Programmer Profile: Tom Hall of the Sarasota Film Festival & Newport International FF

My name: Tom Hall

My current festivals: The Sarasota Film Festival, The Newport International Film Festival

My title: Artistic Director (both)

Other places I've worked: IFC, The Hamptons International Film Festival (Industry Relations/ Guest Services), The Nantucket Film Festival

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Au hasard Balthazar by Robert Bresson, My Sex Life (...or how I got into an argument) by Arnaud Desplechin, Climates by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Play with my son, spend time with my wife, support Liverpool FC, write

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: Tony Manero -- We were one of the first regional festivals to show the film, and it was the first time I felt a deep connection to a certain perspective regarding the Pinochet regime. That said, I don't feel like films are discovered any more; films are made and a certain group of people see them, and we all make our best efforts to help them find an audience during the same, ever-collapsing window. A great movie is more like a collective call to arms than a personal discovery any more; I can't take credit for anything other than giving it a chance to be seen!

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: We are a festival built on curating great films for our audience of film lovers and the film industry and while we are not a market, we are committed to building serious, long-term relationships among filmmakers, the industry and our community. Several great projects have had their genesis in Sarasota (Alex Karpovsky's Woodpecker, Mary Bronstein and Amy Seimeiz's Round Town Girls, etc), which I think shows that we are committed to both quality international cinema AND supporting emerging American independent works. We don't love a specific "type" of movie, and our 10-day event gives us a very broad palate to program all kinds of different films. So, while lots of market festivals specialize in a certain kind of film, we offer a very diverse line-up and host over 100 filmmakers and industry guests, which fosters a great sense of community and creative possibility.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Great films and the opportunity to interact with the artists responsible for making them.

We program the following categories of films (narrative features, doc features, doc/narrative shorts, animated, etc): All of the aforementioned categories from all over the world, plus retrospective screenings, long-form conversations with actors and directors and a few works in progress now and again.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve/disapprove: Short films with long running times can be problematic for us as it is hard to make time for them, but mostly we're open to seeing whatever filmmakers are interested in sharing. Obviously it may go without saying at this point, but your packaging/personal letter, etc make no difference to us at all, so if you're looking to save money/time, just make a professional looking label on your DVD and don't worry about the rest of it. The movie will tell us all we need to know.

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: We watch everything, we care about your movie but our festival is very competitive in terms of acceptance. We're looking for great films. The other thing I would say is that your film is your property and you are responsible for your own festival strategy; don't let festivals and programmers push you around by playing the "premieres" game -- we don't play by those rules. If your movie is great, we want to show it regardless of where it played first. Make a plan and stick to it, control your film's festival run with the same passion you brought to making it.

The submissions period for our next festival is: We're open now, early deadline is Jan 9, 2010 Regular deadline is Jan 15, 2010, and late deadline is Jan 30, 2010.

Filmmakers can contact me here: tom@sarasotafilmfestival.com (for Sarasota FF business), tom@newportfilmfestival.com (for Newport International FF business)

Anything else? There is no magic or formula to film festivals. It's a set of decisions made by everyday people. Don't be intimidated by "the process" -- it's arbitrary and flawed. Try to enjoy it for what it is.

Programmer Profile: Lisa Vandever of CineKink

My name: Lisa Vandever

My festival: CineKink - “The kinky film festival.”

My title: Co-Founder/Director

Other fests I've worked for: Before co-founding CineKink in 2003, I organized and programmed the New York S/M Film Festival (2000-02). I was also—prior to an educational/frustrating stint in indie film development—the director of programming for a small-market public television station. (Whether my current focus on sexuality is a reaction to or a continuation of that experience is open for debate.)

Movies that best represent my personal tastes: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Secretary, The Auteur, Score, The Last Seduction, Say Anything

When I'm not watching movies I like to: Eat, drink and relax with friends.

A movie I recently programmed that I consider to be a great personal discovery: While I hate to single films out from all of the wonderful others, one recent film that could be deemed a signature style for us is a short that played our 2009 festival and took home one of our jury prizes, Kink, Inc. About a financially struggling couple who stumbles into the “home domination business,” the film manages to incorporate both comedy and conflict without denigrating the type of sexuality depicted—or its practitioners. It’s smutty, funny and kind of sweet—a combination that is definitely one of my weaknesses (see also The Auteur, listed above, another CineKink 2009 offering.)

When filmmakers ask me "What's different about your film festival?" I say: Obviously, the thing that sets us apart is our singular focus on films that celebrate and explore sexuality. We bring together a community of open-minded folks – at our annual festival and through our tour – who are eager for smart and engaging discussions and depictions of sex. And we also work on promoting these types of films, throughout the year, to audiences who aren’t able to attend our screenings.

Our festival audience has come to expect: Nothing wrong with a little titillation – or a lot – the CineKink audience has also become used to works that take an intelligent approach to sexuality, to depictions that move beyond the clichés, to portrayals that don’t denigrate or preach. They also join us for the sense of community you can get from experiencing a film in the company of like-minded others. And, of course, for some really killer parties!

