experimental-film-festival

Jan. 2025 Testimonials for EXPERIMENTAL, DANCE & MUSIC Festivals. 190 5 star reviews!

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Deadline Today to Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

Excellent festival! Very communicative and the feedback videos are a treat to watch. We were honored to also join the Wildsound Festival podcast after winning best short film, which ended up being an awesome and in-depth discussion on our project. We felt very appreciated as filmmakers and would definitely recommend anyone submits!

  • M. Varga

Participating in the Experimental/Dance/Music Film Festival has been an amazing experience! The team is professional, supportive, and genuinely passionate about celebrating creativity.

The audience feedback video was such a thoughtful and unique addition and it meant so much to hear how viewers connected with our work. Being awarded Best Music Video for “Play the Key Revised” was an incredible honor, and we’re thrilled to have been part of such a well-curated and inspiring event.

  • S. Westphal

Very well done and generous in their offerings. HOME was well-represented within this Festival. Grateful.

  • S. Schoeder

Second time screening at Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival and once again it’s been a great experience. The audience feedback videos are great promotional tools and they have several other offerings that are beneficial to filmmakers. Truly enjoy having my work considered and screened by them.

  • S. Chowdbury

Today’s FilmFreeway Deadline: EXPERIMENTAL, DANCE, MUSIC Film Festival

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Festivals take place at various Cinemas in downtown Toronto, Canada, for the audience feedback video.

Submit via FilmFreeway:

NOTE: The festival has created a hybrid festival with 4 tiers to enhance your film and your festival experience. All accepted films receive all four tier options:

Tier #1 – Your film plays at either a public live event where we will record the audience reactions of your short or feature and then send you the feedback video. Or, it plays at a private festival event where the audience will record their comments/reactions to your film on their camera or phone, then we edit them and send you a promotional video. No matter what you will receive a promotional video of your film of people commenting on your film.

Tier #2 – We put up your film live on the Film Festival Streaming Service for 30 hours and invite a select industry audience to watch it. With this system, some films have already received a distribution deal as many platforms are looking for solid feature and short films. We can not guarantee anything of course but this has been very helpful to many in the past. (see testimonials below)

Then (Tier #3) we will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film. Then after that (Tier #4) we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we chat with you about the process of how the film was made.

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The goal of this festival is to showcase the best of new experimental short films and independent music videos from around the world. Films that don’t get a fair shake from other film festivals because programmers don’t know where to “categorize” these films. There isn’t a typical linear story occurring so most festivals can’t truly understand the talent and beauty around these films.

We want to showcase films that showcase true originality and talent from filmmakers from every corner of the globe. And also showcase new musicians who have made a music video and want it to be shown.

Filmmaker Balca Elif Sagmanli (DREAMER)

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DREAMER, 10min,. USA
Directed by Balca Elif Sagmanli
In an effort to fall asleep, a young woman, Audrey, struggles through the entrapment of a dream-like state where she encounters the various challenges of time past, time present, and time future.

https://instagram.com/dreamer2023shortfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The motivation behind the making of DREAMER was my quest to explore the themes of dreams/nightmares, sleep, isolation/absence, memories/fantasies, time, cyclical experiences, and out-of-this world experimental imagery/concepts. On a certain level, it is a personal film that encompasses self-exploration and my fascination for time and presence.

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

The initial idea of this film stretches back to a short film that I made with my best friend in high school. This concept has been in the back of my mind for as long as I can remember. In undergrad, I wrote and shot a different version of DREAMER. I never ended up finishing it because I knew that it was not the version that I aspired to share with the world. This all led to DREAMER becoming my thesis film at UCLA. I do wonder if I will ever continue to revisit these concepts and/or make a different version of it in the future.

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

Cyclical dreamstate.

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

The biggest obstacle that I faced in completing this film was my actually my cinematography research for my thesis, which was the exploration of how 35mm analog film works together with the digital 5K Full Format that I used. It was an interesting editing process as well because I had to decide when, why and how to use both of the formats.

The cinematography research explored the communication of both analog and digital formats in order to figure out if they would communicate different intentions and/or can be integrated organically. The film is a result of this narrative and technical integration. The intention of this film is to evoke dream-like, surreal, and calming emotions by creating a psychedelic and ethereal experience. Along with the film’s premise, the technical integration of two different formats of cameras allows this film to display its unique style and sensibility, and distinct aesthetic.

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

It was extremely helpful to hear feedback from an audience that had never seen, or heard of my film before. I think that more festivals should try to implement this feature because it is rare to hear direct audience feedback outside of film schools.

