The 3 Influencers in My Film Festival Submissions Process

Ever wonder how long it takes for a movie to be released after it’s made? Join the club. I’ve asked myself the same question, albeit for different reasons of course, upon completing “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever.” Knowing this short film would not be on its way to Utah to dance alongside the major industry players any time soon, here are some major factors that helped me figure out which baskets to put its (possibility for) theatrical screening eggs in.

Shouts out to Michael Hennessy who expressed interest in learning how I selected festivals to submit my movie to, and the process I used to do so.

Picking Festivals Based on Recommendations:

I go through the list of domestic and international Oscar-qualifying festivals for short films, to find places to submit my work. Being sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives festivals a certain type of advantage in terms of attracting press attention and they usually have industry connections. These types of festivals also tend to give out valued prizes (monetary, in-kind goods, distribution, etc.) for films screening in competition. So, I’m likely to cater my film festival submissions toward events that have a high profile in the eyes of the people who are in charge of the Oscars.

I also read through MovieMaker Magazine’s 25 festivals Worth the Entry Fee, to find film festivals where my movie could be submitted for consideration. In addition, I used nominees and winners of MovieMaker’s reader-survey for the Coolest Film Festivals in the World, to gauge where it would be best to submit my short film. 

A portion of the film festivals I selected to send my submissions to were also influenced by recommendations from fellow filmmaking buddies of mine.

Picking Festivals based on My Own Film Festival Submissions Criteria:

Do they program films that have black people in them? On the surface, this might seem like an arbitrary factor in determining where to submit a film but I believe that the program lineup is a reflection of what festival organizers are interested in supporting. If there isn’t a diverse lineup of films featuring and/or made by people who look like me or Latino directors, Mexican directors, etc. in a festival’s most recent schedule, then I’m less likely to believe that my film stands a chance at being showcased at said event.

Are there any black audience members in attendance? I might consider submitting my work to a film festival – even if its program lineup is less inclusive than preferred – if there is a noticeably diverse cultural landscape among the ticket-holders that the event attracts.

Picking Festivals based on a Varying Degrees of Another Movie:

I look for films that have certain elements or hooks similar to mine, and then submit to the festivals where they screened and/or won awards. These characteristics could include anything from technical aspects, to the story or genre. In the case of “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever,” I looked at festivals where movies such as “How to be Black and Sexy” and “Snow on Tha Bluff” played in previous years. Since my short film was shot on HD, I sought out film festivals that programmed movies that were made on video.

Since the main character's plight involves SEPTA and he hails from North Philly, I added the Philadelphia Film Festival to my list of places that might be receptive to the movie, given its “local” tie-in.

As I continue to play the film festival waiting game, however, I’m quickly learning (or sometimes being reminded of) quite a few valuable lessons including the importance of being realistic about what the distribution and exhibition prospects are for my project.

Although there are film festivals that I hope to NEVER submit a movie to again, there are several film festivals that I look forward to attending and hope to play at – if only just once – sometime in the near future.

When was the last time YOU went to a film festival?

How many local film festivals are in YOUR town?

What would persuade YOU to attend a film festival?

Sunday Synopsis – Sleep Outs, Movie Titles and ‘Lighten Up’ (RELOADED)

An event planner in Philadelphia told me (when I attempted to plan a sleepout last month as part of the “ABYSS” premiere, to raise awareness about homelessness) that likely none of the residents would attend my film screening because no one likes sleeping on the ground in cold weather.

The irony of that reasoning was precisely my point, which is why I was glad to meet so many men and women from the business sector who united during the Covenant House Pennsylvania’s annual Sleep Out this past week; supporting homeless youth who are on the streets due to various circumstances such as child abuse, job loss, displacement following tragic events and related factors.

Geared up with just the clothes on their back, cardboard Home Depot boxes and sleeping bags, these individuals spent the night outside on the ground in chilly conditions – the very thing that someone told me earlier would not be done (willingly) in The City of Brotherly Love. Participants raised over $89,000 to support Covenant House’s many services while experiencing a small taste of what life is like for a homeless teenager.

