The End of Sundance Film Festival and all
What has happened to the artists of the world? " I am mad as hell, and were not going to take it anymore"?
Someone responded to a post regarding Film Festival's as a fraud, like it is no big deal, go along with it, it is fun, you may get your film shown! Are you serious?
I read these forums, I really don't understand, the apathy, the ignorance, the tolerance to "comply" "accept" follow the "system", isn't this what is wrong with the world and our country?
Before you tell me this shouldn't be in the festival category, I suggest you have a look at this, because this is SPECIFICALLY "festival news", more then just news, but 30 years of bullshit.
Scam Fest is a documentary that reveals the 'truth' about Sundance and many other film festivals, if you feel you have an important story to tell, then please do contact us.
There are solutions and OTHER ways, but first you have to destroy the old and destructive ones.
If I offend someone here because I don't simply begin as a newby with a cookies and milk post, well then that's your problem, I don't want to talk, talk, post, talk, I want to DO, and that is what we are DOING.
Bottom line, YOU ARE GETTING SCAMMED! Big time. All I ask is that you see for yourself, read, investigate, if you want to play along with these fraudsters, go ahead, send them your money, I am not on this forum selling you anything, or being some kind of troll, we are trying to change something that will benefit the filmmaker.
LINK IS HERE>
Scam Fest
This is just a sample of what other filmmakers are saying
Obviously this project is important to all independent filmmakers because as we all know, distribution is the problem. We learn our craft, invest thousands into equipment and fund our own projects with the noble dream that one day our film will be accepted. I never liked the idea of fees to submit a film and it always struck me as rather unjust to fleece the starving artist but I had never done the math or given it as much thought as you have. This is a horrendous instance of corporate geed and corruption. *I am showing this to every camera person I know. I am shocked and I am livid!
What started out as a great idea got tainted irrevocably [kind of like the UN]. Preying upon peoples dreams is one of the basest acts that the plutocracy commits.*Getting a quality documentary screened should not be a lottery. This culture of celebrity and reality star worship is the antithesis of art and moral edification.*
You have identified the problem and pointed the way towards a more sustainable path for artists. It is a very important project that will hopefully reach a huge audience and then the boycotts will begin. It's so crazy but after I watched the trailer, it all seemed so obvious. The epiphany.
I'd love to add my passion and energy to this project. I wonder if they'll screen your doco at Sundance:].
My interest in this project is actually quite deep. *I feel as though there's a world of people who need to be correctly informed about how to correctly go about applying to be in a film festival without being scammed or ripped off, myself included. *I've definitely sank over ten thousand dollars over my short career towards making several movies, and it would be severely demeaning to find out that money I had put towards making something would be taken away from a scam or prerigged contest. *I would like, at the very least to blow away the smoke and mirrors from this supposedly miraculous even and expose it for what it really is.
*I believe in this project because the film business is a sham and things like this must be exposed. It is in your face if your looking but most people are not. And people go into debt, thinking they can pull a spike lee. While the film they have submitted is not getting a shot. And the sad reality is it is not even glances at, or do they read the titles? Just for fun?
*Heart breaking but it cannot end here we have to ask questions about how we let it happen, what was the driving force , what can we put into play so this will never happen again.
And lets see how it unfolds.
As a director of three short films (in addition to being a sound mixer) I must have submitted to hundreds of fests by now, Sundance included. I know the corrupt game by now and its one of the reasons I'm not playing it anymore.
*
Would love to be a part of this documentary production. It has all the makings of a landmark film.*I signed the petition. How can I help?!
As a film maker myself, I feel that it is a necessity to bring to light any injustices and scams that independent film makers fall into.*
I personally have not entered any of my projects into any major film festivals for this exact same reason. From what I've been through with my own experiences,*
I've come to realize that the film industry as a whole is closed off to any new talented people looking into working in the industry unless they already know someone that
can connect them with someone already well established in the industry. I used to think that film festivals were a haven for those who had no such connections to get their work out into
the public, giving them a chance to break into their dream careers. But unfortunately with all of these scams occurring, this is not possible. Therefor I feel that this documentary can do a lot of good.*
I am a filmmaker and have used without a box before, spent a lot of money, and got nothing out of it.* I've always just accepted that Sundance wasn't an independent film festival but what I've never thought about is all the money/time/hope that aspiring filmmakers spend on submissions even though their films don't get watched and they often don't have a chance against people with connections.
I feel that the ‘indy process’ has been corrupted by the corporate establishment. The way something like Sundance started out, marketed as an alternative to Hollywood and now it’s obviously part of it, is a story worth telling. I also feel that like art, so much of what sells is bad, and backroom deals and insider loops and money are the real controlling factors.
As a filmmaker, you always wonder the whys and hows of film festival. Sometimes it seems like the winner is planned out. mostly you feel like spending money for nothing. i've always wanted to got to the bottom of this.
I stopped submitting to festivals many years ago because of suspected corruption, stealth, and manipulated and/or politicized results. 20 years in the graphics business taught me that most 'submission' processes are corrupt as I would see my business proposals duplicated and ideas stolen, all while receiving a notice that I was not 'in the final group.' The result was I would only submit to select solicitations, and then, only submit my bids or proposals in-person, one hour before the final deadline. I suspected that this only led to my submissions being blocked, and several times the deadline would be extended, and of course I would see my ideas pop up in someone else's proposal. I've seen much of the same happen since my return to filmmaking.
SCAM FEST
