Here Are 10 Things Filmmakers Want Festivals to Do
Here Are 10 Things Filmmakers Want Festivals to Do
The torrential feedback to last week’s article 10 Things Every Film Festival Wants Filmmakers to Know warrants a response from filmmakers. As festivals
know, filmmakers are the true heart and sole of a film festival. During
my tenor with festivals, I have spoken to, or consulted with, hundreds
of filmmakers. In the spirit of helping festivals understand filmmakers
and with homage to Law & Order, these are their (and my) stories.
1.
Be transparent. Festivals should provide filmmakers with a timeline,
genre guidelines, clear submission guidelines, festival formats and prizes on their
web site or wherever submissions are posted. If a waiver of the
submission fee is possible under certain circumstances, explain. If a screening fee is available, let them know how
they are eligible. Don’t go MIA and be unavailable for filmmaker
questions leading up to the festival.
Be transparent. Festivals should provide filmmakers with a timeline,
genre guidelines, clear submission guidelines, festival formats and prizes on their
web site or wherever submissions are posted. If a waiver of the
submission fee is possible under certain circumstances, explain. If a screening fee is available, let them know how
they are eligible. Don’t go MIA and be unavailable for filmmaker
questions leading up to the festival.
2. Give Feedback. Rejecting a film? If possible, provide some
feedback on why the film was rejected. Typically, filmmakers have paid to be
considered for the festival. A helpful tip on why a project was rejected might
help improve their odds next time around. When asked to review films, I tell the
filmmaker up front I will be completely honest for what it’s worth (and
it’s only one gal’s opinion). They are universally appreciative of the
feedback. A programmer once told me he wouldn’t provide feedback because
he didn’t have time while another indicated that if she had the time, she would always do so (even over the phone, just not the week before the
festival). Guess who has a better relationship with filmmakers in the
industry?
feedback on why the film was rejected. Typically, filmmakers have paid to be
considered for the festival. A helpful tip on why a project was rejected might
help improve their odds next time around. When asked to review films, I tell the
filmmaker up front I will be completely honest for what it’s worth (and
it’s only one gal’s opinion). They are universally appreciative of the
feedback. A programmer once told me he wouldn’t provide feedback because
he didn’t have time while another indicated that if she had the time, she would always do so (even over the phone, just not the week before the
festival). Guess who has a better relationship with filmmakers in the
industry?
3. Roll out the Welcome Wagon. Let filmmakers know you appreciate them and prepare them for the festival by giving them a program in advance.
Share their press kit with media and help them to arrange interviews.
Filmmakers sure love it when they show up and are handed a
schedule of parties, screening times, Q&As, and special networking
events (and maybe even a driver to take them there!). At the very least, filmmakers deserve lodging. If you can’t afford to offer it, get it donated (people
love to have filmmakers stay with them and it builds great loyalty to
the filmmaker and the festivals). They are guests in your hamlet, so
treat them as you would wish to be treated — only better.
Share their press kit with media and help them to arrange interviews.
Filmmakers sure love it when they show up and are handed a
schedule of parties, screening times, Q&As, and special networking
events (and maybe even a driver to take them there!). At the very least, filmmakers deserve lodging. If you can’t afford to offer it, get it donated (people
love to have filmmakers stay with them and it builds great loyalty to
the filmmaker and the festivals). They are guests in your hamlet, so
treat them as you would wish to be treated — only better.
4.
Get the Word Out. Empty theater syndrome — Just the thought of an empty theater sends chills down my spine. You
could hear a pin drop, if a tree falls in a forest, you get the idea.
All of the programmers reading this are cringing right now. It’s the
surprise party where no one shows up. It is unfair, and often avoidable.
Since we all know it happens occasionally, at least do your best to prevent it: 1) Don’t hold your festival for a full week if
no one comes to Tuesday
morning screenings 2) If it’s too late for #1, use social media, your
publicist, street teams and bribes with free tickets (had to do that
when a certain cult filmmaker showed up to his screening after being
told he wouldn’t be there) to fill the seats 3) don’t bail on the
filmmaker while he or she is experiencing this, but rethink what you
missed in your calculations. I tried to convince a large, two week long
festival that it was..well, too long. The director argued that he wanted
to show all these films so he had content but no audience. One clever
director took a large ad in the local paper advertising his film and
sold it out three times.
