The Vimeo Festival and Awards invites video creators throughout the world to submit their finest original online videos and then come celebrate as we award the best of the best. All the details on how to submit your videos, and/or buy tickets to the upcoming events, coming soon!
I'm not usually keen on online festivals but it looks as if Vimeo will be holding "real world" screenings as well for their awards in Fall 2010. Keep an eye on this one.
In this episode Jesse Trussell and Chris Holland gab about the Dallas International Film Fest, Cannes, and other things.
Links mentioned in the podcast:
Got questions? We'll answer 'em! Send email to chris@filmfestivalsecrets.com or reply to @ffsecrets on Twitter.
Download the MP3 now or subscribe in iTunes.
Photo credit: Retinafunk
LightCube Video is seeking video and experimental film works exploring the themes of Freedom and Independence and their relation to Sustainability: societal, economic and environmental.
Chosen, curated videos will be exhibited at Visual Voice gallery in Montreal, and given online exposure and sales potential on LightCubevideo.com. Online digital formats will be specially formatted for fine art collectors or film distribution.
The FREEDOM SPARKS VIDEO AND FILM Festival will open July 1 (Canadian Independence Day) and run through the 4th of July, (American Independence Day) for two weeks.
THERE IS NO ENTRANCE FEE. Works will be curated by selected independent curators. DEADLINE: May 30, 2010.
Yesterday a scrappy little site called indieWIRE (whose brazen continued use of mixed-case letters in their title makes me think of software titles from the early 90s) released a list of 50 "leading" film festivals, including a look at those they consider to be the top ten. Those events who were included on the list expressed their gratitude. Those who weren't on the list of fifty pondered their exclusion silently or in public. No one likes to be left off of a list of the best of anything (I'd like to be on this list, for example), but I'm sure the organizers of many of those festivals view being left out as a missed opportunity to attract submissions or just plain attention to their events. To them I say: you probably shouldn't be as irked as you are. Here's why. We're looking at the usual suspects. To see Cannes and Sundance at the top of the list shocks no one, and even those surprised at the inclusion of South By Southwest at number four did little more than raise their eyebrows. This looks like more of an attempt to collate indieWIRE's past festival coverage than it is to make a serious effort at identifying the best festivals worldwide. Filmmakers who discover this top 50 list already know about these festivals or will find out about them elsewhere. As interesting lists go this is pretty weak sauce.
Consider the following chart from compete.com indieWIRE's readership (in blue) for the past year (discounting the curious uptick in this last month) barely outstrips the traffic to the Sundance Film Festival alone (in green). (Click the chart to enlarge.) And though it seems to be closing the gap with Variety (orange), that's more Variety's fault for losing nearly half traffic than it is indieWIRE's for picking up readers. The site's readership is passionate. It is vocal. It is important. But it's also small, and probably not a significant driver of new filmmaking talent to your festival.
If you really want to bump up your submissions, buy one of those ubiquitous email blasts from Withoutabox. Anecdotal evidence points to these tranquilly-designed emails (which someone must read) as a primary generator of submissions activity. The next best thing to that (and with a bonus ego stroke) would be to get the attention of someone on the editorial staff of MovieMaker magazine. Last year they published two "top 25" lists of film festivals ("25 Festivals Worth the Fee" and "25 Coolest Film Festivals"). Are these link bait posts? Yep. Are they "list articles" calculated to move copies of the print edition at Borders stores nationwide? You betcha. But these articles also feature some of the more adventurous and innovative festivals out there folks who need attention called to the great work they're doing. I like to think that if I were a filmmaker I would be grateful to know about the undiscovered festivals where my film had a better shot at actually being programmed.?
indieWIRE's 50 is a perfectly fine list which appropriately highlights the work of many of the hard-working festival staffers who deserve to be recognized. If you're a filmmaker, these are fests you should know about. Just recognize that every other filmmaker on the planet, whether they read iW or not, knows about them too. Competition for programming slots at these fests will be fierce. Look into the corners of the festival world for those events hungry for your material, and with the capacity to bring an audience to your work.
Related: Film Festival Programmer Profiles, Why Didn't I Get Into Sundance?, Understanding Film Festivals.
After several years of flying under the radar and letting competing showcases take root, the Boston Film Festival is getting organized early and seems ready to take off for its 26th edition.
Translated: the all-volunteer Independent Film Festival of Boston has been kicking the older festival's ass. (Apparently a 19-year head start didn't help.) I don't know much about the fall festival but it seems to me Boston is a town big enough to support (at least) two quality indie film events each year. The current Boston FF site doesn't give any insight as to the festival's past programming, so I'll be curious to see what they come up with for their 2010 slate.
