Write, Direct, Repeat: Film Festivals and the Short Film Part 1 by Kim Garland

Write, Direct, Repeat: Film Festivals and the Short Film Part 1 By Kim Garland

Last week I had the thrilling opportunity to premiere my second short film, Deal Travis In, at the New York International Short Film Festival. This was the second consecutive year I premiered a short at this festival and my mind was flooded with memories of how I felt at this time last year. Rocking the mic at the Q&A after my "Deal Travis In" premiere at NY Shorts Fest.

I had never made a film before and I remember hoping for a robust festival tour. But no matter how much I’d read about film festivals to prepare, I couldn’t know what to expect until I went through the process myself.

For this second film, I have a year of screening at festivals under my belt. Before jumping back in, I evaluated what worked, and what didn’t, as I crafted a plan for taking my new film out into the world.

In this two-part article, I’ll share what I’ve learned and keep the focus on short films. I found there’s a big difference in how you put out a short than a feature. The opportunities, goals and expectations are for the most part quite different.

The one choice I never considered last year was to bypass film festivals altogether and go directly to online distribution. This time around I felt I had to make a thoughtful decision about this. The investment of time and money warrants this careful choice.

SHOULD YOU GO THE FESTIVAL ROUTE WITH YOUR FILM?

Thanks to the Internet, you can now make a film and share it with an audience the moment you’re done. In addition, an online release and a festival run don’t have to be mutually exclusive. If you decide to go after festival screenings, once you’ve compiled your targeted list of festivals, check to see which of them do NOT allow films to be available online. Short of the Week recently posted “The Essential List of Festivals and Online Eligibility” and it’s a great addition to your research when deciding how to get your film out to an audience.

What do you truly hope to achieve with your short film?

For my first short, my goal was to learn everything I could about making a film from concept through distribution. This is in large part why I wanted to try it all, including marketing my film, attending festivals and exploring distribution strategies.

What are your goals? For example:

• If you’re aiming to learn how to make a film, but not looking to dive into marketing and distribution at this point, an online release may be the perfect match.

• If you have a feature-length script and plan to make a short from that script to help sell your feature, build a plan around achieving exactly that. A hybrid of online and a handful of film

1 festivals (particularly in Los Angeles) may work best.

Figure out your goals first and then build your plan. And be more specific than “to be discovered.” What do you want discovered? And by whom?

Do you have an Internet-friendly film?

Certain types of films are more primed for an online audience than others:

• Did you make a 3-minute comedy or animated film? Then consider going straight to the web and build your plan around online promotion.

• On the other hand, do you have a 20-minute relationship drama or experimental film? No matter how brilliant it is, even your mother may struggle to focus on your heart-wrenching drama with all of the candy-colored distractions of the web.

Depending upon your film, you may be better served screening in a festival setting if your film requires removing as many distractions from your audience as possible.

How connected are you to other filmmakers?

Having not gone to film school, I realize one of my greatest challenges is building strong relationships with other filmmakers.

• Everyone knows film is a collaborative medium, but it is also one that requires honest feedback at every stage and access to a network much wider than one person can hope to build and maintain. Relationships are key.

• The filmmakers I met at festivals last year are a truly special group. We met while supporting each other through our screenings and the rush of becoming fast friends in a new city created a collegiate relationship that’s hard to find outside of film school or a film set.

I ultimately decided to go the film festival route with my latest short in large part for the chance to meet and re-connect with filmmakers and festival programmers and to screen with a live audience. For me, the personal interactions at film festivals became an irresistible draw.

If you decide to go the festival route or a hybrid of online and festivals, the next choice you’ll need to make is where you want to screen your film.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE FESTIVALS THAT ARE A MATCH FOR YOUR FILM?

Sundance. There, I said it. What the heck, Cannes and SXSW. What’s the festival you dream of and believe if accepted into it will completely change your life? By all means submit to that festival. I’m nobody’s dream killer and they have to accept somebody’s film right? Why not ours!

Okay, now that that’s done, let’s consider other ways of selecting festivals for your short that go beyond

2 sorting them by popularity. Assess your film and look at its unique qualities and strengths, then seek out festivals that have a strong track record of programming, and loving, those films.

What is the genre of your film?