We program the following categories of films (narrative features, doc features, doc/narrative shorts, animated, etc): We program all lengths and genres with, again, the caveat that our focus is on sex and sexuality. We look for works that cut across orientations and like to mix in both explicit and non-explicit materials.

A recent trend I have noticed in submissions of which I approve/disapprove: I’m very pleased that our pool of sex-positive and kink-friendly possibilities seems to expand every year and, though we’re not all that possessive about premiere status, I like that we’re having more and more directors create works specifically for a hopeful CineKink appearance. (On the trending disapproval side, we’ve had a jump in filmmakers submitting works—and even requesting waivers from us—who are clearly unfamiliar with the fact that we’re focused on sex. Please do your research!)

The submissions period for our next festival is: We opened submissions in August and are currently in the midst of our call for entries. Our next postmark deadline is November 20; our final deadline is December 2, 2010.

If you want to be kept up to date on the festival, you can sign up for our mailing list at: http://www.cinekink.com/list

Filmmakers can contact me here: You can email me via lisa at cinekink dot com (though watch for a spam verification reply). I’m also semi-responsive on Twitter: @CineKink

If I could impart one thing to filmmakers about submitting to my festival, it would be: If your film is selected, do consider joining us for the CineKink festivities! One of my favorite things is bringing a film’s creator together with our audiences – it’s a very heady experience for a filmmaker to show his or her work to people who clearly “get it” and I love to be around for that!

This is the first installment of the Programmer Profile series. If you're a festival staffer with a hand in programming and you'd like to be profiled, please email chris at filmfestivalsecrets dot com.

Premiere status etiquette

The subject of your film's world premiere can be a tricky one, particularly if it's a feature. Don't be too coy about your plans with the festivals to which you submit, however – the festival directors have a better grasp on premiere politics than you do. They also know all too well their own festival's relative prestige status when it comes to the decisions filmmakers make. But how should you properly use your film's premiere status as an incentive for festivals to program it? As one filmmaker recently asked me:

I don't want to be disingenuous in my application by promising the world premiere to everyone, but not having had it yet, see it as a sweetener for the cover letter. Should I hustle it until I have it?

You definitely want to use your premiere status to your own advantage, but be honest about it and clearly communicate all changes to that status. You might be tempted to refrain from notifying the other festivals, but that will only create an awkwardness if and when that other festival calls to notify you of your acceptance.

The following sentences added to your submission's cover letter will cover most situations:

As of this writing, the world premiere of "Example Movie" is still available. We have submissions out to several festivals and will keep you apprised of any premiere status changes.

When you decide to have your world premiere at a particular festival, simply send an email to the other festivals still considering you with the subject line "premiere status update for EXAMPLE MOVIE" and let them know about your film's upcoming screening(s).

Stop waiting on Sundance

There are plenty of filmmakers who rush to finish their film for Sundance, fill out the paperwork, send off the DVD, and then... stop. There's nothing wrong with waiting anxiously to hear from what is arguably the world's most famous film festival, but if you're not submitting to other festivals while you wait you could miss out on the entire Spring season. Break out your list of target festivals (see chapter one of Film Festival Secrets for more on this) and get cracking. Here's a handy (but by no means complete) list of festivals with upcoming deadlines. Check each festival's web site for their late deadlines, submission rules, etc.

Edit: I should point out that I picked these festivals for their relative prominence and for the fact that their deadlines come before the Sundance notification date (around Thanksgiving). If you're a festival director and would like to post your own upcoming deadline in the comments, please feel free.

• Slamdance - October 30
  
• Dallas International - October 30
  
• Phoenix - October 30
  
• Cleveland - November 30
  
• Gen Art - October 31
  
• South By Southwest - November 5
  
• Florida Film Festival - November 20
  

Upcoming appearances at Austin Film Festival

The Austin Film Festival begins this Thursday, and as it is the festival where I got my start "on the inside" of fests, it holds a special place in my heart. I'll be checking out the films, schmoozing at the parties, and of course rattling on about festivals, marketing, and film distribution at a few panels during the accompanying Screenwriters' (and filmmakers!) Conference. Here's where you can find me, and when: 

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

A couple of weeks ago, while we here in Austin were enjoying the film frenzy that is Fantastic Fest, the word came over the intertubes that CineVegas, Las Vegas' well-respected and much-gabbed-about summer film festival, will put its annual event on hold for 2010.

“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.

Getting an Education about Film Festivals

IDA's roundup of a pair of panels from FIND's Filmmaker Forum:

All agreed that the film festivals are going through a tough time right now. "Film festivals are losing money and they are closing," lamented Jones. "CineVegas is closing for a year. Jackson Hole [not the Wildlife Film Festival] has closed completely. Sponsors are pulling out, so festivals are dealing with budget cuts in other ways, such as taking fewer films. When the festival outlets dry up, we lose a critical distribution mechanism. I consider film festivals like art galleries--they are the only place where you can see particular films onscreen." 

Read FIND's Filmmaker Forum 2009: Getting an Education about Film Festivals.