Help me create the perfect film festival

[carol rose]

Hi. I have been given the dubious honor of coordinating a film festival.

I work for a movie theater in Connecticut dedicated to showing independent American and foreign films. We are a four screen theater with a total of 430 seats and have been in business since 1993. Although we show 35mm on a daily basis, we have full digital projection capabilities.

Here's where you come in. Please tell me what makes a great film festival. What categories are you interested in? Besides cash, what sort of prizes float your boat? Are you interested in forums and seminars about the industry? Would you travel to southern New England in early December? Snow happens, although usually not that early. Do you use "withoutabox" for your submissions? Any objections to mixing professionals with non-professionals? Are most of your films on DVD and VHS?

So tell me what you think. I'm listening. I'm taking notes. We're looking at early December, 2005, which is only 15 months away!!!

 

[Zensteve]

Do you use "withoutabox" for your submissions?

Clarification for those that may not know, Without A Box is a website that handles digital submissions and uploads for various film-fests and websites.

They have a set of tools for Filmmakers, as well as a different side for Fests seeking content.

Looks like their website has had a big makeover recently, too.



Mr P. was in a similar boat a few months ago, doing a fest. He should have some ideas!

 

[indietalk]

Here's where you come in. Please tell me what makes a great film festival.

1. Make the filmmaker feel special. Go the extra mile to give the royal treatment.
2. Promote the festival AND the films. The last thing you want is an empty theater and hundreds of upset filmmakers. Filmmakers don't have the resources to do their own promotion, but if they do, it will only add to what the festival does.
3. Get industry people there. Nothing wrong with a mom and pop festival in a small town, as long as you can get buyers and distributors to attend.
4. Make sure filmmakers don't have to pay for any of the other screenings. They should always get a VIP pass, and that should include at least one guest, and all the parties, etc.


That's all for now. Good luck!

 

[clive]

Hi Carol, welcome to the forum

As a UK filmmaker, with a film about to be ready for distribution I'm currently interested in festivals.

I guess in order to justify the expense of attending I'd have to see a business value in it, even though New England is one of my favorite places in the whole world.

At this stage, the amount of exposure that the festival could create for the film would be my primary concern. So I guess it's about the level of journalistic interest you could generate and at what level. Part of that is about the quality of films that you attract.

Beyond that it's about providing a well run event, having a communal area where filmmakers can network, making sure that all the films are well presented etc. One of things that I've liked at other festivals is a video-tech (a suite of TV hooked up to DVD and VHS players, where people can watch films from the festival, at times that suit them and also films that you didn't have space to screen, but you thought deserved an audience). This is particularly useful if you've got buyers or industry people there, especially if you keep a log of who sees the films, that the filmmaker can refer too.

Good luck

 

[Zensteve]

Adding some thoughts, but not necessarily answering any of the questions posed. More from the angle of a person that goes to showings, than submitting to.

I make crap, and don't try the fest-circuits. (Love the timed comps, though)

Fests where they have Q/A sessions with the actual filmmakers afterwards are great. Usually doesn't happen unless a rep happens to be somewhat local, or the fest itself is huge enough to warrant a rep to be there.

Have staff about with detailed information. Peeps can show up looking to see a specific flick mixed in with a variety of other shorts, for example. I've been to fests where staff have breakdowns of what short film is playing in which block and when, and others where they have a simple list of start times for a generic block.

I don't care how much you charge me for

as long as you can fill it halfway, layer on the butter, fill to brim and repeat the butter. (Yes, I'll die young for that)

Have your website ready with decent driving directions. Lycos & Yahoo have made that process really simple.

If possible, make some kind of arrangement with other local businesses. I've no idea what the size of your town is, but even a small one should be able to have some community-based businesses on site. I really dig the small-kind carnival atmosphere that some places get. (I'm also a ham at heart, so absorb with caution)

______

Sounds like you might have a ready base of people to come, I might add. Four screens, and to quote... "dedicated to showing independent American and foreign films." I think you'll do okay with that kind of demographic already included.

 

[directorik]

What categories are you interested in?

It would be interesting to do a day or two based solely on budget. Under $5,000. $5,000 to $15,000. $15,000 to $30,000.

Besides cash, what sort of prizes float your boat?

I'm not interested in cash prizes.

In kind donations of services would be of great help to independent movie makers like me: 40 hours of sound mixing - 18 days of equipment rental - two hours (with paid lunch) with a producers rep.

Are you interested in forums and seminars about the industry?

For me, not so much. I'd rather spend four hours watching movies than sitting in seminars.

Would you travel to southern New England in early December?

Not as a film goer.
As a film maker whose film was being shown: If there was going to be a Q&A session I might consider it. If there were reps from production and distribution companies attending.