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we are are posting this. After struggling for the past 18 months since the economic crisis, Gen Art has finally succumbed to the recession. During this challenging time we did everything in our power to adjust our business to these new business realities by cutting costs and seeking out alternative funding solutions. However when a major, new, corporate partnership unexpectedly collapsed a few weeks ago, we found ourselves without sufficient resources or time to overcome this sudden and substantial loss of revenue. Their decision had the unintended effect of pushing Gen Art over the edge. We have now halted all operations, have let go all of our amazing staff, and shuttered the business that we hope was in some small way was as close to your heart - as it was ours.
Gen Art's New York-based film festival served as a small but intense launching pad for independent filmmakers. This is a tough one for folks like Jeff Abramson who were the collective heart of a scrappy arts organization, the likes of which are rapidly disappearing in the U.S.
This puts me in mind of an article by William Osborne about the differences in public funding for the arts between the U.S. and European countries. I realize it's difficult to argue for increased arts funding when we can barely get our government to help keep its citizens alive, but it's a conversation worth having.
De Niro colleague Jane Rosenthal stated the ongoing intention of Tribeca to offer “a diverse group of films to a wide group of audiences”—in other words, something for everyone. As a guiding mandate, that declaration rings hollow, especially within the context of the program itself. In a sense, Tribeca indeed has it all, from midsize, star-studded indies to far-flung international selections. But the lack of connectivity makes it difficult to find the movies that are worth a damn, especially since even the good ones tend to divide people.
IndieWire's Eric Kohn spanks the Tribeca Film Festival for trying to please everyone all the time.
Apparently the Atlanta Film Festival has taken it upon themselves to fill the void left by CineVegas, which used to be the only film festival (that I know of) with an official strip club. Nathan Miller posted an album of Atlanta Film Fest pictures to Facebook, including this one of filmmakers and other festival luminaries gathered at the notorious Clermont Lounge.
One of the highlights, or lowlights, of this weekend’s TFF will certainly be the world premiere of “Ticked Off Trannies With Knives,” Israel Duva’s revenge fantasy featuring such sure-to-be-indelible characters as Bubbles Cliquot, Tipper Sommore, Rachel Slurr and Emma Grashun. And Pinky La’Trimm. Already, the film has caused a tsunami of vitriol on Tribeca’s Web site: “To make the attacks and murders of transgender women into a form of stupid entertainment is beyond unenlightened, it’s offensive and ultimately sexist,” wrote Anna R. “Tribeca Film Festival should be ashamed of yourselves for presenting this!” All this, and for a film that has yet to premiere. The fact that there’s so much pre-emptive venom when no one has actually seen the movie will undoubtedly make it one of the hottest ticket at Tribeca. We can’t wait to cross the picket line.
The third in our series of South by Southwest 2010 videos features Managing Director of IFF Boston Brian Tamm. Brian talks about the reasons he and other IFF Boston staff members attend other festivals like SXSW.
The Independent Film Festival of Boston starts tonight with their opening night film, The Extra Man. Kevin Kline will be at the Somerville Theater after the screening to receive a career achievement award from the festival. If you live in the Boston area and you hadn't made plans to attend, I highly recommend showing up.
Thanks to Mark Potts for shooting and editing this video.
This is how Sarasota Film Festival president Mark Famiglio arrived to the opening night screening of this year's fest. By comparison, actor Kevin Kline arrived in this. Thanks to Jennifer Huber for sharing the photos on Flickr; you can read her article about the festival here or visit the festival's official site.
Sarasota film fest programmer Tom Hall was profiled on Film Festival Secrets back in November.
Bring your sense of humor. Make it personal, not corporate. Respond," said Meg Hamel, director of the Wisconsin Film Festival. "Don't make it seem like you're only doing this only to sell tickets. Don't make it seem like you're doing this because somewhere you read that social media was the next big thing. And here in Wisconsin, people really do care what you have for breakfast, as long as it involves bacon."
Includes a list of 21 festivals to follow.
Overall the quality of films this year is the same as last: hit or miss. There is much that is interesting, little that is great. The Cannes Film Festival still draws the cream of world cinema; the Sundance and Toronto festivals attract the best American independent films.
Ouch. Also see this related video in which Holden narrates a batch of stills from movies in the festival.
Cinematical's Eric Snider highlights the reasons to support your local film fest. If you're a filmmaker and you're not attending (or volunteering for) your local event, you're missing out on an education in the festival world. You're also missing a critical network of local industry types who can help your own film when you're ready to get it out on the circuit.
