One of the more popular pages on the Film Festival Secrets web site is the list of fests that require no entry fee for some or all of the submissions they accept. As festivals fitting this description come to my attention I'll be posting them to that page and highlighting them here on the blog.
Boys & Girls Club Aspiring Filmmakers Festival - The BGCAFF was created to showcase films by young filmmakers (21 and under) from across the country. The festival is designed to promote the making of films by youth, especially youth who traditionally do not have the resources to explore filmmaking.
The Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival - To exhibit for our audience the wonderful diversity of human cultures past and present in the exploration of our place in history and in our world. To promote the genre and the makers of film and video productions about archaeology and indigenous peoples.
Bicycle Film Festival - The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle in all forms and styles. If you can name it - Tall Bike Jousting, Track Bikes, BMX, Alleycats, Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking Recumbents - we've probably either ridden or screened it. What better way to celebrate these lifestyles than through art, film, music and performance?
Filmed by Bike - Every year the festival features a fresh selection of exciting, creative films that are eight minutes or under. Sure, we like those movies of messengers riding like daredevils in-and-out of NYC traffic, smacking taxi butts and skidding in style, but Filmed by Bike is about so much more than that. An advanced and mature society is one that recognizes, nurtures, revels in and celebrates it's creative class, it's art and culture. Here in Portland, our bike culture is beyond the basics and we are wholely embracing our place in society as more than just bikers. We revel in bringing together movies from around the world for festival that celebrates bike culture.
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New "no fee" festivals (Nov 17, 2009)
Upcoming appearances at Austin Film Festival
Thursday, October 22nd at 2:45 p.m. - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over
Saturday, October 24th at 3:45 p.m. - Independent Productions: Marketing & PR
Sunday, October 25th at 2:30 p.m. - Independent Productions: Marketing & PR (moderating)
Check out the Austin Film Festival schedule for full info on the films and panels to see. You can also pick up a print copy of Film Festival Secrets at the merch table near registration.
The CineVegas "hiatus" and what it means
“Given the current economic climate and the pressures it has created, we made the difficult decision to put CineVegas on hiatus for the coming year. CineVegas has become such a well respected film festival, and rather than allow the economy to affect its level of quality we have opted to put the event on hold,” said Robin Greenspun, Festival President.
While none of the CineVegas reps in attendance at Fantastic Fest seemed particularly eager to go on the record about the festival's woes, there was plenty of tongue-clucking, head-shaking, and speculation to go around. CV is a top-notch event with a great venue (a cineplex inside the Palms Casino), a sexy hometown, some of the best staff in the business, and a celebrity backer (Dennis Hopper). The festival's contraction to five days in 2009 (down from ten days in previous years) even seemed like an improvement and a smart move in a down economy. How could this vibrant and apparently healthy festival hit the skids so quickly?
While much of the conjecture revolved around the lavish parties and apparent "industry vacation" aspects of the fest, the stated and simplest reason for the hiatus is probably the truth: in a troubled economy, corporate sponsorship dollars dry up fast. It doesn't take a financial wizard to look at the festival's four largest sponsors (the Palms, Vegas.com, The District at Green Valley Ranch, and Greenspun Media Group) and notice that they're all in industries (tourism, retail shopping, and print media) that have been hit hard by the financial downturn. There are very few festivals that can run on ticket sales alone, and none of them are of CineVegas' size and stature. Greenspun and the festival's Artistic Director Trevor Groth (also head programmer at Sundance) made the difficult decision to try to weather the storm and hopefully come back with a bang rather than risk sinking the CineVegas ship entirely. It's a disappointing move (especially for those staffers who were laid off) but ultimately a smart one. Trying to put on the same level of show without the same level of backing would spell disaster.
Will CineVegas be back? I sure hope so. In the meantime, the writing is on the Palms Casino wall for every festival that relies primarily on corporate sponsorships to operate each year: it's time to implement (or further develop) your membership and individual giving programs. Diversifying your "portfolio" in this way not only provides a bit of a cushion in the lean times, but it also strengthens your ties to the community and can lead to more corporate sponsorships when times are good. There are a number of good resources out there about fundraising during a recession, but it boils down to tapping into your fan base and offering them something they can't get elsewhere: recognition, exposure to unusual movies and experiences, the satisfaction of making a difference to the independent film scene.