Get the Word Out. Empty theater syndrome — Just the thought of an empty theater sends chills down my spine. You
could hear a pin drop, if a tree falls in a forest, you get the idea.
All of the programmers reading this are cringing right now. It’s the
surprise party where no one shows up. It is unfair, and often avoidable.
Since we all know it happens occasionally, at least do your best to prevent it: 1) Don’t hold your festival for a full week if
no one comes to Tuesday
morning screenings 2) If it’s too late for #1, use social media, your
publicist, street teams and bribes with free tickets (had to do that
when a certain cult filmmaker showed up to his screening after being
told he wouldn’t be there) to fill the seats 3) don’t bail on the
filmmaker while he or she is experiencing this, but rethink what you
missed in your calculations. I tried to convince a large, two week long
festival that it was..well, too long. The director argued that he wanted
to show all these films so he had content but no audience. One clever
director took a large ad in the local paper advertising his film and
sold it out three times.
5.
Manage Expectations. Turn a Sow’s Ear into a Silk Purse aka Make the best of a situation. For instance, when “empty theater syndrome” happened, a new
doc filmmaker and the small audience bonded about the issue addressed in
the film; namely autism. We warned the director that the reception
would be intimate and we programmed it in a very small theater. By
managing expectations, the filmmaker was delighted with the quality of
the reception and he wound up with a committed donor and advocate.
Manage Expectations. Turn a Sow’s Ear into a Silk Purse aka Make the best of a situation. For instance, when “empty theater syndrome” happened, a new
doc filmmaker and the small audience bonded about the issue addressed in
the film; namely autism. We warned the director that the reception
would be intimate and we programmed it in a very small theater. By
managing expectations, the filmmaker was delighted with the quality of
the reception and he wound up with a committed donor and advocate.
6.
Be Kind. Be kind when you reject filmmakers, be kind when you invite filmmakers, be kind when you pick them up,
house them, see them at a party, pick their screening time and well,
you get it. And please don’t knock them over to get to the Sundance
filmmaker or star of the moment at your event. Film
producer and festival programmer Ted Hope advises festivals to take a filmmaker to dinner. Filmmaker Michael Farrell implores that they “treat filmmakers like guests who
accomplished something rather than lucky to be there.” Remember, it
costs you nothing to be kind (even if it cost you something to bring
them there). Give filmmakers every opportunity to network within the industry
and they will buzz about your festival. They’ll be sure to spread the word about the festivals that took care of them and showed them a good time — and those who didn’t. A well-respected programmer who
worked for the festival I ran once taught me that what matters most is
how you treat the filmmakers. She is a now very important executive with
a preeminent festival and deservedly so.
Be Kind. Be kind when you reject filmmakers, be kind when you invite filmmakers, be kind when you pick them up,
house them, see them at a party, pick their screening time and well,
you get it. And please don’t knock them over to get to the Sundance
filmmaker or star of the moment at your event. Film
producer and festival programmer Ted Hope advises festivals to take a filmmaker to dinner. Filmmaker Michael Farrell implores that they “treat filmmakers like guests who
accomplished something rather than lucky to be there.” Remember, it
costs you nothing to be kind (even if it cost you something to bring
them there). Give filmmakers every opportunity to network within the industry
and they will buzz about your festival. They’ll be sure to spread the word about the festivals that took care of them and showed them a good time — and those who didn’t. A well-respected programmer who
worked for the festival I ran once taught me that what matters most is
how you treat the filmmakers. She is a now very important executive with
a preeminent festival and deservedly so.
7.
Get the Technical Stuff Right. Format, print traffic, projection – Measure twice-cut once.This is one
that still gives me nightmares. After implementing a backup system with a
back up to the back up system, the projectionist was unable to project
Alex Gibney’s stunning film (that went on to win an Academy Award), “Taxi
to the Dark Side” at a festival I produced. We wound up projecting it on
a DVD player (ugh) so be sure your films work on whatever format it is
and that you have backups, key codes sorted and films pretested. We
once kept Nick Nolte and the film’s director waiting for an hour in a limo
(driving all over Newport to take them “sight seeing” because the print
hadn’t arrived. A helicopter delivery where we grabbed the print off
the tarmac illustrated the need to implement better measures for print
traffic control. Filmmakers deserve to have their films shown on time,
in the correct aspect ratio and with proper sound (need I remind you,
they always want it turned up).