Balca Elif Sağmanlı

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

This will sound a bit cliché, but I have loved watching films ever since I was a kid. In middle school, I told my aunt that I wanted to make films (even though I had no idea what this meant yet). In high school, I took a film class, and that is when I knew that I had to continue making films.

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

This is such an interesting question! I think that I have seen Mean Girls the most. It is a bit of a cult classic film amongst my friends, and we watched it a lot in middle school/high school.

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 that providing the opportunity of an interview is extremely helpful for student filmmakers, and more festivals should implement interviews. It would be great if the filmmakers could meet in-person at the festival to watch each other’s films.

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

It has been a seamless experience so far.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is a dish from Turkey called mantı (Turkish dumplings). It is the first thing that I eat when I am home in Istanbul, Turkey.

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

I am currently working on writing another short experimental film, and making a guitar centric/experimental music album (since I enjoyed playing guitar on the soundtrack of DREAMER).

Filmmaker Robyn Killian (RIOTS VS. TSUNAMIS)

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RIOTS VS. TSUNAMIS, 6min., USA
Directed by Robyn Killian
When faced with the wreckage in which several local business owner’s life’s work, their shops, were set ablaze and reduced to rubble after protests had devolved into riots in the Los Angeles’ Melrose District, occasioned by the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white police officer in late May 2020, I used the artistic mediums of experimental filmmaking and sound collage to document and express my grief by comparing the effects of two types of disasters, riots and tsunamis.

http://www.robynkillian.com/
https://www.instagram.com/robynrkillian/
https://www.facebook.com/robyn.killian
https://www.twitter.com/RobynKillian

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I made this film to work through my feelings after witnessing the destruction of my neighborhood, The Melrose District of Los Angeles after the George Floyd Riots of 2020. Everything changed. My safety and security was shattered. I felt like this one other time; In 1994 when the Northridge earthquake demolished my home. Since a riot is man-made the destruction feels more insidious than that of a natural disaster.

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

Because I made this film as coursework while studying at USC film school It is a bit difficult to answer how long it took to make it.

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

I would describe my film in the following two words: “Emotional Catharsis.”

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

The most formidable challenge I encountered during the completion of this film was the emotional journey of revisiting the profound pain that engulfed my community in the aftermath of the George Floyd riots. Witnessing the devastation inflicted upon local businesses and the shattered morale of my neighbors was not only heartbreaking but also deeply personal. Navigating through these raw emotions while striving to capture the essence of our shared experiences was a profound test of resilience and empathy.

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

Upon witnessing the audience’s reactions in the feedback video, I was deeply moved by the genuine appreciation expressed for various aspects of the film. One reviewer astutely recognized the meticulous craftsmanship behind the video editing, acknowledging it as the shining star of the piece. Another viewer’s admiration for the seamless intertwining of themes resonated deeply, affirming the depth of thought put into the narrative structure. The vibrant colors and masterful sound editing were lauded for their immersive quality, with the music design hailed as a pivotal element in elevating the film to a higher realm of artistic expression.

Furthermore, the acknowledgment of the film’s uniqueness and its ability to captivate the senses was humbling. To hear that the carefully constructed structure was perceived as dynamic and compelling was immensely gratifying, affirming the countless hours dedicated to crafting a seamless viewing experience. Moreover, to have the film described as clever, thought-provoking, and heartrending underscored its power to evoke a range of emotions and spark meaningful dialogue.

Most importantly, the recognition that the film offered a fresh perspective and shed light on a different set of victims was deeply meaningful. Knowing that it succeeded in raising awareness and fostering empathy from a unique vantage point filled me with a profound sense of purpose and gratitude. To receive such valuable feedback from the audience was truly an honor, reaffirming the impact and significance of the work.

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

Upon choosing film as the medium for a final project in a course I was taking, I had a revelation: filmmaking was the natural evolution of my artistic expression.

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

The film I have seen most in my life is, “It’s a Wonderful Life” 1946, closely followed by “Cinema Paradiso” 1988. Both serve as poignant reminders of the profound love I hold for movies.

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 appreciate the Feedback videos. They provide an opportunity for filmmakers to learn how their films are received by audiences . Additionally, festivals could help filmmakers to find interesting opportunities for distribution to gain exposure for their films.

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

My experience with working on the FilmFreeway site has been advantageous. It allows me to have a central place for my projects and easy access to search festivals that are a good fit for my movies.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I’m a foodie and enjoy most cuisines, therefore, I dont have one favorite.

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

What’s next for me? I’ve been working on another very personal project that I am not quite ready to share.