• If you’ve made a comedy, horror, animation, LGBT, culturally- or religiously-themed film or a film with a really specific hook, like a charitable cause, then most likely this is your film’s winning-est trait. Will you get into general interest festivals with these films? Absolutely. But the first pass you take at building a submissions list should be to festivals that made a commitment to exactly the type of film you made.

We’re still talking shorts, right?

• Then submit to some shorts-only festivals. This naturally improves your chances of getting accepted because all of the programming blocks are filled with shorts.

• People will tell you shorts-only festivals don’t bring out the media, production companies or distributors the same way as festivals that screen both features and shorts do. And they’re right. But unless you’re screening a feature, you’re unlikely to be privy to much of that high-end attention anyway.

What is your hometown audience? Who are your hometown filmmakers?

• Festivals need to get butts in seats and for the most part their audiences are made up of people coming to see a specific film or filmmaker. Even with social networking, you’ll still mostly likely draw your biggest audience from your hometown. When you submit to local festivals, consider mentioning in a cover note that you look forward to bringing out your dedicated hometown supporters to your screening. Hey, it can’t hurt!

• One of my mantras for getting started making your own films is to first support your local filmmakers. As you learn your craft, seek out those a step ahead of you in your community and see their work and follow their careers. If you’ve been doing that (and if not, start today), where are those filmmakers screening their work? What were their experiences at those festivals? Ask and they will answer, and you’ll begin to find festivals that matter in your professional circles. What is your budget for a film festival tour?

• Everyone thinks about the cost of submission fees, and they do add up fast, but submission fees are peanuts compared to travel costs.

• Each person has their opinion on this, but I’m not one who cares about collecting laurels for a short film. I’m submitting to festivals to get in and to attend those festivals. Is it possible to attend every festival you’re accepted into? No – life is bound to get in the way – but your intention should be to attend when invited.

• Submitting to a hundred tiny festivals you don’t plan to attend will cost a lot and accomplish very little. Only you, there in person, can get someone to watch your film and realize that the

3 whole amazing package that you are (film + filmmaker) is worth being in business with.

After you’ve decided which festivals fit your criteria, cross your fingers and submit away. The truth is you’ll get plenty of rejections; that’s just the way it works. But one day an email will come, and instead of another, “We regret to inform…,” it’ll say, “Congratulations!”

Pop some champagne, re-read that email over and over again and enjoy the moment. Once that’s done, you’ll need to get your butt in gear because then the real fun begins – it’s festival time!

For the second part of this article, I’ll give you my best tips for preparing for film festivals, attending them and following up afterward. Getting into a festival seems like a huge hurdle but it’s the splash you make while you’re there that really counts.

• Legally Speaking, It Depends: Targeting Film Festivals • Musing from a First-Timer at Cannes Film Festival • Film Festival 411: Why Did My Film Not Get In? • Why You Should Write a Short Film Screenplay • Film Festivals 101: The Essentials to Film Festival Success • Balls of Steel: Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere Journey… & Screenplay

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Write, Direct, Repeat: Film Festivals and the Short Film Part 2 By Kim Garland

When I wrote Part 1 of this article on taking your short film to film festivals, I was just settling back down from the high of the world premiere screening of my latest short, Deal Travis In. Heading back into the festival world, it felt like the perfect time to reflect on all I’d learned from my previous festival run last year. In part 1, I covered whether the festival route is the best choice for your film and how to select festivals that are a potential great match.

Since publishing that article last month, Deal Travis In was accepted into the Fantasia International Film Festival (yay!!), and now I’m gearing up to officially take this film on the road. For the second part of this article I’ll share what I learned about preparing for, attending and following up after a film festival.

4 PREPARING FOR THE FESTIVAL

A film festival acceptance is a chance to create excitement for your film in the lead-up to the festival. When you’re prepping for the fest, think about how you can serve both the audience who will see your film in person, plus your audience who won’t be able to attend.

Create Marketing Materials

*Note: Each of these items is a project unto itself. Do your research to learn how to maximize these marketing tools for your film. Ideally, you’ll work on these well before you’re accepted into a fest, but here’s a list to help get you started.

For all of your potential audience, whether they can attend the fest or not:

• Film poster • Website • Trailer • Facebook Page • IMDb page • Add in your other favorite forms social networking (e.g. Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube) based on where your audience goes for information about your work.

