FilmmakerIQ.com » Film Festivals

How to get into a Film Festival – Advice from a Festival Director

Dennis — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:03:20 +0000

Darren Levine, Festival Director & Co-Founder NYC Filmmaker’s Fest., offers some advice to filmmakers on how to submit your project to film festivals.

Tales from the Festival Circuit

John P. Hess — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:04:31 +0000

CJ Perry lays out some of his experiences running through the film festival process.

…Of course, the landscape of the industry has evolved radically in that time. As studios consolidated and stopped making as many smaller films as they had in the previous decades, and filmmaking technology became cheaper and more accessible, indie filmmakers increasingly embraced the DIY ethos. Festivals began to spring up to showcase their work; the studios then jumped back in, seeing a way to engender themselves to the movement. While most indies don’t make a large profit (if any at all) for studios, it keeps directors and actors happy, and who knows, there might be a hit in there somewhere.

— Film Slate Magazine | Read The Full Article

Filmmaker Sent Rejection Letter from Film Festival She Didn’t Enter

Dennis — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:10:33 +0000

Being a filmmaker you are required to deal with lots of rejection. You must have the mindset that for every No you hear you’re one step closer to Yes. Although when you get rejected for things you’ve never applied to, as Shawnee Barton did, hopefully you’ll keep your sense of humor.

VIA: Chicago Art Magazine

Bad Movie Cliché Infographics

Dennis — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:00:41 +0000

The New York International Latino Film Festival which begins August 15, 2011 in New York City has launched this clever infographic campaign of Horrible Movie Clichés.

IQ’s Pitch Black nabs “Best Independent Film” – 2011 Las Vegas Film Festival!!

John P. Hess — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:05:35 +0000

Pitch Black took home the title “Best Independent Film” at the 2011 Las Vegas Film Festival held July 16th-18th

Watch the full film here

My deepest and warmest thanks to everyone here on IQ that has help massage and tear apart this film from conception to the finished product especially Da Cat for his insight in the Editing in the Dark Series where we went through each scene cut by bloody cut.

But my biggest thanks goes to the audience – the people that showed up to see a film they only read a blurp about. And to you, the IQ reader -for without you the audience our films would just be home videos…

THANK YOU!!

And I even made it to the CBS Las Vegas News (this time not for my alleged prostitution ring)

The tag on the end where the reporter is talking about “shot in days with a $2000 budget” – they’re referring to Pitch Black…

Be sure to check out the next edition of “The Wrap” (or own podcast) next Monday where I will run down my experience at the Las Vegas Film Festival. Here’s last week edition that was recorded in Las Vegas right before the festivities.

Think Globally, Act Regionally (at least in Film Fests)

John P. Hess — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:02:03 +0000

With quite literally thousands of film festivals in the United States and around the world – what should you look for when submitting to festivals? Sure everyone’s heard of Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes – but maybe you should be looking at the regional festivals.

…Regional film festivals can help you get in the game. My mission today is to show you how playing a few strategically chosen regional film festivals can enhance your knowledge, confidence and contacts, while giving you key insights on how to distribute your film.

— FilmThreat.com | Read The Full Article

Fans, Friends & Followers: Creating Your Own Cult

Dennis — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:20:51 +0000

From SXSW 2010: Finding an audience has become essential to the filmmaker’s arsenal. Featuring real-world examples, Gary Hustwit (director: Objectified, Helvetica) and Scott Kirsner (CinemaTech) explore the filmmaker’s art of cultivating an audience for their work, spreading the word, showing up for screenings, and buying the DVDs or downloading.

VIA: SXSW

Managing Expectations on the Festival Circuit

Dennis — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:24:23 +0000

Workbook Project’s New Breed created this video by Zak Forsman on how to make the festivals work for you by managing your expectations and networking.

VIA: Sabi Pictures

New Directions for Independent Cinema: Ian Calderon

Filmmaker IQ — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:03:51 +0000

Ian Calderon, director of digital initiatives for the Sundance Institute, talks with CinemaTech editor Scott Kirsner about trends in independent film: delivering content to mobile phones and Internet-connected TVs, producing in 3-D, piracy, and the challenge of breaking through the noise — whether you’re submitting a film to Sundance or uploading it to Vimeo or YouTube. Shot in 2009 in New York. Part of The Conversation series of videos… for more see theconversationspot.com.

VIA: Scott Kirsner

Some Festival Advice for Filmmakers

Filmmaker IQ — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:00:18 +0000

AJ Schnack offers some advice for filmmakers in his “An Annual State of the Industry Post and Some Festival Advice for Filmmakers.”

…Distribution companies shutting down (or seemingly on the rocks). New technologies seeming to arrive on a daily basis. With all the fast and furious changes in the independent film world, it’s become necessary to take a somewhat yearly look at the state of our union and to question whether we are abiding by an old, outmoded system.

— AJ Schnack | Read The Full Article