SXSW

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Good luck to you Layton if indeed you are waiting.
One of the actresses in my film is a PR agent for several films supposedly going to SXSW and that acceptances have been sent out. If you didn't get one, they don't have your film?
 
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yeah still waiting :( maurice i like the way you think but im afraid to let myself hope such things haha. since everybody that i know who submitted seems to have gotten their rejection letter on thursday, i dont know what to think. ive been an extra anxious wreck for the 48 hrs since. brandon, i hope you are wrong obviously :) I did get an email confirmation from them a few days after i fedex'd my film and submission forms (back in october) telling me that I am confirmed, my submission was complete and I need not email them before feb 9th. But my mind is creative and going through all sorts of scenario's. Guess I have no choice but to just keep waiting and freaking out every time my email inbox dings.
 
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Thinking of you guys...

Looks like you still got another week and a half.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/submission_faq

FILM SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION

5. I have completed the application process. When can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of my entry?

You will receive an email from SXSW to notify you that we have received your entry. We will notify you when we receive your entry or if your entry is incomplete. All filmmakers will be sent notification of their film's final status no later than Thursday, February 9, 2012.

INSIDER TIP: No news is good news. If you haven't heard from us, it means your film is still in the running. Please don't call us panicked unless you still haven't heard from us at all by Thursday, February 9, 2012. However, it gets pretty hectic around here. If you haven't heard anything by February 9, please feel free to check in with us after that date.
 
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I found a forum from '05 on WAB that had about 15 people still waiting up until the day before they announced the shorts and midnighters. But for some reason I cant find a single tweet or forum online reflecting that ANYONE is still waiting even right now. Kinda freaks me out.
 
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Got my rejection. at 10pm last night when my guard was down. :( would have rather gotten it last thursday with everybody else cause over the weekend I actually started to hope a little haha. oh well. This was my first submission, not sure where to go next.
 
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Just went through the list of films accepted and out of all of them not counting the international films, I counted very few that didn't have some celeb involvement. Of the non-celeb films accepted, their creators were people who previously got into Slamdance,Sundance, etc., can't say I blame them for programming these people, need to fill seats.

I haven't made a film that has gone on to Slamdance or Sundance or won any kind of awards so I can't compete with that.

We have to start at smaller festivals, get names in our next picture, or have an award-winning short and then go after these big ones.

Now I know.
 
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Brandon -

Your statement was brutal enough that I just had to go back and cross-reference verify on my recently compiled spreadsheet on SXSW's big cousin 2011 Sundance features that picked up distribution.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...GlCeDRmWTFCYXJRWjJ3SUphZDNzMGc&hl=en_US#gid=1
Goto the second sheet tab at the bottom "Previous Works".

Because of your observation I just updated that second sheet by C&P onto it the three primary actors from the first sheet.
(The purple text films are documentaries, so those really don't count.)

Surprisingly, there are actually a few well known actors that will work with first time narrative feature directors.
- Another Earth by first time writer/director Mike Cahill starring William Mapother & Brit Marling
- Hobo With a Shotgun by first time writer/director Jason Eisener starring Rutger Hauer, Pasha Ebrahimi and Robb Wells (I'll concede this is a special case since Eisner won a contest and was allowed to secure all of these talent resources).
- Homework / The Art of Getting by first time writer/director Gavin Wiesen starring Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts and Michael Angarano
- Margin Call by first time writer/director J.C. Chandor starring Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci and Kevin Spacey (Several of these guys are a very tight friendship heading their own production company, so this almost doesn't count, unless you just wanna make better friends). :)
- Martha Marcy May Marlene by first time writer/director Sean Durkin starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes
- Sound of My Voice by first time writer/director Zal Batmanglij starring Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius and Brit Marling
- The Guard by first time writer/director John Michael McDonagh starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong (I'm just now finishing up watching this film. It's quirky odd but well done).


Point is, is that it's "possible" without a half dozen features under your belt, no need for quite so much despair

GL & GB


Ray
ITSTATS​
 
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Yeah, but SXSW markets themselves as the true indie film festival. But the truth is they attend and take notes from sundance, and in such, is morphing into the same impossible dream for indie filmmakers.
 
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Maurice said:
Yeah, but SXSW markets themselves as the true indie film festival. But the truth is they attend and take notes from sundance, and in such, is morphing into the same impossible dream for indie filmmakers.
Click to expand...
Oh, their claims to be an indie film festival is pure bullsh!t these days.
http://sxsw.com/film/about
A close review of their current marketing info/FAQ rubbish is more along the lines of "Come here, meet important peeps in da biz, and network!"
"A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film."

A review of their feature line ups include a lot of studio premiers sprinkled amid SOME indie films.
http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/film_lineup

I don't care how SXSW wants to market themselves, I just don't care for the "We're all beef!" self promotion when really they're beef, pork and chicken.



Brandon -
Fair enough.
Good luck to us all, all the same. :)
 
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Hey, that's a nice list!
I agree with the fact there are celebs that will work with first time directors. I don't think I ever made a contrary statement. I was saying, If you have a celeb, no matter if you're a first time director or not, you have a better shot. Period.

I'm definitely not saying mine didn't get in because I didn't have a celeb, I'm sure there are a ton of other reasons, ones I'd likely agree with.

Quote from above:
"Point is, is that it's "possible" without a half dozen features under your belt, no need for quite so much despair"
-

I agree, I wasn't referring to having a half-dozen features under your belt, I was thinking of shorts that played at previous Sundances, Slamdances. I mean, if as a fest you can describe the director's bio in a way that says, This guy's previous work played at Sundance, I'd program his latest film too.

I agree with what Maurice is saying to a point, though there are some that get through. Slamdance is supposed to an indie paradise, if it is or not, I don't know.

I've just seen too many crap films at fests and hell, some people will likely say that about mine but I'll keep making films no matter what, they'll get better and we'll see what happens!

EDIT:
If you go to SXSW and make a purposeful connection that leads somewhere, you are good!
It's tough, there are SO many tourists, this is their vacation, like a trip to the Gulf of Mexico.
 
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