levin and Carey Burtt to name a few. We really cherish these relationships as they give our audience something to look forward to and the filmmakers a reliable outlet and audience for their work.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We are committed to discovering films that aren’t likely to find traditional distribution for a variety of reasons. Often this is the case due to subject or the experimental nature of the form or just a lack of “marketability” on a large scale. Underground does not mean poor quality. These are well-made, competent films albeit not always polished and glossy. These are films that won’t be coming to a theater near you and BUFF is likely the only time they’ll be shown on a big screen in the Northeast. We also try to create events around the festival with live music and other performance (belly dance, burlesque, wrestling women, singing transvestite nuns). We really prioritize the festivity at our festival.

Our festival audience has come to expect: An array of films from all genres that push the boundaries in form and/or content that they wouldn’t be able to see otherwise, at least not on the big screen with a large raucous but intelligent audience. Also, tons of parties with approachable filmmakers, mind-blowing entertainment and free booze!

We program the following categories of films: We show everything but generic romantic comedy and family friendly fare. We favor hybrids such as dark comedy, experimental narrative, experimental doc, and musical kung-fu horror. We love ‘em all! We like films that make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, dazzle us with visuals and often make us cringe!

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve: I love that filmmakers are starting to put all their materials on line. I try to discourage filmmakers from sending me these expensive wasteful glossy paper press kits when my needs are digital files of stills and trailers. We don’t want the filmmaker to bankrupt him or herself submitting to our festival. Submit early, keep the packaging simple (we care about your film – not the well designed art on the cover!), and let your work speak for itself (no lengthy introduction letter needed)!

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: We want to discover your film! The BUFF staff watches every film submitted in an attempt to create a stellar program for our faithful audience, that’s our end of the contract. Your end as a filmmaker is to give your film every opportunity to succeed by respecting our policies and our need to charge submission fees as well as familiarizing yourself with the types of films we show. Also, be sure your DVD plays, is well marked with all the appropriate info and is well packaged to travel the US postal system.

The submissions period for our next festival is: Submissions are currently open and end November 27th for the late deadline and December 18th for the Withoutabox extended deadline. The Last Chance deadline is December 31st.

Filmmakers can contact me here: anna @ bostonunderground . org

Last words: Film fanatics run this fest on a whole lot of love and a fair bit of elbow grease. We do it for our audience and their squeals of delight and gasps of horror. We do it for the films that might otherwise be lost in obscurity. We do it for the filmmakers that need a supportive environment in which to connect to other filmmakers and their audience. And yes, we do it for ourselves (free Maker’s Mark and dinner with Frank Hennenlotter, hell yes)! We hope you check us out as filmmaker, audience member, or volunteer.

Programmer Profile: Sarah Harris at Dallas IFF

My name: Sarah Harris My current festival: DALLAS International Film Festival (DALLAS Film Society)

My title: Senior Programmer

Other fests I've worked for: I program year-round events for the DALLAS Film Society (which puts on the DALLAS festival . . . what was formerly called the AFI DALLAS festival). Before that, the Deep Ellum Film Festival.

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: It changes, so a few for today: Raising Arizona, Fargo, Ghostbusters, The Graduate, Clueless (don’t judge!), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Shining, Kill Bill v1, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Riding Giants, It Might Get Loud.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Hmm...when is that? Go to other film festivals, watch LSU football, read books (yay books!), drink with friends and family, and sit by the lake/ocean/large body of water that is not in North Texas. :)

I watch other movies I don’t have to “think” about (ie. Transformers) and shows I’m behind on (Mad Men, The Wire, 30 Rock, the Daily Show). Watching movies is kind of like breathing.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: More Than a Game. We didn’t program this film for the festival, but when it was having its promotional tour we hosted a screening of it here in Dallas. It had been the 5th film I had seen one day at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival and I fell in love with it. Once it was picked up, the scheduled release date didn’t allow us to bring it in for the festival, but I wouldn’t let Michael [Cain, festival director] or James [Faust, programming director] forget about it. It was great to finally host the screening with the director, Kristopher Belman, and go out for drinks with him almost a year after originally seeing the doc.