For your in-person, festival screening audience:

• Postcards • DVD screeners: Be judicious giving them away, instead drive people to your screening, but when you meet someone who can’t attend your screening but you feel must see your film, offer them a screener and exchange contact info. • Posters (optional to bring to the fest, but nice if you do) • Buttons or other swag related to your film (optional): We bring buttons to every festival we screen in because these have been the biggest hits in our marketing arsenal. We put them out next to our postcards and the buttons always go super fast. Make design the priority with swag so it’s tempting for people to take.

Advanced Prep & Recon

In addition to marketing materials, there are a few other items worth prepping in advance.

• Social networking with purpose. Track the festival’s hashtag, join their Facebook groups and jump into the conversation. Connect with other filmmakers who will be screening and make plans to meet up at the fest. Watch for which media outlets are reporting on the festival and whether they are good candidates for covering your film.

• Drum up some PR. See who covered the festival in previous years and contact them about an advanced review of your film or to offer an interview while you’re there. See how they like to cover the festival and try to fit your film into their model.

5 • Prepare basic answers for your Q&A. In particular, have audience-friendly answers ready for, “how did you come up with the idea for your film” and “what are you working on next.” These are the two questions that you’ll probably be asked the most.

Sometimes REALLY crazy things happen at film fests - Winning an award at the Flyway Film Festival 2012

Sometimes REALLY crazy things happen at film festivals: Winning an award at the Flyway Film Festival 2012

ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL

Once you arrive, you’ll want to find a balance between work and play. You’re there to do a job, but you’ve also earned the pleasure of being swept up in a world where everyone wants to live and breathe film as much as you do.

Events

• Get your networking on. Attend every party, panel and networking event you can. Be sure to connect with people who take on different roles in film than you do, e.g. writers would do well to meet directors and producers. Socialize with the festival programmers and be personable – they already like your work, so let them get a glimpse of the person, too.

• It’s okay to play, but not too hard. Yep, I learned this one the hard way. You’ll find yourself in a whirlwind of parties and comped drinks (and by all means enjoy!) but listen to that little voice in your head chirping that it’s still work, not vacation, because while you want to make an impression, the impression you make shouldn’t be “the girl you wish you hadn’t started a conversation with at a party.”

Screenings

• Screen YOUR film! I want to tell you to just relax and enjoy, but I haven’t been able to pull that off myself yet. If you do find you’re extra nervous, try to shift your attention to your guests, to fellow filmmakers or to anything shiny that will keep you distracted (except to too much booze – see the point above). Survive the screening the best way you can and then get your head back in the game for your Q&A; you’ll be glad at this point you prepared a few answers in advance.

• Attend other screenings, too. Plot out your must-sees but also leave time to attend screenings you hadn’t planned. Show your support to other filmmakers, especially to those you meet in

6 person at the festival. Get schooled by checking out a ton of films and see what you learn that you can apply back to your own work.

FOLLOWING UP AFTER THE FESTIVAL

Once the festival is finished and you’re back to your day-to-day, don’t just drop the mic and walk away. There are still a few things you can do to wrap up your festival experience and be sure you made the most of your time.

• Say thank you. Send a thank you note to the festival programmers. Email will work but a hand- written note is badass.

• Solidify your new connections. Follow up with the filmmakers and industry contacts you met. Be specific in your follow-ups, crafting each message for each person. These new relationships are the true gold you’ll take away from any festival.

• Share your experience with the online audience you’ve been cultivating by posting photos, writing a blog post, recommending films you saw or whatever works best for your audience. Leave a favorable impression of what attending a screening of your film will entail to entice fans to come out to your next screenings.

At some point though, the festival will truly and finally be over. You’ll store away your leftover postcards, hang your filmmaker badge on your bulletin board and miss all the friends you made at the festival like a kid misses summer camp in the fall.

But don’t fret, my newly film-fest-addicted friends, and don’t store those postcards too out of reach, because there’s a chance your email will go ping once again and it’ll say “Congratulations!” When that happens, break out the champagne (again) and get prepping (again) for a new fest and a whole new, crazy, wonderful ride.

Good luck, work hard and have fun!