During a candlelight vigil earlier that evening to kickoff this event, I was among the attendees who were introduced to a local University student who had to put her pursuit of higher education on hold after becoming homeless, as her family being split up among area shelters. Her story caused me to wonder what, if anything, are large Universities doing to assist in the wellbeing of students enrolled at their school who experience homelessness or are in danger of becoming homeless.

Anyway, although my premiere plans for “ABYSS” have changed, I will be launching an initiative in conjunction with the upcoming release of the movie, to help raise funds and awareness for the working homeless who are affiliated with organizations that provide jobs and housing assistance to the underemployed.

Speaking of “ABYSS” and changes, a modification – or rather addition -- to the film’s title is also coming soon. I decided to tweak the name of the movie so that it could give people a clearer picture of what this short film is about. Stay tuned for the title reveal!

In the meantime, here’s a one-minute comedy film called “Lighten Up,” that I wrote and directed a few years ago. It’s about a woman whose tolerance level is tested when her attempts at having fun with her boyfriend goes unnoticed due to him being preoccupied with office politics. She wants to enjoy their time together; he won’t let up about his beef with a company that doesn’t appreciate the contributions of their employees. The Monday Movie Meme is coming late, again, so hopefully this short film will hold you over.

Would YOU ever sleep outside for one night?

Do YOU know anyone who has experienced homelessness?

What’s YOUR favorite Monday Movie Meme theme, to date?

Movie Poster Trends - Attack of the Clones

Earlier this week, I started worrying less about all of the barriers to entry in prepping my short film “Abyss” for its release; and began to notice the many ways that I can leverage the (albeit limited) resources I already have access to, for maximum options – including the creation of key art. The search for a movie poster design that best represents “Abyss,” however is still on, bringing us to another common trend among one-sheets. 

I figure it’s worth considering any and all viable design concepts that could work while also identifying the ones that should be avoided like the plague.

So with that in mind, let’s look at some movies with posters that could easily pass for another film in front of audiences. In Christophe Courtois’s compilation A little resemblance, he describes how the study of small similarities between one movie poster and another makes a big difference in being able to identify traces of unoriginality among their designs.

It’s hard to argue with his implications after just one glance at these design patterns. Films with movie posters similar to previous releases appear to be riding the bandwagon of another title’s box office success or public status. That should be no surprise considering the nature of Hollywood – the land of questionable sequels and remakes. So it seems as though one-sheets are no exception to this rule. Why reinvent the wheel when another movie has shown that certain compositions, colors, etc. work when it comes to gaining audience recognition?

Movie Poster Trend #12 - The Rip-Off

“These are supposed to either remind you of another (and much better) movie or outright trick you into believing you’re actually getting this other movie at the videostore.” - Para1/ONTD

Call it lack of originality, a case of false advertising, or the simple form of being a downright copycat. One thing’s for sure, movies adopting this “resemblance” practice that Cristophe is referring to has succeeded in getting people to take notice. I have no problem with that, since it is the whole point of creating movie posters. Yet, there is also a part of me that wonders if such a move in design choices are made at the sacrifice of a film’s credibility in terms of its perceived value among audiences.

As “The Rip Off” movie poster trend suggests, some people may view these types of designs as a form of trying to compensate for a film that isn’t so good. On the flipside, one can also argue that similarities in poster designs are useful for helping to give some movies the extra push that they need -- an advantage that would otherwise not be possible due to limitations in their marketing budgets, difficulties in reaching a target demographic, or related factors.

Do YOU still consider movie posters “original” artwork if their designs are similar to notable films?

Is this practice of emulation among poster designs, as understandable as the sampling and/or song remixes done in the music business?

Previous installments of Movie Poster Trends series include a post on hidden face designs and another about text-over-faces.