I also love when you find that a great short film in a stack. You never know what the next dvd you put in will bring and when it’s really good it makes up for the last 20 that weren’t.

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: The Texas hospitality is true. (The cowboy boots are definitely optional.) People in Dallas LOVE movies – love seeing them, talking about them.... It sounds a little bizarre, but people go to the movies here all the time and it's something they take seriously. The passion can be very refreshing.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Quality, in every sense of the word. A chance to discover something totally different and then be able to catch that film that may have gotten buzz somewhere else on the circuit. Maybe hang out with the filmmaker in the theater lobby or lounge. The Dallas audience loves the experience films and the festival.

We program the following categories of films: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Short films, Student Short films, Animated Short films, Environmental Documentary Features, Texas based Features and Music Documentaries...

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I disapprove: During 2008-2009 I was seeing a lot of shorts where people were getting hit by cars. It was disturbing at first and then just got really old.

Also (and my programming friends know how I feel about this one): the Los Angeles downtown skyline. At night, at dawn, for the opening shot, or to close out the film.... I’m in Texas and can tell by your other locations that you’re in L.A. Got it. Next.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: When it comes to making decisions based on all the reviews we’ve collected James, our Director, and I put our eyes on EVERYTHING. We give up our weekends (and any social life that’s left) for 2 months to sit in a room, watch your films and discuss them. We do care about films and filmmakers, so when it comes to tough choices please don’t take it personally and send hate mail. (Though that is a guarantee that I’ll remember you and your film.)

And we try to treat filmmakers like they are rock stars. Because they are.

The submissions period for our next festival is: For the 2010 Festival, submissions opened in August and will run through December 2009. Regular deadline: Nov. 20. Late Deadline: Dec. 11

Filmmakers can contact me here: sharris@DALLASFilm.org or submissions@DALLASFilm.org

Last words: Do your research on festivals, pay attention to the details, plan your budget accordingly and don’t give up. The film festival world is a crazy one, but worth every moment of the madness.

Programmer Profile: Tom Hall of the Sarasota Film Festival & Newport International FF

My name: Tom Hall My current festivals: The Sarasota Film Festival, The Newport International Film Festival

My title: Artistic Director (both)

Other places I've worked: IFC, The Hamptons International Film Festival (Industry Relations/ Guest Services), The Nantucket Film Festival

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Au hasard Balthazar by Robert Bresson, My Sex Life (...or how I got into an argument) by Arnaud Desplechin, Climates by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Play with my son, spend time with my wife, support Liverpool FC, write

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Tony Manero -- We were one of the first regional festivals to show the film, and it was the first time I felt a deep connection to a certain perspective regarding the Pinochet regime. That said, I don't feel like films are discovered any more; films are made and a certain group of people see them, and we all make our best efforts to help them find an audience during the same, ever-collapsing window. A great movie is more like a collective call to arms than a personal discovery any more; I can't take credit for anything other than giving it a chance to be seen!

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We are a festival built on curating great films for our audience of film lovers and the film industry and while we are not a market, we are committed to building serious, long-term relationships among filmmakers, the industry and our community. Several great projects have had their genesis in Sarasota (Alex Karpovsky's Woodpecker, Mary Bronstein and Amy Seimeiz's Round Town Girls, etc), which I think shows that we are committed to both quality international cinema AND supporting emerging American independent works. We don't love a specific "type" of movie, and our 10-day event gives us a very broad palate to program all kinds of different films. So, while lots of market festivals specialize in a certain kind of film, we offer a very diverse line-up and host over 100 filmmakers and industry guests, which fosters a great sense of community and creative possibility.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Great films and the opportunity to interact with the artists responsible for making them.

We program the following categories of films (narrative features, doc features, doc/narrative shorts, animated, etc): All of the aforementioned categories from all over the world, plus retrospective screenings, long-form conversations with actors and directors and a few works in progress now and again.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve/disapprove: Short films with long running times can be problematic for us as it is hard to make time for them, but mostly we're open to seeing whatever filmmakers are interested in sharing. Obviously it may go without saying at this point, but your packaging/personal letter, etc make no difference to us at all, so if you're looking to save money/time, just make a professional looking label on your DVD and don't worry about the rest of it. The movie will tell us all we need to know.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: We watch everything, we care about your movie but our festival is very competitive in terms of acceptance. We're looking for great films. The other thing I would say is that your film is your property and you are responsible for your own festival strategy; don't let festivals and programmers push you around by playing the "premieres" game -- we don't play by those rules. If your movie is great, we want to show it regardless of where it played first. Make a plan and stick to it, control your film's festival run with the same passion you brought to making it.

