[Frameworks] Current situation with Film Festivals

[D Dawson]

I agree with Dominic,  I have heard horror stories about festivals sending
home 150 tapes each to 5 individual undergrads telling them to choose 20
that ³he/she likes² no mention of the criteria of evaluation or the fact
that a single person¹s judgment might throw off the whole process.    I mean
realistically how else are you going to get through 1000-2000 films right?

Deco








On 2/16/11 10:38 AM, "DOMINIC ANGERAME" <dominicangerame at sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

> 
> I am noticing an alarming trend these days with experimental film festivals
> throughout the world. I received a notice from the Images Festival in Canada
> that they received more than 1,000 entries for exhibition. I am sure that Ann
> Arbor Film Festival received far more entries than the 150 films they are
> viewing. Since is seems that almost everyone is a filmmaker these days that
> the structure and procedures of the major experimental film festivals should
> be changed in major ways. Virtually all festivals charge an fee for entry.
> 1000 entries can mean $25,000 going to the festivals for admin/pre-screening,
> etc. This does not include the donations, governmental grants, and other
> sources of income.  I used to run a couple of festivals and understand the
> purpose of entry fees to help defray costs. However, since the number of
> entries for many festivals has risen more than 3 or 4 times the amount the
> festivals need to consider extending their exhibitions to accomodate the
> amount of entries. Most filmmakers are now facing a 1 to 20 odds of having
> their films shown in major festivals. This is less than playing the lottery.
> 
> It is distressing for me, having been making films for more than 40 years to
> see the festival situation become so debased. The volume of work being entered
> is drowning these festivals in both admin, and creative decisions. I have
> served on juries in many festivals and noticed when I looked at the list of
> the films rejected by pre screeners that many great films had been rejected.
> As a judge I requested to view those rejected and found most of the films
> selected by me were shown at these particular festivals. Since the volume of
> entered work in most well known festivals far exceeds the festivals ability to
> manage this volume, that a new structure needs to be put in place. This would
> be a great service to the filmmakers entering their works into these
> festivals.
> 
> Dominic Angerame
> 
> 
> 
> 
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