This isn't a cure-all; even the greatest individual giving program won't replace corporate sponsorships, but it's a heck of a hedge against those famine years. The Seattle International Film Festival has one of the most comprehensive and successful film fest membership programs I've ever seen – if you want an education on how to do a membership program right, invest the $55 in a basic membership and watch them go to work.
Be sure to tell me all about your successful new membership program at CineVegas 2011.
Indie Memphis - come hear me gab on a coupla panels
I'm currently in Memphis, Tennessee for the Indie Memphis film festival. The festival staffers have kindly invited me to speak on two of their "Café Conversation" panels. Both talks take place outside the Malco Studio theater at the Festival Café tent. The events are free to the public so even if you weren't planning to attend the festival itself (and you should), you can stop by and soak up a little knowledge without spending a dime.
How to "do" the Toronto Film Festival
Larry Richman, on the other hand, seems to have been a number of times, and offers this three-part guide of "tips for real people," ranging from line etiquette to specific advice about particular venues.
Check it out. Part one, part two, and part three.
Festival Tips from The Pigeon: Impossible Blog
One big thing that I learned at Palm Springs: do your research. More specifically, know the names and titles of the key people working at the festival. There’s usually 3-7 people ranging from print traffickers, to the festival director, programmers, and media coordinators. If you don’t get something from the festival introducing these people beforehand, they’ll definitely be in the printed program. Be sure to glance over those names so that when you run into them at a party, you’re able to put a face to the name and say thank you for all their hard work.
Read more on The Pigeon: Impossible Blog.
SXSW Panel Picker - it's time to vote.
Since 2007 the South by Southwest Film Festival (and its sister Music and Interactive events) have allowed attendees to suggest panel ideas and then vote on them using a web site called the PanelPicker. It's not the only method by which the SXSW team selects what panels to present, but it formalizes the process of gauging audience interest in particular topics. They've continued to use the PanelPicker since its inception, so I'm guessing it's a fairly useful tool for the programmers and it certainly makes the target audience feel included.
The PanelPicker for 2010 is currently open for audience voting, and for the first time I've submitted a panel idea: Short Film Secrets. I get a lot of questions from the creators of short films asking how the concepts in Film Festival Secrets apply to short films in particular. There are also a ton of questions out there about the distribution potential for short films, how they can be used to give your career a boost, and which festivals are best for short filmmakers. So that's the panel I think SXSW should host, and I hope you like it well enough to vote for it.
Some other notable panel ideas include:
Voting ends in about a week on September 4th, so get in there to vote early and often!
SXSW 2009 wrap-up - better late than never.
For those of us who live in Austin, Texas, few phrases strike such simultaneous dread and delight in our hearts as the three little words "South by Southwest." For the better part of the month of March, this celebration of music, film, and technology turns Austin upside-down. Thousands of people flood into the city to snarl traffic, invade Austin's bars and restaurants, and generally make merry with their fellow hipsters. For a few days, it's great to see everyone. Then it's great to see you all go home again.
If you're not in the film or music industry or living on the bleeding edge of internet technology, you may not even have heard of South By Southwest (hereafter printed as "SXSW" and known colloquially as "South-By"). But for those who work in one of the industries served by this three-headed monster of an event, SXSW looms increasingly large on the professional travel calendar.
What is SXSW?
Simply put, SXSW is a combination trade conference and festival with three overlapping areas of interest: music, film, and interactive technology. While it's possible to purchase admission into the events for just one area of interest, many attendees take advantage of the fact that they can indulge multiple passions in one convenient trip. For years, SXSW has been the place to see emerging musical acts and legends side-by-side regardless of genre. The interactive conference (the fastest growing segment of the event) has become the de facto annual reunion of people who only know one another through their internet occupations. Finally the nine-day film festival (which was added in 1994 along with the interactive conference) plays over 100 films – both features and shorts, including docs and narratives – and hosts a series of film conference panels, workshops, and mentoring sessions as well.
What makes SXSW different from other film festivals?