• More Write, Direct, Repeat articles by Kim Garland • Legally Speaking, It Depends: Targeting Film Festivals • Musing from a First-Timer at Cannes Film Festival • Film Festival 411: Why Did My Film Not Get In? • Why You Should Write a Short Film Screenplay • Film Festivals 101: The Essentials to Film Festival Success • Balls of Steel: Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere Journey… & Screenplay

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• Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest • Industry Insider Television Writing Contest

7 How Not to Make a Short Film: Secrets from a Sundance Programmer by Roberta Munroe

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______Musings From a First-Timer at Cannes Film Festival By Rebecca Norris

Ah, the Cannes Film Festival. Where glitzy red carpet premieres and ball-gown and tuxedo-clad celebrities abound, everyone drinking champagne, hobnobbing and dancing until the break of dawn. Oh, the glamour of it all…

… or so I mused while on my flight to France, reading aloud a French phrase book a friend lent me, practicing hiding my Midwestern accent while pronouncing “Bonjour,” “Bonsoir,” and “Je m’appelle Rebecca.” (I think the guy in the seat next to me enjoyed that for 9 hours.)

It turns out that “Parlez-vous Anglais?” (Do you speak English?) was the most useful phrase of the trip by far.

I arrived at my destination in Cannes, a coach house called the Suite Castellino (most of the properties in Cannes have formal names). I was haggard and sleepless because of a two-year old child on my trip over, who felt the need to kick the back of my seat for the duration of the flight, yelling “Duck, Duck, GOOSE!” (KICK), “Duck, Duck, GOOSE!” (KICK). But there I was, finally, in Cannes! And I was determined to enjoy myself.

And enjoy myself I did. Writer/Director/Producer Kevin Resnick and I went to Cannes to represent a

8 film he wrote and directed and we both co-produced, On Becoming A Man, which was selected for the Short Film Corner at Cannes.

What’s the Short Film Corner, you ask?

It’s a relatively new program at Cannes, where filmmakers can submit a short film, and if selected, the film is uploaded onto a Cannes-only online database. Interested parties can then view these short films on-demand at computer booths set up in the Short Film Corner area of the festival. The Short Film Corner also features meeting and screening rooms, and hosts industry panels, breakfasts with distributors, happy hours (free Stella Artois) and other networking events. Filmmakers can hang posters and distribute promo materials for their shorts. It’s really a fantastic resource.

We came armed with business cards, postcards, a one-sheet for my web series Split, and a 12-page prospectus for our upcoming feature in development, The Amazing Adventures of Average Ben.

We quickly learned some lessons about how Cannes works and some behind-the-scenes insight on the business of film. Lesson #1: Nobody really wants to hear about your upcoming feature in development (to our chagrin).

Let me explain.

The Cannes Film Festival can be roughly divided into two parts:

1) The Festival (screenings, premieres, panels, celebrity interviews, paparazzi) 2) The Film Market (where business gets done, films get sold, deals get made)

The Marchè du Film (Film Market) can be compared to an enormous upscale flea market, where merchants (producer’s reps/sales agents) have booths where they sell their wares (films) to buyers (distributors). The Marchè du Film comprises several floors of the giant megaplex that is the main hub of all things Cannes: the Palais des Festivals. The structure itself is beautiful, massive, and overwhelming, much like the festival itself!

On the inside, it reminded me of Home and Garden Expos or Auto Shows I have been to at huge convention centers, where you get a badge and drop by booths where sales reps talk to you about their products. Only at Cannes they’re not selling a new kind of fertilizer or this year’s most gas-efficient Honda: they’re selling films.

The reason few people are interested in hearing about your projects in development is because companies attend Cannes with the main purpose of selling the completed films they already have on their slate. Chances are they have already filled their days with appointments set weeks or months in advance, from people they met at other film festivals, or buyers they hope to make deals with.

It is incredibly busy and crowded, and people are busting their butts all day long with early-morning breakfasts, meetings from sunrise to sunset, attending networking parties that go until 2 AM, then wash, rinse, repeat. Of course, these folks are on the French Riviera in springtime, so who can really complain, but it is all in a day’s work. It can be overwhelming and exhausting for everyone involved.

9 Now does all of this mean you, independent filmmaker, can’t go around and make connections in the Film Market? Of course not! We connected with and got business cards from a number of sales agents, distributors, investors, and even a film office commissioner, who gave us a lot of great advice on how to make the most of our time at Cannes. For our short film, a film festival director in Panama heard of On Becoming A Man and invited us to drop by a DVD for consideration for her festival. We also received an invite from an Italian film festival, giving us a deadline extension to submit our film to their festival because it was at Cannes. Good things can certainly happen!

