Don't Let Them Die on the Shelf
DEAR FRIENDS,
What do the cool clips on my filmmaker reel have in common? They've been sitting on a hard drive, shielded from the world. Why? Because I have no money to submit them to festivals. What do I have? A solid plan. The films are different enough that I've compiled a list of 15-20 targeted festivals per project based on their length and genre.
White People - Midnight fests, black comedy, under 10 mins
We Can Do It - Feminist fests, social commentary, 10-15 mins
Mourning, Glory! - Fests with long-form categories, over 25 mins
Festival submission fees are PRICEY, ranging from around $30-75 per pop. With $3,000 I can hit enough targets to potentially play at a few fests and spread the work around. Why make films if people don't get to see them? And don't worry, we're not talking about the biggies--I'm not gonna drop this chunk of change on Sundance, Toronto, etc (maybe SXSW). I have a realistic list of middle-of-the-road fests that might just give these pieces a chance at life!
Crowdfunding is kind of a last resort thing, here. It's not my favorite thing to do. But I figure with a reasonable goal like 3k and a bunch of friends, family, and collaborators who feel the pain, maybe we can make this happen.
Thank you, everyone. Those who know me know that I'll pay it forward.
What do the cool clips on my filmmaker reel have in common? They've been sitting on a hard drive, shielded from the world. Why? Because I have no money to submit them to festivals. What do I have? A solid plan. The films are different enough that I've compiled a list of 15-20 targeted festivals per project based on their length and genre.
White People - Midnight fests, black comedy, under 10 mins
We Can Do It - Feminist fests, social commentary, 10-15 mins
Mourning, Glory! - Fests with long-form categories, over 25 mins
Festival submission fees are PRICEY, ranging from around $30-75 per pop. With $3,000 I can hit enough targets to potentially play at a few fests and spread the work around. Why make films if people don't get to see them? And don't worry, we're not talking about the biggies--I'm not gonna drop this chunk of change on Sundance, Toronto, etc (maybe SXSW). I have a realistic list of middle-of-the-road fests that might just give these pieces a chance at life!
Crowdfunding is kind of a last resort thing, here. It's not my favorite thing to do. But I figure with a reasonable goal like 3k and a bunch of friends, family, and collaborators who feel the pain, maybe we can make this happen.
Thank you, everyone. Those who know me know that I'll pay it forward.
Organisateur
Emil Benjamin
Organisateur
New York, NY