Is it important?
I'm working on a project right now that I hope to submit to various festivals. I would love to go to them personally if my film was accepted, but that just won't be a possibility given the sheer distance between festival locations and my home.
I suppose the importance lies in what you make important. In my case I just want to gain experience and hopefully get some valuable critique and opinions, so physically being at the festival isn't as important to me. However if you wanted to network or find a distributor, of course it would be important to actually attend the festival in question.
Those are my thoughts at least, but I haven't actually been in this situation before so...
...discuss! 🙂
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http://vimeo.com/corax
My work occasionally gets played in festivals, but I haven't actually been able to attend any of those festivals in the last five years. Travel is expensive, and my schedule (school and other production) can be rather inflexible. It's a constant source of disappointment, but in the case of my shorts, my goal in sending them to festivals is just to get them seen by audiences, and in that sense I don't need to be there.
You're exactly right that if you're trying to pick up a distribution deal or if you're sending your project to a film market, you'll at least need a sales agent representing you there, but you probably want to be there in person. Same goes for if you're trying to drum up publicity and generate word-of-mouth to draw an audience at later screenings.
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com
I have been searching for different festivals to attend. I really want to go to one or a few actually. As for submitting any work that I would have done. I can't make the trip to go see it unfortunately even though I really want to. Wouldn't you like to see how the audience reacts to your film?
Yeah I would definitely like to see an audience's reaction to my film (and talk with them one on one if given the chance), but like agingeri has mentioned the impracticality of going to many festivals will weigh out in the end. Pick your battles I guess. 🙂
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http://vimeo.com/corax
If this is your first project, then I'd say go. You want to get the lowdown and the gossip of the business, and you also want to get a feel of what it means to be a filmmaker.
Unfortunately, very few film festivals give you the lowdown
and the gossip of the business. The top five do. Maybe
another four or five, but most are money making opportunities
for the festival directors that very few people actually attend.
quote:
Originally posted by Collision236
Wouldn't you like to see how the audience reacts to your film?
Yes it would. But we filmmakers should make more of an effort
to attend festivals we haven't entered. Someone needs to be
that audience, right? I have sat all alone is screenings at festivals
here in Los Angeles - or with just the filmmaker and their friends
- all too often. I have traveled across the country to be at a
screening of one of my movies to be the only person in the theater.
If every filmmaker who entered a festival went to two a year then
there would be an audience to react. If every filmmaker who WANTS
to enter a festival went to even one there would be an audience in
the theater to react to another filmmakers movie.
WE need to step up!
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
I know I'm chimming in a little late on this thread but I totally agree with Certified. Go to the festivals. Even if you don't have a movie being shown, go to as many as you can attend. I've seen those lone filmmakers who end up screening their films to no one other than the cast and crew at the festival. It's a horrible feeling to get accepted to a festival only to have no one there to see your work. Plus it helps keep the festivals running. The smaller, lesser known festivals need people to attend in order to keep going. So you may not have been screened this year but next year you may be. But if the festival has no patrons, they may not be around to screen your movies next year. So go, support others, and keep the festivals alive.
"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
quote:
Originally posted by Shaolin_PHIST
I know I'm chimming in a little late on this thread but I totally agree with Certified. Go to the festivals. Even if you don't have a movie being shown, go to as many as you can attend. I've seen those lone filmmakers who end up screening their films to no one other than the cast and crew at the festival. It's a horrible feeling to get accepted to a festival only to have no one there to see your work. Plus it helps keep the festivals running. The smaller, lesser known festivals need people to attend in order to keep going. So you may not have been screened this year but next year you may be. But if the festival has no patrons, they may not be around to screen your movies next year. So go, support others, and keep the festivals alive."Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
Ah yes, well put (I realize what CI meant now, haha it just clicked). I completely agree. It's the same thing with community theatre productions, recitals, galleries, anything related to the fine arts for sure (sports always has support (and the parents to back it up), fine arts is usually put on the backburner). We don't have a ton of festivals in my area, but I'm trying to become more active in the film community here regardless and I know that attending local events is the first step in that process.
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http://vimeo.com/corax