However, you should avoid going to Cannes your first time with sky-high hopes of pitching your upcoming feature film and getting pre-sales from distributors or finding investors. Now if you target the right companies (some companies only represent comedies, or horror, or thrillers), drop by when there’s a lull in the action, and succinctly introduce your project and your promo materials, and if it’s commercially viable or you’ve got some name talent attached, you may find yourself in an impromptu meeting. Kevin is masterful at working the room. (I do okay myself too.) Although it’s not completely unheard of to get investors or co-producers on board for your indie film this way, it is rare.

One sales company took a DVD of our short as a sample of our work, but most wanted us to follow up with them after the craziness of the festival in a month or so, with information and a password- protected link to our short film. They simply don’t want to be carrying dozens of DVDs back with them on the airplane. You may also randomly meet investors around the Film Market who are looking for their next project to fund, but it’s much better to have set up meetings in advance.

So how does one set up appointments in advance of the festival?

We learned a great tool is Cinando.com, an online database of film producers and distributors, that you’re able to get connected with via your film being at Cannes. Before the festival, Cannes sends out an email with your login, and you can create a profile and download the complete contact list of all of the distributors, sales agents, and production companies that will be in attendance. You can then call or email them directly and hopefully set up some meetings for your time at Cannes.

At the Short Film Corner, they also provided lists of international distributors who specialize in buying short films, and organized breakfasts and small groups where filmmakers were able to individually meet with distributors and discuss their work.

If you already have a completed feature film, do your best to get a reputable sales agent or producer’s rep on board who’s connected to domestic and international markets prior to coming to Cannes. If not, you may possibly be able to find some interested parties while at Cannes who can represent your film at upcoming markets, but it’s always better to have a (good) agent in your corner at Cannes if you are able.

That being said, it’s important to do your homework and find out the kinds of films each company specializes in at Cannes rather than doing the “spaghetti on the wall” approach and emailing everyone. Know your audience and your buyer, and perfect your pitch to make the most of your brief meetings, impromptu or otherwise.

10 Lesson #2: Go for the first seven days of the festival.

Although the festival is 12 days long, the first half of the festival is where all the business gets done. If you have the time and funds to attend the entire festival, that’s great, but if you want to get business done, choose arriving the day before the festival starts on the first week and leaving the middle of the second week. For us, by Wednesday of the second week, the Film Market had all but shut down and much of the Palais was a ghost town, even though the festival still had 5 more days left to go!

Due to a filming conflict in my schedule, Kevin was able to attend a few days earlier than I was, and had set himself up with a couple of advance meetings and a breakfast, as well as an invitation to a dinner party via a prior connection of mine. All of this happened in the first few days of the festival, though, so it’s good to know when you should schedule your trip.

I was able to attend an invite-only small group discussion on Short Film Sales with a distributor that was held in the second week, but there are fewer and fewer events scheduled as the festival progresses. Cannes sends emails out in the weeks prior to the festival where you can submit your CV to be considered for these events.

Lesson # 3: Put yourself out there and say hello!

The most important thing you can do at Cannes is to circulate and put yourself in a position to meet other people. Even if you don’t have meetings set up, don’t despair. Walk around the Film Market or sit in the nearby pavilions on the beach (every country participating in the festival has a tent around the Palais representing their country’s films; it’s called the Village International.)

This International Village is a great place to meet filmmakers, investors, distributors, and other professionals in a relaxed environment right on the sands of the Mediterranean. The American Pavilion provides a great venue to meet folks in your same boat that you can reconnect with once you’re back home. Sadly, the American Pavilion is the only one that charges an entry fee, of 15 euro (approximately 20 USD) per day, and also charges for most drinks. We enjoyed the German pavilion, where both the entry and the coffee were free!

When meeting people, be yourself and don’t always talk about business. Make friends with folks first and you never know where it may lead. You can secure invitations to private parties by making friends while walking around the Film Market and the International Village. You just never know.

Lesson #4: Take a break from business and try to see some films!

The Film Market is so overwhelming that at some point you will likely need to take a step back. This is the perfect opportunity to try to see your fellow artists’ films. Note I said “try.” Wait, you’re thinking, it’s a film festival. Isn’t it obvious I would be seeing films, as many as I want? Not quite so at Cannes. Although there are many theaters at Cannes, there are well over 200,000 other festivalgoers who are all clamoring to get seats to films, particularly the star-studded red carpet premieres.