And if my guest and I were given all access passes to screenings. (indietalk's number four)

I attended a festival two years ago with the director (I was writer and DP) for a Q&A session.
We paid for transportation and lodging - understandable.
We paid for food - understandable.
But then the festival staff made us buy tickets to see other movies.
That really hurt the experience - we just couldn't afford to see three of four movies a day so we sat in the hotel or wandered around town.

Do you use "withoutabox" for your submissions?

I haven't - yet. But I look at the site often and plan to use it in January when my movie is ready for festivals.

Any objections to mixing professionals with non-professionals?

None. In fact, the ability to meet people more experienced and to help people less experienced is the great part of a festival.

Are most of your films on DVD and VHS?

Yes. Film is just too expensive.

 

[carol rose]

On creating the perfect film festival

Alright. A little recapitulation on some of the recommendations

TREAT THE FILMMAKER RIGHT:
1. Promote their films as well as the festival
2. Keep a log of who sees the films so the filmmaker can refer to this later
3. Provide an area where filmmakers can network with media and industry representatives
4. Provide an all access pass for the filmmaker and a guest

My thoughts and comments based on these recommendations:
1. When I promote a film how dependent am I on a quality press kit ?
2. Keeping a log is brilliant. Does it function as a comment sheet as well as a contact sheet?
3. Yikes a hospitality suite as well! I thought the networking would take place at the parties.
4. It would be really tacky to charge the filmmakers to attend the events. Afterall, without the
filmmakers there would be no festival. However, how do I avoid the situation of comping 13
of your "closest friends"?

A question for Directorik. If I did have a category of competittion based on dollars spent, how would I ensure the accuracy of the budget reported. Afterall, even I have been known to misrepresent my age and true hair color

 

[indietalk]

Alright. A little recapitulation on some of the recommendations


My thoughts and comments based on these recommendations:
1. When I promote a film how dependent am I on a quality press kit ?

The best way to promote the festival and the films at the same time is to place a full schedule with times and films in the major local papers, and papers that artists read. Then, to promote films that you think need attention, that is what you should have a press kit for. Contact media outlets and try to get some press on the festival, and then you can talk about the festival and the great films that are lined up. To promote the festival you can do many more things, including advertisements in magazines and newspapers, on TV and radio (you can arrange for a ticket giveaway), flyers around town, etc.

 

[clive]

1. When I promote a film how dependent am I on a quality press kit ?
2. Keeping a log is brilliant. Does it function as a comment sheet as well as a contact sheet?
3. Yikes a hospitality suite as well! I thought the networking would take place at the parties.


1) Yes, I think you have to depend on the quality of the press kit and with that in mind, if you know what you need, you could outline it on the festival website and on any entry form.

2) I've never seen the log done as a comment sheet at a video tech, but it sounds like an interesting idea

3) You don't need a hospitality suite, just a coffee bar or a social area. To help with the networking, you provide two things in this area, a photoboard with a passport photo of the attendees and who they are, so that people can identify who to talk to, and a set of pigeon holes, one for each letter of the alphabet, where people can drop off and collect messages.

Hope this helps

 

[directorik]

4. It would be really tacky to charge the filmmakers to attend the events. Afterall, without the
filmmakers there would be no festival. However, how do I avoid the situation of comping 13
of your "closest friends"?

It would seem reasonable to comp the director and a guest - the producer and a guest - the writer (they are very often the forgotten member of the team) and a guest - even a couple of actors and a guest. But that does get into a LOT of comps...

To avoid abuse the rules would have to be very clear. The festival organizers would have to decide how many passes could be allotted to a particular production team. It won't be easy, and someone will always feel slighted. That's human nature.

Maybe allotted by distance traveled?

For a local festival (in my case Los Angeles) I wouldn't expect an all access pass for everyone who worked on my movie plus their friends - or even free passes to the screening of our movie. But if I and my producer and my DP and an actor or two flew from L.A. to Connecticut maybe something could be worked out.

Yikes! Planning a festival is hard work!

A question for Directorik. If I did have a category of competittion based on dollars spent, how would I ensure the accuracy of the budget reported. Afterall, even I have been known to misrepresent my age and true hair color.

This, too would be difficult.

In competition it would sure be nice to have a $20,000 show competing against a $20,000 show rather than against a $90,000 show.

In general, noncompetitive screenings, it would just be nice to (for example) have a 10PM screening every night of movies made for under $10,000 or $15,000.

No way really to insure the actual budget, I suppose. Occasionally, even us movie makers tell the truth.

 

[carol rose]

Creating a festival...I'm still on a need to know basis

Hi guys. I have a few more questions for you.

Would you submit your film to a festival during their call for entries if you hadn't first been solicited by someone from the festival?

What happens if you commit to a festival and your film finds a distributor before the festival occurs?

Zensteve... does it have to be REAL butter?

 

[indietalk]

What happens if you commit to a festival and your film finds a distributor before the festival occurs?

Depends on if you want to show films with distribution or not. You will also need to keep tabs on premiere status if you have premiere requirements.