- The music and interactive conferences that play alongside the film fest make SXSW an event unlike most other film festivals. Festival attendees are thrown into a throng of people who may or may not have any interest in the film festival aspect of the proceedings. Personally I find this makes things more interesting – people from many different backgrounds end up at the same party, so the person next to you at the bar could be a fellow filmmaker or the founder of your favorite internet startup. You won't know which until you start a conversation.
- SXSW is a for-profit entity. Unlike many (probably most) festivals which establish themselves as non-profit tax-exempt entities, SXSW runs itself as a for-profit company. The event still relies on hundreds (thousands?) of volunteers to make things happen, but the company's need to make money to survive often affects their decision-making process.
- Location, location, location. It's rare that a conversation about SXSW won't include some mention of the fact that Austin is a very cool town. It's difficult to envision an event like SXSW taking place in a city that didn't have the critical mass of technology workers, the vibrant boot-strap filmmaking scene, or a reputation as the live music capital of the world. Not to mention a world-class party district downtown, tons of awesome restaurants, and extremely pleasant weather in March, when most of the rest of the country is still suffering the woes of winter. Even if the idea of Texas doesn't appeal to you much, Austin is a great escape early in the year.
Why is it important?
South by Southwest is seen by many in the industry as the first important post-Sundance festival of the year. Sundance kicks off the festival year in January with the movies that they regard as the best in independent film but there's a lot of great stuff that gets left on the metaphorical cutting room floor once Sundance has made its picks. Those films tend to be less polished, edgier films from younger filmmakers, but there are a number of movies that don't fit that description which premiere at SXSW too. Whether SXSW's programming style emerged from picking among Sundance's leavings or whether they would program that way regardless is a matter for some debate. The simple fact remains, however, that a looser, freer atmosphere pervades SXSW than at Sundance. This may have something to do with Utah's trademark single-digit weather and the accompanying wardrobe requirements, but at SXSW there are fewer publicists, fewer industry parasites looking for a break, and generally less stress. If Sundance is the Superbowl, SXSW is the Ultimate Frisbee Championships. Bad analogy? How about this: if Sundance is Carnegie Hall, SXSW is Woodstock.
One might also speculate that fewer deals get made at SXSW as well, and you would be right. SXSW isn't a huge hub of acquisitions activity, but the industry does pay attention to the films that play there. These days, however, distributors are taking an approach that is much more wait-and-see regardless of festival context. Savvy distribution companies are looking for those filmmakers who can attract a critical mass of attention to their films without significant marketing help (i.e. advertising dollars) from a third party. SXSW is an ideal place to begin such a DIY marketing campaign – it's well-attended by the film press and is the center of the internet's attention for a week or more leading up to the event, as well as the days during and after the festival itself. Hanging around the press office and making friends with people who have popular blogs or thousands of followers on Twitter could be the start of your film's success story.
From the perspective of an exhibiting filmmaker, what does SXSW do well?
If you're lucky enough to have been selected to show your film at South By Southwest, you definitely need to show up. The festival provides some aid to visiting filmmakers: competition filmmakers receive a travel stipend and the festival negotiates special rates with local hotels to make the stay more affordable. Feature filmmakers receive three complimentary film badges and shorts receive two. You'll want to take advantage of those badges: not only do they get you into all of the film screenings (a moviegoer's paradise), but a badge also provides access to the Film Conference and nightly parties for which the festival is famous. Of course it's difficult to take advantage of those early morning conference panels when you've been out 'til the wee hours partying, but as in life, SXSW is all about priorities.
Not sure where to get started? The festival provides some advance materials and a welcome lunch to help filmmakers get their bearings. "For the first time this year, we held a filmmaker-only welcome lunch on Friday afternoon, hosted by Troublemaker Studios," says Festival Producer Janet Pierson. "In addition to the lunch, this year and for the last several years we've hosted a filmmaker orientation on Saturday morning. Next year, I believe we'll move the orientation to the welcome lunch if we can. Additionally, in advance of SXSW, we provide a lot of printed materials offering guidance on how filmmakers can make the most of their experience, including publicity tips and advice, and industry lists."
Once you've reached Austin, you definitely want to be present for some of the nighttime events, both to promote your film's screenings and to meet other filmmakers and industry types. The press is also easily accessible since there is a highly-identifiable press lounge in the convention center. If you're in the mood for some learnin', drop in on one of the many filmmaking panels on an array of different topics. Perhaps the best part of SXSW, however, is the way it recharges your creative batteries. With so many smart and talented people around doing so many cool things, it's difficult not to get swept up in the enthusiasm. That's what good conferences do: rekindle your passion for your art, and help you to improve that art in the process.