Some films only require the presence of your festival badge for entry, and you can arrive early to wait in line and take your chances at getting in. Many films, however, including all of the red carpet premieres and screenings at the main Grand Thèatre Lumière require invitations.

11 How do you get an invitation?

Well, if you’re a first-timer like we were, you can’t, really. The Cannes web-based ticketing system is incredibly complicated and biased, and doles tickets out based on a combination of seniority, status, and a number of other unknown factors you have no control over. When I logged onto the ticketing system for the first time, every screening for that day and the following few days were already sold out of invitations.

A quick tangent: I had an interesting experience my very first day, just hours after arriving in Cannes.

Groggy and severely jetlagged, I walked with Kevin down to the Palais to get my accreditation badge. It was an absolute madhouse. The streets were clogged with honking cars and, much like at the Academy Awards, there were hundreds of people lining the streets to get a glimpse of celebrities. There were hundreds more in line for the premiere of Steven Soderbergh’s new film, Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, who were all walking the red carpet at that very moment.

Dozens of people stood in front of the Palais in tuxedos and dresses, holding out signs asking for tickets to the screening. I had no idea what was going on; I had been awake for over 30 hours at that point and was seeing double.

Suddenly, a man approached me. Our conversation went something like this:

Man: Do you want an invitation?

Me: Huh?

Man: Do you want an invitation?

Me: To what? (A party, I’m thinking? All I really wanted to do was sleep!)

Man: To the screening.

Me: (oblivious) What screening?

He shoved a metallic folded piece of paper in my hand and took off. Bewildered, I opened it; it was an invitation to the very Soderbergh film that dozens of people were clamoring for right in front of me. Why had he given it to me? Because I wasn’t holding a sign?

Suddenly I found myself barraged by people speaking at me in French. Keep in mind that just earlier that day I was having trouble pronouncing “Au revoir” (good-bye) correctly. (I silently scolded myself for choosing to study Spanish in high school instead of French.) I had no idea what the people were saying, but I’m sure they wanted the invitation. I ran away to hide in the Palais.

Sadly, neither Kevin nor I were able to take advantage of this spur-of-the-moment opportunity because we weren’t dressed in the required formal attire. Men must wear tuxedos, and women must wear a ball gown or elegant dress and heels to all red carpet premieres. There was no time to go back to our Suite

12 Castellino, a 30-minute walk both ways, to change.

Lesson 4.5: Unless your hotel room is right across the street, always bring formal dress with you to the festival so you can change quickly when opportunity knocks.

(FYI – The invitation was passed forward properly and did not end up going to waste.)

Okay, back to the Cannes ticketing system. So after my first day, it was quite disheartening to realize that there would not be tickets left to any premieres, and we may not get into any films at all for the rest of the festival. All along, I had assumed that we would, of course, be walking the red carpet! Rubbing elbows with celebs! Attending fab after-parties on the beach!

Which brings me to–

Lesson #5: It never hurts to ask.

The Festival Gods were shining down on us on my third day as we stopped by the main ticketing booth at the Palais. We asked the ladies at the booth, why can’t we get into any films? We traveled all the way here! Can you help us navigate this crazy ticketing system?

The supremely kind and patient ticketing professionals gave us the scoop: we, as newcomers and short filmmakers, were, quite frankly, low on the totem pole as far as status. People with ‘higher’ badges and more seniority were able to log into the ticketing system hours or days before us to get invitations. Additionally, people who have already been attending films all week have been building up ‘points’ in their account also that grant them earlier access to the system.

Okay.

“But,” we argued, “that’s a Catch-22, because we’d love to see films to build up points, but we can’t get into any films, so we can’t build up any points.”

The very kind-hearted ticketing agent smiled. “Let me see what I can do.” She talked to her manager, and explained our situation. The manager said there were still a few orchestra-level tickets that weren’t claimed for a late premiere that night, and would we like to go? “What film is it?” we asked. A three- hour long film in French about teenage lesbian lovers, that won’t let out until after 1 AM.

Wow. Kevin and I looked at each other and shrugged. “We’ll take it.”

Kevin and Rebecca at the 'La Vie D’Adele' premiere

Kevin and Rebecca at the ‘La Vie D’Adele’ premiere

Turns out it was our best decision of the festival. We arrived at about 9 PM in black tie to wait in line. At about 9:30, they opened the floodgates and let all of us pour onto the red carpet. It was chaotic and surreal.