 

[Zensteve]

Would you submit your film to a festival during their call for entries if you hadn't first been solicited by someone from the festival?

You're not going to having films magically fall into your lap, without getting the word out about the fest.

Depends on what you mean by soliciting, I guess. Calling people up directly and asking for their film? Not really practical.

There are many boards (similar to this one, but infinitely inferior I should add ) that have places to post in and spread the word. This board has the "Call For Entries" forum specifically for that. People looking for upcoming fests will head there first, every time.

Links to the official website, a bit of blurb about it and some basic details (including how much $$ to submit) are some of the bits that should be in each post. Multiply that by hundreds of boards (all of which are really lame, compared to this one ) and you are potentially soliciting tens of thousands of filmmakers and indie-viewers.

Whether or not they choose to submit is a different story. Price for some peeps, location for some peeps, reputation for some peeps, odds of getting an award for some peeps, having a film that fits a genre you're looking for, lots of variables.

_______

Short answer... Yes. I would not wait for a personal phonecall from the fest before deciding to submit, if the fest looked good.

(and also assuming I could actually make something half-way decent)

 

[carol rose]

Depends on if you want to show films with distribution or not. You will also need to keep tabs on premiere status if you have premiere requirements.

If the film is in distribution and I show it at my festival, am I financially obligated to the distributor?

 

[carol rose]

Even more questions on the festival

Good evening. We're still in the process of designing the festival. Hmmm... I have a feeling that this design process will be ongoing until an hour before the festival starts. Can I run some potential names by you?

" The Mad Hatter Film Festival." Why? Years ago our community was linked to the hatting industry.
There were numerous hat factories in our town as well as the sorrounding area. Thus, "Mad Hatter"
is a link to our past as well a funky kind of literary name.

"The Suburban Film Festival" Why? We're 1hour 20minutes from NYC. We're in the burbs and not
ashamed of it.

" The Bedroom Community Film Festival" Why? See above and I think the word "bedroom" is kind
of sexy.

"The Housatonic Valley Film Festival" Yawn. Why? Well that's where we're located.

So, what's in a name? And what about these names? I greatfully welcome your comments.

 

[Zensteve]

"The Housatonic Valley Film Festival" Yawn

Yes. Yawn. Too many places with "<insert town here> Film Fest".

" The Bedroom Community Film Festival" Why? See above and I think the word "bedroom" is kind
of sexy.

Hmmm... Not sure what you see in that. I'd go with "Dangling At The End Of A 40-Foot Bungee Cord, While A Swiss Alpine Goatherder Wearing A Batman Mask Yodels The Lyrics To 'Ave Maria' Film Festival", though.

Now that is sexy.

" The Mad Hatter Film Festival." Why? Years ago our community was linked to the hatting industry.
There were numerous hat factories in our town as well as the sorrounding area. Thus, "Mad Hatter"
is a link to our past as well a funky kind of literary name.

Now, there we go!

Good call trying to work some local history into it. Not only do you have a potential name, but a theme to use as well.

 

[cibao]

Carol, I just finished my first movie (in September) and am just sending off to film festivals. But to answer two of your questions, Withoutabox is very important to me. It's one place to go and find most festivals, and submit without re doing everything.

And DVD is what my 'film' is in now. For some of the festivals I've applied for, I'll have to transfer the DVD to beta SP, which seems to be a shot in the dark for me. I can't review the tape since I don't have a beta SP deck.

The Mad Hatter isn't too bad, except people may be looking for all fantasy all the time.

As for the prize, I'd consider spending the 10 grand on plaques or statues, and treating the film makers to dinners and drinks, room and board, etc. I think most of the film makers who are in many of the festivals are doing it for the film. 10 grand won't buy much for the next movie, and only one is going to get that anyway. Throw the money at advertising is another bonus...or to get the press interested...or distributors interested in coming out.

And lastly, New England in the winter?? I'd probably come out there if I felt like your festival was going to treat my film with respect.

Best of luck!

Chris
www.thethreelittlefigs.com

Feel free to check out the trailer for my recent "masterpiece"!!

 

[learnfilmonline]

Just incase you were wondering the link to With Out A Box was not working. So here's there link again. Thats all I have.

 

[New River Film]

Hello,

My name is George Woods. I have noticed that you have some questions about starting a film festival. I have personnally founded a couple of film fests and I would enjoy talking with you about some of the details.

My first festival has received and showcased films from budgets of five hundred dollars to a few million dollars. In the first year, I chose 18 World Premiers, including “The Collector of Bedford Street”, which went on to be an Academy Award Nominee. Various other films, along with “Vakvagany” (World Premiere) have been shown on PBS, HBO, and the Sundance channel.

You can contact me at george@newriverfilm.com.

 

[Zensteve]

That's an awesome offer, Mr New River Film!

I hope Carol takes you up on that, and presents a superbly great fest.