Submit your COMEDY Book by the deadline. 

Submi your Comedy Novel on the submission page: https://festivalforcomedy.com/comedy-novel-festival/

Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Get FULL FEEDBACK on either the 1st chapter or entire novel book from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.

NEW OPTION: Or, just submit for an actor performance reading transcript of your novel (any 5 pages of your book). Great way to promote the sales of your book if you’re already published. (see examples on the video playlist below)

SUBMIT your novel now (both your 1st chapter or full novel accepted) To be eligible for our Writing Festival Events. Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation

Submit a novel book and get it seen by the world.

The Second City – A Documentary, 34min., USA
Directed by Samson Ziegelman
My goal with this documentary is to share the magic of The Second City and the art of improvisation with actor and writer Bob Odenkirk and Second City Vice President Kelly Leonard. We discuss their Second City experiences, the stars they have worked with, how improv shaped their careers, and advice for the younger generation.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I spent four summers at The Second City, learning and performing improv, and it left an indelible impression on me. With this documentary, I wanted to give back to The Second City and hopefully inspire people interested in comedy to give improv a try.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The entire process, from gathering the footage to filming, interviewing, and editing, took me roughly four weeks.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Chicago Comedy

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

At first, my biggest challenge was getting people to be part of the documentary, but I am so honored and grateful to Kelly Leonard and Bob Odenkirk for agreeing and making the project so special.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I am so pleased and grateful that people responded so positively. I am very glad people learned more about The Second City!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

For as long as I can remember, I have loved being creative. I have always been interested in movies and my passion sparked after I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The way John Hughes highlighted Chicago, the city I grew up in, was deeply inspiring to me, and I hope to one day highlight the city in a similar way through my films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

The films that I’ve seen the most in my life are Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pulp Fiction, The Truman Show, Superbad, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think the blog, podcast, and whatsapp group are all great starts and I look forward to the connections I make through this film festival. Two additions which could improve the festival even more is if there was a theatrical screening of our projects so we can see the reactions/feedback in person and if we could be given the contacts of the industry professionals that enjoyed our work.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Good so far.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Italian food

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I am finalizing the script for my next short film which will be in the crime genre that pays tribute to the French New Wave. More exciting projects to come!

RISING TIDES, 103min,. USA
Directed by Charlie Spickler
Rising Tides is the story of how climate change is affecting the fishing communities on the East Coast, the Coral in the Keys and the domino effect it has on the various regions. We are looking at the Science of Climate change and the politics of what is and what is not being done in Congress.

http://www.risingtidesfilm.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I read an article in the New York Times about the Peconic Bay Scallops dying before they could be harvested. I grew up out on Long Island, so this became personal for me. That led me to looking at the Blue Crabs down in Maryland and the bleaching coral down in Miami and the Keys and next thing you know, – Climate Change doc.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It took about eight months from inception to final cut.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Climate Change

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

A third part of the story was supposed to include the Lobsters up in Maine, unfortunately I couldn’t not get any Lobsterman to talk to me while I was shooting the film. There is a lot of politics going on up in Maine right now and the Lobstermen are very weary of the media.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was overwhelmed. Especially some of the comments that were made that literally mimicked my reasons for making the film, I wanted this film to be accessible and understandable for people with no experience with climate change and or the science of global warming. I wanted to present this information in a way that was understandable, Based on the comments I think I succeeded in doing that.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

In 1997 I had been working in theatre for almost ten years and a good portion of that as Lighting Designer. I was getting burnt out and woke up one morning and decided I wanted to make a film. The independent film movement was in its infancy at the time. I spent the next 13 years making narrative feature films. In 2011, we adopted a new puppy from an animal shelter in Brooklyn and I was so impressed by the grass roots nature of the shelter, I went back the next day and suggested that we do a documentary about the shelter. I had never made a documentary before. But Rescue! Brooklyn was born and 15 years later Rising Tides was my fourth documentary film.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

That’s a good question, And hard to answer because there is not just one. I feel comfortable giving you the top three – across Genres.

Documentary – The War Room – D.A. Pennebaker, Roger and Me – Michal Moore
Serious – The Godfather
Funny – “Annie Hall”

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think you guys are amazing and your hands on working with the filmmakers, no one else does. Helping to get our films out to people who would never see them is amazing and pretty unique..

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has you experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I have been using FilmFreeway since my first doc and it really makes festival submissions so much easier. I remember the days when you had to reach out to each festival separately and then send a screener. FF had simplified the process immensely. Also the discount you get on the submission fee can add up. As well as being alerted to when deadlines are coming up.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Another hard question to answer.

I am a bit of a foodie. Lobster – seafood dinner on my birthday.
Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwich from Katz Deli with a well done square knish with mustard and Doctor Brown’s Cream Soda.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I have a number of irons in the fire – we have three potential documentaries that we are waiting on for financing. As you know, getting financing for documentary films is never easy. Our two main projects are:
DIsappearing Doctors, – We are exploring the epidemic of physician suicide here in the United States and we are tying the American Healthcare system into that as our current healthcare providers are not just screwing the patients but are making it almost impossigle for physicians do whar they do.

The Second documentary, Which at the moment is called “Dreams of Flight”, which we are also waiting on funding for, is about the Aboriginal Tribes in Australia. There are over six hundred different tribes in Australia and not one of them speaks the same language. Yet they invented the boomerang thousands of years before Leonardo ever thought about flight. We will be delving into the culture of the Tribes as well as the current political climate of unification and the Voice of the People act.

I hope that is what you are looking for. Let me know when you want to do the podcast interview.