13 That morning, I had been practically in tears about not getting into any screenings, and that night, I was dressed up in a velvet ball gown, Kevin in a tux, floating down the red carpet, getting our picture snapped by photographers, feeling like celebrities.

When we arrived in the theater, we were ushered to our seats, and soon realized that we were positioned in the same row as the director and stars of the film. It was a treat to watch the film with the filmmakers just down the aisle. The film was gorgeous, raw, maddening, heartbreaking, shocking, and mesmerizing. After the film ended, we all gave the film a well-deserved 15-minute-long standing ovation.

That film, “La Vie D’Adele” (or “Blue is the Warmest Color,” its English title) went on to win the Palme d’Or, and we got to be a part of the excitement of its premiere. Not to mention a fab party afterwards down the street.

It never hurts to ask.

I’m sure there’s more to share, but these are the main lessons I took away from my experience in Cannes. Kevin and I both learned a lot, grew as producers and writers, made connections, attended fun parties, and saw amazing films. (We were able to get into a morning screening on a following day.) We’re grateful to have attended Cannes, and with any luck, we’ll be back next year!

• ‘On Becoming a Man’ Goes to Cannes Film Festival • Legally Speaking, It Depends: Targeting Film Festivals • Film Festival 411: Why Did My Film Not Get In? • Why You Should Write a Short Film Screenplay • Film Festivals 101: The Essentials to Film Festival Success • Balls of Steel: Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere Journey… & Screenplay

Get Noticed:

• Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest • Industry Insider Television Writing Contest

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14 Film Festivals 101: The Essentials to Film Festival Success By Script Magazine

WHAT A FILM FESTIVAL CAN DO FOR YOUR CAREER:

With the digital age, filmmakers no longer need festivals to get their work seen, but incorporating festivals into your distribution strategy is wise. Film festival success allows a buzz to be created about your film, get people in the industry’s attention to your work, and allow you to network with other filmmakers and screenwriters in person.

However, don’t get hung up on larger festivals like Sundance as the be all and end all. There are countless film festivals around the globe that will help raise awareness of not only your film, but also your talent.

As in any area of this industry, rejection is part of the process. Just because you didn’t get into a top festival, doesn’t mean your film isn’t good. It could be as simple as scheduling conflicts, or too many films submitted in that genre.

Some questions to consider:

• Are you submitting it to the right festivals for your film? • Are you waiting until the end of the submission process when the programmers are exhausted from watching thousands of films, or are you taking advantage of catching a programmer’s eye by submitting early? • If you created a short film, is it the proper length for convenient programming, or is it too long to easily be placed in between features?

Most importantly, if a film gets great reviews at a festival, even a short film, it will add credibility to your voice and possibly find you an agent or a manager.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FILM FESTIVAL:

Size and focus: Some small town festivals shouldn’t be overlooked, especially ones near large cities. While many executives flock to Sundance, Toronto, and Austin, some like the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough in unexpected, more tranquil places. Also consider the quantity of films being shown. No one can watch 100 films. Less is more.

Potential of exposure of your film: Quality exposure is as important as quantity. Make sure press will be at the event to review your film or to interview you. PR is critical.

Special events: Be sure the festival offers more than just films. Often times, the parties, panels, discussions, Q&A’s, and networking events are where your best connections are made.

Networking potential: Research to see if quality executives and filmmakers attend or if people just send their films in and don’t bother going to the event personally. Face-to-face meetings are the best

15 way to make lasting connections.

Organization of the moviegoer’s experience: Films should be organized by genre, venue, and/or country of origin. Maps should be provided for different venues, as well as places to easily find food and restrooms. If the moviegoer is happy and well-cared for, their viewing experience will be that much better.

FILM FESTIVAL STRATEGY:

How to find the right one?

Consider the location: Can you afford to get there? Expenses add up quickly the more festivals you submit to and attend. Weigh out what is the best bang for your buck in terms of how each festival can benefit your career and connections.

Politics: Many film festivals have politics surrounding them. Some have policies about being the chosen “premiere” of your film. You can unknowingly put yourself out of the running by entering and showing at a smaller, unknown festival. Be aware of what the submission guidelines are for all you apply to.

Industry connections and distribution: If you’re looking to connect with agents, managers or distributors, be sure those festivals are well attended by executives.

Prizes and recognition: Does the festival have good prizes? Who are the people sitting on the juries? Factor these in if prizes and networking are important to you.