Smaller often means nicer, friendlier, more hospitable. The Oxford festival is small enough that parties can be held in local benefactors' beautiful homes, with food provided by local caterers and chefs. (That stereotype about Southerners being good cooks? Sweet merciful cholesterol, it's true.)
The next six weeks or so round out the prime Spring festival season. The Dallas (where I am now), Florida, Sarasota, Sunscreen, Phoenix, and Wisconsin festivals are happening now. Coming up are Atlanta, IFF Boston, Newport Beach, Santa Cruz, Tribeca, and too many others to name here. (OK, so these aren't all small regional fests, but they deserve your love too.) Check your local arts calendar to see when your local fest begins. Also check out this blog entry from the Oxford Film Fest staff on regional festivals they'll be visiting soon.
Photo credit: Real TV Films.
I'm currently in Dallas, serving on the jury for the Texas Features section of the Dallas International Film Festival. It's my first time at this particular fest so I'm looking forward to getting to know its personality as an event. I've met most of the festival team including Michael Cain, James Faust, and Sarah Harris at various other fests but I'm curious to see them on their home turf.
FFS contributor Jesse Trussell was here this past weekend and recorded a quick interview so you can look forward to a new episode of the podcast soon. In the meantime, check out this profile of DIFF Senior Programmer Sarah Harris published late last year.
"The Austin Film Festival has achieved a real balance between serving the filmgoing audience and the filmmakers themselves, with a wide selection of really diverse films, from sneak previews of giant-budget Hollywood films to no-budget, no-name films (mine). Also dozens of seminars by big-name presenters, open to both filmmakers and the public. This creates a cool vibe for the festivalgoer, that they're taking in the same information as the filmmakers; and running into the same big names -- Harold Ramis, Buck Henry, Robert Rodriguez, Shane Black giving seminars and panels." - James Vculek, director of "Two Harbors" and "The Quietest Sound"
Trevor was kind enough to duck out of the convention center and spend a few minutes talking with me about the first Sundance on his watch as Director of Programming, and about some of his favorite festival moments.
Kudos to Mark Potts for shooting and editing this series of videos.
Typical of the smaller films premiering at the festival is "Tiny Furniture," a story of female post-collegiate ennui playing as part of this year's narrative feature competition. The movie marks a personal and professional leap that could only have been achieved through the support of SXSW, which played filmmaker Lena Dunham's debut feature, "Creative Nonfiction," in last year's lineup.
While at the festival in 2009, Dunham not only met cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes, but also her key collaborators for "Tiny Furniture," producers Alicia Van Couvering and Kyle Martin, editor Lance Edmands and costar Alex Karpovsky.
The festival "was really the connective tissue for my relationships with a lot of these people," Dunham says. "I just wanted to connect with other filmmakers but I don't think I expected it would be such a gold rush."
If you're coming to the South By Southwest film festival this weekend, you'll have the chance to see me speak during the Short Film Secrets panel on Tuesday, March 16th at 2:00 p.m.
The official description from the SXSW guide: There's more out there for shorts than just YouTube, despite apparently limited sales and distribution avenues. Learn to make the most of festivals, the red flags that might keep you out, how to get away with breaking the rules, and what to do with that opus afterwards.
Joining me will be:
A SXSW Film, Gold, or Platinum badge is required to attend this event.
RSVP on Facebook or just show up!
I will also be serving on the Texas Short Film jury at the festival, and you'll be able to buy copies of Film Festival Secrets in the bookshop on the expo floor.
Tate English and Lynn Mikeska (writer/director and star, respectively, of The Ballad of Friday and June) spent some time at the Oxford Film Festival recording a series of webisodes to document their festival trip. Rather than making the series a simple travelogue, however, they went out of their way to make each episode funny in a self-deprecating way. Well-made webisodes like these capture some of the local flavor of a festival town and involve fellow attending filmmakers involved whenever possible. (You want to give people a reason to link to your videos, right?) Off-the-cuff video blog entries are a fun, inexpensive way to build a fan base and to draw attention to your film's festival run.
See more Oxford FF travel videos at the Ballad of Friday and June blog.
 | The Better Film Festival Submissions Toolkit has a very simple purpose: to help you improve the way you submit your work to film festivals.
Divided into 7 core tasks with a discussion of each task, the 16-page Toolkit is designed for quick reading and gives you concrete, actionable tasks to make your film submissions package better. Best of all, you'll get the insight you need to better understand what programmers look for and how to submit with confidence. |