Previously: 9 More International Festivals That Matter
In figuring out which film festivals would make up the 2nd round of our Documentary Film Festival survey, there were a number of festivals which stood out as important and potentially monumental in the life of a film. They have brand value (people have heard of them) and they have distributors attending (sales potential). But they barely show any docs - not just American docs, but any docs. So, herewith are...
Five festivals that would've made the list if only they showed more documentaries:
Filmmaker: "It's a
market, but not really for docs."
Industry: "If you’re a filmmaker and you get a
film in Cannes, it looks really good on your resume. Not sure it does much for the film. You might be a little bit marginalized
there. If you’re waiting for
Cannes to give you an answer and you are passing on SXSW or Full Frame or Hot
Docs, then I think you’re making a huge mistake. Even getting into Cannes may not be as good as playing 2 or
3 of these spring festivals. 99% of
the time it doesn’t work out."
Industry: "Having been for 15
years, I finally think I’ve figured it out! NOT! Expensive but who
could decline Cannes? Like Sundance, before you go, make sure your film
is the best it can be — hard to recover from cranky critics, especially if
they’ve been out til 4am and are seeing 5 films a day. Had a film this past year and they did not cover anything though they did cover
hotel years ago. French distributor covered airfare."
Industry: "Similar to Berlin, but since Cannes programs so few docs, any doc going to Cannes should ideally have a strong hook. A perfect example is MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER - being in Cannes elevated the film but it really had no hook for sales and, at least as far as domestiva sales, it didn't help the film find a deal (at least as far as I know)."
Filmmaker: "a place
that can lift certain films as witnessed this year with the ART OF THE STEAL."
Filmmaker: "The festival was so organized, well-attended, and filmmaker-friendly. They did pay a stipend to the director. The staff was quite welcoming and accessible, and they seemed to go out of their way to support our film. It was a wonderful experience!"
Filmmaker: "attended several times, and love it"
Industry:
"Not a festival I think of for docs.
There are always a few, but I’m not sure how well chosen they are. That said,
it IS the New York Film Festival so it is of course a very prestigious place to
play."
Industry: "We don’t officially
attend and probably never will. How relevant is NYFF right now? I feel
like its becoming a festival for Upper East-siders. Their 2009 line up was all
over the map and now they’ve hired a critic (another one) as a
programmer? Does this mean that the fest lineup will be more obscure than
ever?"
Industry: "not an essential stop
for doc programming - a supremely selective showcase
Selection of US films screened at 2009 festival: THE COVE, EVERY LITTLE STEP, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
Our coverage of New Directors/New Films here.
Others:
Filmmaker: "Paid all
expenses. Enjoyed it. Remember a very nice party. Great way
to position your film in New York."
Filmmaker: "(E)veryone was nice (b)ut it didn't feel like a FESTIVAL to me. A very wonderfully curated program. I'll also never forget it was the first time my name was in the NYTimes."
Industry: "need to
program more docs. i'm bored with this one."
Industry: "strong but selective
showcase - not really a place to discover new
Selection of films screened at 2009 festival: SLEEP FURIOUSLY, DISCO AND ATOMIC WAR, IT CAME FROM KUCHAR, WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY
Our coverage of Telluride here.
Others:
Filmmaker: "the best
fest in the world for a filmmaker an a great place to gain buzz pre TIFF."
Filmmaker: "really liked Telluride. They didn't pay for my flight; however, did pay for my hotel. We didn't have to spend a lot of money though once we got there as they gave us free food for the length of th fesival as short filmmakers. Loved the programming, Q&A's, talks and panels. Great for listening to some amazing directors. Industry-wise is not great for documentary films. It was not easy to meet other filmmakers or industry people. I only met one of the festival directors by chance. It’s a shame you cannot announce the screening before hand. Very expensive but definitely a great experience."
Industry: "Love the festival,
not a lot of action but a great pre-cursor to the fall fest season with great
audiences. They usually cover seat on charter from/to LA to Colorado and
hotel for filmmaker. The good thing: even if you’re a small film without
distribution, people go see everything especially if they’ve heard good things
about it. The downside: They’re regular people, who can’t buy your film,
write about it, etc."
Industry: "Telluride has never been a bastion of nonfiction programming, and even
Filmmaker: "best
location. not doc friendly. but go if you can get in."
Selection of US films screened at 2009 festival: ALL IN: THE POKER MOVIE, BEAUTIFUL DARLING, BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO, IT CAME FROM KUCHAR, WINNEBAGO MAN, YOUTH KNOWS NO PAIN
Our coverage of CineVegas here.
Others:
Filmmaker: "Awesome. Trevor Groth and Mike Plante love movies and respect filmmakers. It's very generous (free airfare and 5 nights at the Palms) and very professional. You're assigned a handler who basically just takes care of you with tickets, rides, etc. As a first-time filmmaker, it was a great help. The screenings are well-attended and the theater at the Palms and the projection are top-notch. The movies look and sound great. The parties are ridiculous, fun, late, did I say ridiculous yet? Got to bowl with Morgan Spurlock. Great job of networking. Unlike some festivals, there is a clear central location complete with coffee in the mornings and happy hours every day. Can't tell you how important that is to networking. I got press in the local weeklies and from Indiewire just because everybody congregates in the lounge where you can actually meet people and pitch them. Top notch up and down and Trevor and Mike are just cool. Spoiled me for all the other festivals."
Filmmaker: "before it's death was the best programmed regional fest in country"
Filmmaker: "Fun. Not a place for super serious, dark films."
Industry: "very
disappointed by their "hiatus" -- I felt like they were becoming the
most interesting festival in North America. And they treat their guests
outstandingly well."
Industry: "I love the spirit of
this festival and know the filmmakers really enjoy it. It’s not been that
useful business wise, except in catching up with colleagues but I know they
take care of the films and filmmakers both in accommodations and in their
treatment at the festival."
Industry: "sadly on hiatus but always a great place to find those weird eccentric
gems."
Next: Wrapping Up
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