Where does SXSW need help?
Every event has its weaknesses and SXSW is no different. In the case of this mammoth event they might be problems that other festivals wish they could have, but here's my quick assessment of areas where SXSW could improve.
- Too many venues, too many movies. In some ways SXSW is a victim of its own success and this is definitely one of those ways. While the downtown venues are reasonably accessible and it's no more than a fifteen-minute walk between any two of them, the "off-campus" venues can feel impossible to get to, especially when you factor in traffic and parking. I don't think I saw a single film at the Alamo South Lamar during this year's festival. Granted, the organization has taken steps to remedy this sort of thing recently; they no longer use the Dobie Theater as a venue, for one thing. Shuttle buses were apparently running between downtown and the South Lamar location as well, but for some reason I never felt well-informed enough to use them. (My own laziness is at fault here; kudos to SXSW for providing shuttles at all.)
One might also argue that there are simply too many movies competing for attention; a reduction in the number of movies might make for a less hectic screening schedule. I don't see this changing any time soon, however, so the best bet is to keep close track of the buzz, see the indie pictures without distribution that you really want to see (don't waste time on studio "sneak previews" that will be out in a few months), and try to catch up with the others at other festivals or on DVD at a later date.
(To digress for a moment: this year's new "priority seating" ticketing system seemed to work well enough when the theater volunteers actually knew about the procedures and followed them. Regardless, with a film badge I don't think I ever got shut out of a screening I wanted to see, provided I got there at least 30 minutes ahead of showtime. Ticketing is one of those things that festivals seem to forever be tinkering with, so I expect to see this system either evolve further or die entirely in the coming year.) - Panel programming is hit or miss. Programming a conference is an art; it requires a familiarity of what the audience wants, access to engaging and knowledgeable speakers, and strong moderators to keep the conversation flowing. As with so many events large and small, it is this third element where SXSW occasionally stumbles. A bad moderator can squash any promising discussion and all too often the moderators at SXSW did just that: they allowed panelists to pontificate at length and off-topic, they failed to intercept rambling audience questions, and at times they even hijacked the panels to further their own agendas. One moderator began the panel by reading aloud an entry from his blog – the audience was asleep before the discussion had a chance to begin. It is difficult to find people who are both good at moderating and willing to do so, but a good discussion leader is the single most deciding factor between a great panel and a bad one. SXSW should find the good ones and, if necessary, pay them to stick around.
Beyond the moderator complaint, I did notice that some of the panels could wander deep into "inside baseball" territory. I realize that it's hard for industry vets to remember life as a film fest newbie, but some care should be taken to warn panelists against assuming that everyone in the room reads indieWIRE religiously and has a comprehensive knowledge of the mumblecore catalog. Other panelists seemed underprepared or simply inappropriate for the panel -- in one case the filmmakers' circumstances of achieving success were so impossible to reproduce that his comments were practically useless. "We got incredibly lucky" isn't much of an insight. - All of these things said, the panels can be incredibly informative – especially if you're willing to bail out on a session that turns out to be a dud and move on to something else already in progress. SXSW has considerable clout in the industry and it would be foolish not to take advantage of the access to the people they gather into these conference rooms each year. Some of my complaints above are within the festival's control and some are simply a part of running an educational event, but with some planning and the right attitude there's a lot to be learned by showing up.
Who should attend?
If you're not exhibiting a film in the festival, your attendance should be tempered by your budget and by the festival's relevance to your career. If you're looking for celebrity actors to populate your next feature you're probably better off heading to Park City or Los Angeles, but if you want to meet scrappy, inspiring filmmakers with whom to start shooting your new webisode series, Austin is the right place to be. Because of the concurrent music and technology events hotels fill up quickly and lodging can cost you a pretty penny (or at least require you to rent a car to commute into the city each day if you find an outlying budget hotel), so definitely weigh the pros and cons. It would suck to spend a few inspiring days in Austin only to find that you'd spent your production budget on SXSW.
Who should apply?
