In the mean time

So I've got my movie submitted to several different festivals. What else can I do now?

Well, I'm currently reading Chris Gore's Film Festival Survival Guide. Which is almost a cliche as popular as it is. And I'm reading Independent Film Distribution by Phil Hall. They're both good books with great stories, but so far it's nothing that's revolutionary to learn.

Listen I' m not trying to knock the books, but after reading Dov Simens Reel to Deal. Everything else pales in comparasion. Despite this, there are some useful things to learn from this book.

Anyway, I'm highlighting all the information that I believe is the most useful so that I can remember what can be useful. As well as researching film festival forums such as withoutabox(which I also use to submit) to see which festivals serve the best for me to submit to. It'll be funny to report what actually happens when I get there.

Another things about the books, is that they almost try to scare you away from the business as cynical as they the authors and people who interviewed are. But I suppose that's the type of life you should be prepared for. Christopher Nolan describes himself as the ultimate pessimist.

Though I believe that you need the optimist side as well. Almost to a level that you're naive. Why else would you take such a risk. As Kevin Smith said at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, he wouldn't have taken up film-making had he known how difficult it was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90pcHCF2h44

While I understand the risks and try to stay practical. I try to listen to people who succeed constantly. Interviews, stories, biographies, etc.

Too many tangents, from what I'm reading to a philosophy on filmmaking. So I'll end this before I get too off-point.

Next update, I'll tell you about the other thing I'm doing.

Submitting to Festivals

I'm back. Here's what's happening.

Just when you think things couldn't get any more complicated, you finish your movie. Then you have to edit it, that's a whole other story. Then after you finish that you now have to not only submit to a festival, you have to be accepted by them.

There are thousands of film festivals out there. Only about 20 in the world are really worth it. And most people say it's easier to win the lottery than to get accepted at any of them, especially when you've made a no budget movie, with no name actors.

So after I've spent money submitting to the expensive festivals, waiting months for a letter of rejection, I decide I at least want to be in some festival. Put a nice award on the ol' resume and the film as well. Live like a rock star for a few days. Have the inside the actors studio experience while being interviewed. And according to other sources it's possible to land distribution deals at the smaller festivals. The smaller the venue the more the movie sticks out.

So I've decided to submit to smaller festivals, but which out of the thousands should I choose. They say to submit where a similar movie made it big, but they're the same big festivals that already rejected me...Now what?

There's a lot of money that goes into this, that I want to use on my next project so I'm being choosy. I've picked out a handful and we'll see where we go.