Sending your film to festivals is a lot like going to Vegas. In some cases, like at Sundance, your odds are actually better at Vegas (at least at blackjack if you have a good memory). But sharing your art might not be about odds. Or is it? With the barrier of entry so much lower than it was when I was fresh out of graduate school, the number of films out there looking for an audience has increased in exponential magnitudes. The good news is that the number of festivals has also increased. And... the number of films submitted is not increasing quite as fast as it had in the last five years. Maybe there is a point where the number of filmmakers making films independently starts to reach a critical mass and hovers at a stead number. Think about it a minute. It takes a lot of free time to make films when you are not getting any income for your effort (and few do). On the other hand, there is tremendous satisfaction to feel when you experience your film reaching an audience and impacting them with ideas that otherwise that audience would not have experienced. It's a balance between the pleasure of connecting with strangers, and the pain of working hard for free. That balance must have an effect on how many people are willing to live like an independent filmmaker. But then one more bit of good news. I have discovered how much easier it is to sell my films either by DVD or Video on Demand. More on that soon, another post will share what I found. But ease of selling will certainly effect the number of those making films.
Emotionally, the balance plays on your self-esteem and your conscience. You ask yourself, was it worth all that energy that I could have spent with loved ones? Am I exploiting too many people to realize my vision? Is what I have to share on screen worth everyone's time to watch it? Is it good enough? How much risk should I take in paying out festival submission fees for higher profile festivals that by sheer odds, are unlikely to accept my film. (Those festivals are more like playing roulette, rather than blackjack.) And then there is the question, is any of it rigged?
And then, as you prepare yourself for the rejections, you steel yourself from the negative answers. Yes, your film is worth your efforts! Yes, the people you conscript, those volunteers, interns, friends and family, who give their time, patience, love and support, their efforts are worth "using" because your film is worth watching! And so what if the festivals are a little rigged. If some have better access to getting screened at festivals than others, we must remember, this is a social business. If you have a good film and you are fun at a party, why shouldn't a programmer choose your film over an equally good film made by someone who might or might not come to the festival and join the party? Best strategy: enjoy the party and get screened. Learn from the experience and try until you get tired of it, or go broke. Then try again...maybe.
It is said so often that film and music are businesses for the young. I say it can be a business and an art for all (just like Vegas!). Just pace yourself and expect nothing. Sure, having a child, or caring for an elder parent might compete with what time you need to get a film made and seen. But the fact that you have a chance to try, to share what you made, is a magnificent freedom. It might take longer than the career path of making films for hire at whatever crew position you might get. But, there are many places where such freedoms of personal expression are restricted or forbidden. A filmmaker in the free market has so much to be thankful for - that you can make films, that you can share them, and neither activity has to bankrupt or put you in jail.
Ok. Next blog will announce the new festival submission responses: some real good news and bad.
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