SXSW has an extremely wide purview, content-wise; lush, thoughtful dramas seem as welcome as guerilla-style documentaries, though there are definitely more of the latter that get programmed at the festival. If your film is about music in any way, SXSW is a great place to submit. They're always hungry for good music-related material, be it music videos, music documentaries, or narrative films centered on music. Films related to Texas and the West are also favored, though the fact that your film was made in the Lone Star State (or even in Austin itself) is no guarantee that it will be accepted. Beyond that, SXSW is undeniably a top tier festival and should be high on the target list of any indie filmmaker looking to make the festival rounds.
(Full disclosure: I participated in the SXSW documentary film pre-screening process this past year and hope to continue to do so. They were also kind enough to host a book signing for Film Festival Secrets during the 2009 festival.)
Staff departs Starz Denver en masse, says indieWIRE
A dramatic mass exodus is underway at the Denver Film Society, organizer of the three decade old Denver International Film Festival. Longtime veterans of the organization, including Festival Director Britta Erickson and Artistic Director Brit Withey, as well as esteemed co-founder Ron Henderson, have resigned in Denver. And now they are being followed out the door by more then [sic] fifteen other people at the Film Society and the festival.
Read Mile High Mutiny: Major Shakeup Hits Denver Fest.
Toronto After Dark film fest submissions deadline approaches
A quick announcement for any horror, sci-fi, action, animation or cult filmmakers out there. This is the final week to submit your short or feature film to the 2009 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. If you're looking to gain added exposure for your genre film it could be well worth your while taking the few minutes to enter.
Toronto After Dark has already established itself as one of North America's leading genre cinema showcases. Over 8,500 fans came out for last year's record-breaking Toronto event and all the films programmed including LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, REPO THE GENETIC OPERA, TOKYO GORE POLICE and I SELL THE DEAD scored extensive media coverage. This year's Toronto After Dark brings its cinematic mayhem for the first time to Summer and runs Aug 14-21, 2009.
To be considered, your film entry details must be completed online by end of day, this Friday May 15. Full details, including a fast and easy to complete online submission form, are available at the official festival website here:
http://www.torontoafterdark.com/
Groth Named Sundance Director of Programming - indieWIRE
Trevor Groth is taking over the reins as Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival effective immediately. Groth takes the position after John Cooper, who previously held the position, was appointed Director of the Sundance Film Festival following the departure of longtime event head Geoff Gilmore to the Tribeca Film Institute in March.
No word yet on how this will affect Groth's duties as Artistic Director of CineVegas.
Read Groth Named Sundance Director of Programming - indieWIRE.
Winnebago Man - Tubed from Hot Docs
Hot Docs uploads a series of videos about its programming to YouTube. Here's one of my faves, starring Ben Steinbauer of Winnebago Man.
(Via Agnes Varnum.)
When festival poster art attacks!
A coincidence, I'm sure, but an amusing one:
 |  |
| The 1983 Atlanta Film Festival poster. | The 2009 Independent Film Festival Boston art. |
Is there a common image source for both? Someone knowledgeable in art history, please let me know.
(Update: some Googling later, it looks like both works are the same take on an illustration in Gray's Anatomy.)
Steal this idea: use your vacation email message to market your film/event
I got this excellent email "out of office" autoresponder from a festival contact recently:
Absence Alert! I'm out of the office and returning Monday, April 13.
I'll be warm and dry playing outside dressed in my Patagonia Cold Track jacket, Polartec fleece, OR hat and gloves and New Balance Shoes. I'll use my Deuter pack to carry extra gear and supplies from Gore-Tex, Mountain Hardwear, OR, Petzl and Mountain Equipment Co-op. You can find me in the beautiful pristince Yellowstone to Yukon region, making tracks at Mount Engadine Lodge, or skiing one of the fantastic areas of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. Following a great day outdoors I'll relax with a Big Rock ale or a glass of Redwood Creek wine and enjoy reading about travel, exploration and adventure in National Geographic Adventure magazine. I may fantasize about tripping away with World Expeditions or Canadian Mountain Holidays.
I will check and reply to email only sporadicaly. If you need immediate assistance please contact [snipped for privacy].