The submissions period for our next festival is: We're open now, early deadline is Jan 9, 2010 Regular deadline is Jan 15, 2010, and late deadline is Jan 30, 2010.

Filmmakers can contact me here: tom@sarasotafilmfestival.com (for Sarasota FF business), tom@newportfilmfestival.com (for Newport International FF business)

Anything else? There is no magic or formula to film festivals. It's a set of decisions made by everyday people. Don't be intimidated by "the process" -- it's arbitrary and flawed. Try to enjoy it for what it is.

Programmer Profile: Lisa Vandever of CineKink

My name: Lisa Vandever My festival: CineKink - “The kinky film festival.”

My title: Co-Founder/Director

Other fests I've worked for: Before co-founding CineKink in 2003, I organized and programmed the New York S/M Film Festival (2000-02). I was also—prior to an educational/frustrating stint in indie film development—the director of programming for a small-market public television station. (Whether my current focus on sexuality is a reaction to or a continuation of that experience is open for debate.)

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Secretary, The Auteur, Score, The Last Seduction, Say Anything

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Eat, drink and relax with friends.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: While I hate to single films out from all of the wonderful others, one recent film that could be deemed a signature style for us is a short that played our 2009 festival and took home one of our jury prizes, Kink, Inc. About a financially struggling couple who stumbles into the “home domination business,” the film manages to incorporate both comedy and conflict without denigrating the type of sexuality depicted—or its practitioners. It’s smutty, funny and kind of sweet—a combination that is definitely one of my weaknesses (see also The Auteur, listed above, another CineKink 2009 offering.)

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Obviously, the thing that sets us apart is our singular focus on films that celebrate and explore sexuality. We bring together a community of open-minded folks – at our annual festival and through our tour – who are eager for smart and engaging discussions and depictions of sex. And we also work on promoting these types of films, throughout the year, to audiences who aren’t able to attend our screenings.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Nothing wrong with a little titillation – or a lot – the CineKink audience has also become used to works that take an intelligent approach to sexuality, to depictions that move beyond the clichés, to portrayals that don’t denigrate or preach. They also join us for the sense of community you can get from experiencing a film in the company of like-minded others. And, of course, for some really killer parties!

We program the following categories of films (narrative features, doc features, doc/narrative shorts, animated, etc): We program all lengths and genres with, again, the caveat that our focus is on sex and sexuality. We look for works that cut across orientations and like to mix in both explicit and non-explicit materials.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve/disapprove: I’m very pleased that our pool of sex-positive and kink-friendly possibilities seems to expand every year and, though we’re not all that possessive about premiere status, I like that we’re having more and more directors create works specifically for a hopeful CineKink appearance. (On the trending disapproval side, we’ve had a jump in filmmakers submitting works—and even requesting waivers from us—who are clearly unfamiliar with the fact that we’re focused on sex. Please do your research!)

The submissions period for our next festival is: We opened submissions in August and are currently in the midst of our call for entries. Our next postmark deadline is November 20; our final deadline is December 2, 2010.

If you want to be kept up to date on the festival, you can sign up for our mailing list at: http://www.cinekink.com/list

Filmmakers can contact me here: You can email me via lisa at cinekink dot com (though watch for a spam verification reply). I’m also semi-responsive on Twitter: @CineKink

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: If your film is selected, do consider joining us for the CineKink festivities! One of my favorite things is bringing a film’s creator together with our audiences – it’s a very heady experience for a filmmaker to show his or her work to people who clearly “get it” and I love to be around for that! This is the first installment of the Programmer Profile series. If you're a festival staffer with a hand in programming and you'd like to be profiled, please email chris at filmfestivalsecrets dot com.