Get the Technical Stuff Right. Format, print traffic, projection – Measure twice-cut once.This is one
that still gives me nightmares. After implementing a backup system with a
back up to the back up system, the projectionist was unable to project
Alex Gibney’s stunning film (that went on to win an Academy Award), “Taxi
to the Dark Side” at a festival I produced. We wound up projecting it on
a DVD player (ugh) so be sure your films work on whatever format it is
and that you have backups, key codes sorted and films pretested. We
once kept Nick Nolte and the film’s director waiting for an hour in a limo
(driving all over Newport to take them “sight seeing” because the print
hadn’t arrived. A helicopter delivery where we grabbed the print off
the tarmac illustrated the need to implement better measures for print
traffic control. Filmmakers deserve to have their films shown on time,
in the correct aspect ratio and with proper sound (need I remind you,
they always want it turned up).
8.
Acknowledge Sundance. Sundance — The elephant in the theater. Everybody talks about Sundance
but nobody does anything about it. All (yes, all) filmmakers want to be
accepted there and festivals (many) want to be Sundance but the reality
is, only Sundance is Sundance — and the rest of us are not. Let’s just get on with it and not
focus on the “S” word.
Acknowledge Sundance. Sundance — The elephant in the theater. Everybody talks about Sundance
but nobody does anything about it. All (yes, all) filmmakers want to be
accepted there and festivals (many) want to be Sundance but the reality
is, only Sundance is Sundance — and the rest of us are not. Let’s just get on with it and not
focus on the “S” word.
9.
Support the Film Community. And the point is- “It’s important for filmmakers and producers and
programmers to remember this: we’re all on the same team. We are a
community of artists, coming together to celebrate movies for the sake
of movies. We are all going out of our way to try and give life to
independent cinema. And that’s a beautiful goal. In other words,
filmmakers are willing to bet the farm on their vision and programmers
are willing to sift through 6,000 films a year with the hopes of finding
a few gems.” Says who? Filmmaker Chris Lowell,
an up and comer who is experiencing the circuit for the first-time. Good advice!
Support the Film Community. And the point is- “It’s important for filmmakers and producers and
programmers to remember this: we’re all on the same team. We are a
community of artists, coming together to celebrate movies for the sake
of movies. We are all going out of our way to try and give life to
independent cinema. And that’s a beautiful goal. In other words,
filmmakers are willing to bet the farm on their vision and programmers
are willing to sift through 6,000 films a year with the hopes of finding
a few gems.” Says who? Filmmaker Chris Lowell,
an up and comer who is experiencing the circuit for the first-time. Good advice!
10.
Have Fun. This Festival May Be Your Last. Unfortunately, many film festivals and many filmmakers only get one bite at the apple (in other words,
failure rates are high). When I say failure, there is only one film screened and/or only one festival produced. Why? Another article (cut to
cliffhanger) and a multitude of reasons. That said, we are all very
privileged to be in this industry because it was by design, not chance.
Most filmmakers I interviewed to research this article expressed incredible gratitude for their chance to be screened at
festivals and appreciated the hard work that goes into producing a
festival (filmmakers are producers on a tight budget too). Or as filmmaker Katina Dunn puts it, “Festivals do a great job under grueling
circumstances.”
Have Fun. This Festival May Be Your Last. Unfortunately, many film festivals and many filmmakers only get one bite at the apple (in other words,
failure rates are high). When I say failure, there is only one film screened and/or only one festival produced. Why? Another article (cut to
cliffhanger) and a multitude of reasons. That said, we are all very
privileged to be in this industry because it was by design, not chance.
Most filmmakers I interviewed to research this article expressed incredible gratitude for their chance to be screened at
festivals and appreciated the hard work that goes into producing a
festival (filmmakers are producers on a tight budget too). Or as filmmaker Katina Dunn puts it, “Festivals do a great job under grueling
circumstances.”
Laurie Kirby, Esq., president and CCO of the International Film &
Music Festival Conference, executes an annual conference for film, music
festival and tech leaders and oversees a magazine publication LINEUP for
festival executives. A former attorney and former film festival
executive, Kirby is a consultant and frequent speaker at film festivals
and event conferences in areas that include event planning, nonprofit
management, distribution, celebrity relations, film production,
sponsorship, sports law, real estate and conservation law, grant
writing, licensing, social media and traditional marketing.
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