Laurie Harvey
Manager, Strategic Partnerships
Mountain Culture, The Banff Centre
Laurie not only turned her everyday vacation message into something funny, she also mentioned her strategic partners (aka "sponsors"), guaranteeing that existing sponsors would smile and that prospective partners would get the message: even when Laurie is on vacation, she's doing her job.
If you're a filmmaker, you can use vacation auto-responders to send messages in a similar way. Set one up to cover your email while you're away at a festival, and be sure to include the screening times of all of your upcoming festivals while you're at it. Add a link to your trailer so that everyone who emails you will get a chance to check out your film -- even if they're just trying to sell you "mal3 en#anc3ment" products.
MovieMaker's 2009 List: 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee MovieMaker Magazine
MovieMaker has released their annual list again, and the results are... interesting. I'm very pleased to see my old home, the Austin Film Festival, listed – arguably the most prominent festival on the list. No time to comment more now as I'm packing for IFF Boston (see you there? I'm speaking on a panel) but I'll have the full rundown next week.
Read The 2009 List: 25 Festivals Worth the Fee in MovieMaker Magazine.
Steal this idea - Secret Party for your Twitter followers
Festival directors reading this can steal the idea outright, but filmmakers may need a little more creativity to make it work for them. Either way, it's a clever and subversive way to boost your Twitter followers – the Atlanta Film Festival withheld the details about one of their parties, releasing the details only on Twitter. (You can find them at twitter.com/atlantafilmfest.)
Below is a quick snap of the party page of the Atlanta Film Festival's program guide.
Watch this: Doc short on managing your expectations on the festival circuit
Seven excellent minutes from filmmaker Zak Forsman on why you want to show up at festivals and what you should work to get out of them. This video starts a "virtual panel session" from filmmakers in the Workbook Project.
Upcoming panel discussions with yours truly
Normally it's difficult to get me to shut up about myself, but occasionally I get busy enough that I forget to do even that. As a result you may have missed your golden opportunity to see me speak at the Georgia Big Picture Conference this morning. Never fear! I have two more panels here in Atlanta and one coming up in Massachusetts at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Here are the gritty details.
The Film Festival Circuit: A discussion with authors Heidi Van Lier (The Indie Film Rule Book) and Chris Holland (Film Festival Secrets).
Friday April 17th at 4:00 p.m.
Starbucks
931 Monroe Drive
Atlanta,GA 30305
Distribution Options and Alternatives
Sunday April 19th at 10:45 a.m.
Hotel Midtown
Atlanta, GA
Digital strategies for building and communicating with your audience
Sunday, April 26 at 12:00 pm
Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Sq
Somerville, MA 02144
The other panelists are:
- Scott Kirsner (moderator), author of the Cinematech blog and two very cool books.
- Brian Chirls, digital film marketing guru extraordinaire
- Sean Flynn, producer and cinematographer at Principle Pictures.
Panels are open to festival/conference badgeholders; please inquire to GA Big Picture Conference or IFF Boston if you need more info.
Fest Circuit 101 - A Guide to Fests
indieWIRE is rolling out a cross section of North American and international film festivals listings with dates and links to iW coverage when relevant. Big events such as Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin are listed along with other large fests as well as regional and specialty festivals. This list will continue to evolve and we hope it will be a useful guide for filmmakers, film fans and industry. We also plan to add further features to the list, so please check back in the coming weeks and months.
To get to the guide, hit "Quicklinks" on the indieWIRE navigation bar and select "Film Festival Guide."
The indieWIRE Guide to Film Festivals.
The Business of Nonprofits: Ensure excellence when recruiting board members
A little something for the festival staffers out there; indie film consultant Mark Wynns pointed me towards this article on one of the trickier aspects of running a film festival – maintaining a board of directors. Good stuff.
Your board must understand that they are the final authority responsible for your nonprofit's performance, rather than the executive director. They should be familiar with the full range of this accountability - financial management, legal and so on.
The flip side of the accountability issue is a board that micromanages the executive director or other staff. Gottlieb states, "Micromanagement is the opposite of accountability. True accountability is proactive and preventative, while micromanagement is reactive and fear-based."
Read The Business of Nonprofits: Ensure excellence when recruiting board members.
Chris Holland has been writing about movies since 1991. In 1996 he co-founded 