How many do I enter?: That depends on your budget and ability to attend. Most festivals have a submission fee, but there are some valuable festivals that waive the fees. Some filmmakers are even creative enough to reach out to programmers without paying a fee at all!

What do I do once I get accepted?

Hire a PR firm: They will get the buzz going about your film, set up interviews with press before, during and after the festival, and secure invitations to special events.

Creating marketing materials: As an independent filmmaker, it’s essential you are comfortable marketing your film. You’ll need a marketing strategy and materials to promote your film, such as business cards, movie posters and a press kit.

Build a website for your film: Distributors and executives need a place to go to learn more about you and your film. A Facebook page or Twitter account isn’t enough. Create a dedicated website for your project. It can be either a site solely for the film chosen for the festival or a site containing all of your projects, highlighting the festival film.

What do I do at the festival?

• Network. Network. Network.

16 • Bring screeners for the press to view in the press office. • Distribute your marketing materials everywhere you can. • Have a party and go to parties. • Invite everyone to your film’s screening. • Give away extra tickets to your screening. • Invite press, reviewers, and distributors to your screening. • Offer to do a Q&A at the screening with the crowd. • Make sure you have a new project in the works to talk about!

Are the parties worth it?

Sure they’re fun, but will you rarely get a chance to build a lasting connection. You’re better off setting up meetings ahead of time, especially with people you already have a relationship with via Twitter or Facebook.

What type of follow-up do I do after a festival?

• Contact everyone you spoke to via email, thanking them for their time, etc. • Gather press clippings and film reviews for your files and website. • Keep your site updated with upcoming screenings. • Have post-festival screenings • Get to work on your next project!

TOP 50 FILM FESTIVALS:

Ann Arbor Film Festival Aspen Shorts Fest Berlin International Film Busan International Film Camden International Film Festival Cannes Film Festival Champs Elysees Film Festival Chicago International Film Festival Cleveland International Film Festival Denver International Film Festival Dubai International Film Festival Edinburgh International Film Festival Florida Film Festival Frameline Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Galway Film Fleadh Hamptons International Film Festival Hollyshorts Film Festival Hong Kong International Film Festival Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

17 International Film Festival Rotterdam International Short Film Festival – Clermont-Ferrand Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Locarno International Film Festival London Film Festival Los Angeles Film Festival Melbourne International Film Festival Miami International Film Festival Mill Valley Film Festival Morelia International Film Festival Nashville Film Festival New York Film Festival Okinawa International Movie Festival Outfest Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International ShortFest Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco Jewish Film Festival San Sebastian International Film Festival Santa Barbara International Film Festival Sarajevo Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival Sheffield Doc/Fest Silverdocs Slamdance Film Festival South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW) Sundance Film Festival Telluride Film Festival Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival Toronto International Film Festival Tribeca Film Festival True/False Film Festival Venice International Film Festival Woodstock Film Festival

FREE FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS:

Portobello Film Festival (United Kingdom) Wreck Beach Film Festival (Canada) Stony Brook Film Festival (New York) NZ Film Festival Trust (New Zealand) African Diaspora Film Festival (New York) Troma Dance Film Festival (New Jersey) Salem Film Festival (Oregon) Noise Pop (California) Free Range Film Festival (Minnesota) (almost free $10)

18 Great River Film Festival (Ohio) The London International Documentary Festival Flyway Film Festival (Wisconsin) Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival (New York) New York Film Festival (New York) A Nightmare to Remember International Horror Film Festival (California) Arizona State University Art Museum Film Festival (shorts 10 mins or less) Calgary International Film Festival (Canada) Marabella International Film Festival (Spain) (only Early Bird submissions are FREE) Regent Park Film Festival (Toronto) Cornwall Film Festival (UK) (early submission is free) BFI London Film Festival Rooftop Films (New York) (not free but super cheap, even the late submissions) Killer Film Fest (Massachusetts) Lights. Camera. Help. Film Festival (Texas) Strasbourg International Film Festival (France) One Forest Film Festival (New York) Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (UK) London Underground Film Festival Toronto Urban Film Festival Monument Valley Film Festival (Arizona)

• Ask the Expert: Can an Out-of-the-Box Indie Succeed • Taking the Reins: Warming Up The Crowd • Balls of Steel: A New World of Distribution – Goodbye Promise Releases on IndieGoGo

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