[Frameworks] Current situation with Film Festivals

Wed Feb 16 12:40:25 CST 2011

http://www.nj.com/events/index.ssf/event/local-filmmakers-showcase/278396/2011-02-19
 .  If anyone want's to see good work on a big screen, and chat with filmmakers, 
your all welcome to my show.
Matt

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff-94PXtixo

________________________________
From: charles chadwick <infiltration834 at gmail.com>
To: Experimental Film Discussion List <frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com>
Sent: Wed, February 16, 2011 1:09:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Frameworks] Current situation with Film Festivals

I also identify with Dominic's sentiments. But also I'd have to say that, for 
me, festivals are good not only because they bring your work into the theater, 
but also because they give you access to the kind of audience that you want to 
bring your work to. Youtube is great, don't get me wrong, but it just kind of 
gets put out there in the muck with millions of other videos, most of which are 
of extremely low quality, so it's more difficult for your work to be seen in a 
sense. Half of the time I'll do a search for my film on youtube by title, and it 
won't even come up, just a bunch of other videos that relate to its keywords. 
Curation allows for a higher level of quality, and a program that is more 
focused in terms of theme. Also, I have submitted to both Images and Ann Arbor 
three or four times now, over the last ten years or so, and have never gotten 
anything in. It's gotten to a point of absurdity that I'm not going to bother 
doing it anymore. Maybe images, since it's free, but Ann Arbor at over $30 a 
pop? Sorry, not worth it. Especially if some 22 year old intern is previewing my 
film. If I pay, I expect a higher level of consideration than that. I'm going to 
focus on second tier and third tier fests from now on most likely. At least with 
them you get what you pay for.

-charles

On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 9:47 AM, Seth Fragomen <sef208 at gmail.com> wrote:

I agree with Dominic. I think we need community and micro cinemas more than 
ever. It's more or less up to us.
>
>
>
>On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 12:30 PM, Bryan McKay <bryan.mckay at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>Because watching a film in the theatre still beats watching one on your computer 
>screen? Because YouTube still can't manage to screen 35mm or 16mm? Because you 
>want to support your local arts community? Because the sort of curation that 
>goes on at festival screenings can elaborate heretofore unseen thematic or 
>aesthetic links between disparate works? Because you might actually get a chance 
>to meet and chat with the filmmaker whose work you've just enjoyed? Because 
>having a shared experience in a dark room with a bunch of other people can be a 
>profoundly moving experience?
>>
>>
>>
>>On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 12:22 PM, Matt Helme <dcinema2134 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>When you can put your work on-line and have it seen worldwide, why bother with 
>>festivals?
>>>Matt  
>>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff-94PXtixo
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
________________________________
From: D Dawson <decodawson at shaw.ca>
>>>To: Experimental Film Discussion List <frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com>
>>>Sent: Wed, February 16, 2011 12:11:52 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Frameworks] Current situation with Film Festivals
>>>
>>>
>>>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 “he/she 
>>>likes” no mention of the criteria of evaluation or the fact that a single 
>>>person’s 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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>>>>
>>
>>www.decodawson.com  
>>
>> 
>>>
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>>
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>
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