festival interview

Interview with Festival Director Lynn M. Holley (Fine Arts Film Festival Santa Barbara)

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The Fine Arts Film Festival premiered in Santa Barbara, California in 2010; it then occurred as a film festival in Venice, CA in 2015. In 2016 it will explode as an International Fine Arts Film Festival full of shorts plus a few full length features back in fabulous Santa Barbara, California! It will screen at more than one venue, including an outdoor night-time extravaganza. Originally conceived as a festival of films about the fine arts, it now incorporates dance and experimental art forms and approaches.

Interview with Lynn M. Holley:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Lynn M. Holley: Exposure they might not get in major, all-purpose festivals.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

LMH: Diversity of place, thought and disciplines. We will screen films from around the world.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

LMH: Made within the last 3 years; related to the visual arts or dance and have some importance to the field.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

LMH: All-purpose film festivals often ignore the disciplines in the arts: visual, dance, music, science and technology collaborations, etc..

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

LMH: The love film and the love of arts.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

LMH: We now take in entries through http://www.Filmfreeway and focus on more genres in the arts.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

LMH: A larger, more international scene in Santa Barbara CA, which helps promote other film festivals here including the main one SBFF and the Jewish Film Festival.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

LMH: Caught-In-Paint by Rita Blitt (6 min); and numerous spy films over decades.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

LMH: There is an importance, a purpose for viewing it that does not require long narratives or dialogue.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

LMH: Incredible; we are, after all, Santa Barbara, CA, home to Hollywood and the world.

fine_arts_film_festival.jpg

Lynn M. Holley is an executive consultant to the arts, a resident curator at the new center in Santa Barbara, CA for art, science and technology (SBCAST.org). She was initiated into film as a young film reviewer for a daily newspaper, and then as a journalist and director of galleries and an art center. She is a former journalist, narrative writer and filmmaker for promotions in the arts. She has a B.S. in Communications and an MA in Museum Studies. Ms Holley just returned from giving a presentation to a Global Conference in England on Museums, titled: The Dance of the Muses from Las Vegas to the Louvre.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Film Festival Director R. Presley Stephens (Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival)

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The Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival was founded in 2014 by award-winning Bay Area filmmakers, actors, critics, artists and cinephiles to catch the independent films that fall through the cracks and end up… underground.  TBUFF celebrates good quality low budget films from Tampa and around the world and provides a professionally presented showcase for them.  The festival is usually held in early December, which is known as “late summer” in central Florida, and features more than a hundred films of all genres and lengths.

http://tbuff.org/

https://www.facebook.com/TampaBayUndergroundFilmFestival/

Interview with R. Presley Stephens:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

R. Presley Stephens:: We think film festivals should be about the filmmakers, which really isn’t the case with many other festivals. The original purpose of regional film festivals like ours was to showcase a lot of Sundance-type independent films that many people who lived far from Utah, Los Angeles and New York would have no opportunity to easily see since most such films weren’t going to get wide theatrical distribution.

But this was decades ago, before the proliferation of cable TV in general, before Sundance Channel specifically, before the internet and high quality streaming. What’s the point in every regional festival showing the “best of” Sundance, Cannes and Toronto when those movies are going to be on Sundance TV and Netflix six months later? Meanwhile filmmakers themselves don’t need festivals for distribution quite as much as they used to because there are so many other avenues to get those deals now and if all else fails, put it on YouTube and let the people decide. So the key festival selling points for most filmmakers now are networking, accolades and the relatively rare opportunity to see their work on a TRULY big screen in front of an enthusiastic live audience, all of which TBUFF provides.

And we try to go the extra steps of making that experience as exciting and fulfilling as possible with very thoughtful Q&A sessions for every film, marketing opportunities and meet & greet events. We also strive to excel with professional presentations (several TBUFF founders have worked at movie theaters and know a thing or two about projection), thorough preparation and frequent communication, which we’ve been told by our filmmakers is impressive enough to help set us apart from many other festivals.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

RPS: TBUFF 2016 will once again be at a real cinema, offering the cast and crew and their friends and family and other festival attendees the opportunity to see the films on the big screen with digital sound. It’s usually a 4 day event (Dec. 1-4 this year), and we have movies all day and night long followed by after-parties with free appetizers at classy area restaurants most nights. We had a film panel on microbudget production and distribution last year and plan to have more this year. We have yet to have a Hollywood celebrity show up but certainly lots of local celebrities. We’ve been told that the crowning jewel of our event is our Oscars-like awards ceremony (“The Buffys!”) featuring clips of each nominated film (giving the always sold-out audience an opportunity to see why the films they probably didn’t get to watch are nominated), teary acceptance speeches, professional photo ops, engraved trophies and other ceremony trappings. For many of the nominated filmmakers, it’s basically another opportunity for a large audience to experience their films.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest selling points for northern filmmakers planning to attend is that TBUFF is held in subtropical Florida during the middle of winter, with highs usually in the 70s and the famous Pinellas County beaches less than 30 minutes away. Our attendance by selected filmmakers from outside the Sunshine State has been phenomenal – our main theme revolves around “native films” standing their ground against “invasive films” (hence the alligator-python tussle in our logo), so we usually have a fairly even split between Florida and non-Florida films, and so far more non-Florida filmmakers have shown up to represent their movies than Florida filmmakers! Last year that included not only several New York, Los Angeles and Canadian filmmakers, but also filmmakers from Ireland, England and Poland! Usually more than 60% of our films have representation at TBUFF, which seems crazy to us considering how young the festival is and its “underground” roots. This was even true the first year, before we had built up any real reputation at all, and we’re not all that sure why, but we’re certainly proud of our status.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

RPS: If you mean, the technical qualifications, we don’t really have a lot. Thus far we don’t even have a time limit on how long after completion a film can be submitted, but as we get bigger, that could change. As far as what we look for with selections… it’s honestly a mostly Potter Stewart scenario: we know it when we see it. But variety is very important to us – we have at least one short block of almost every genre, and we like conventional movies as much as weird stuff that our “underground” name would suggest. We showcase dramas, comedies, action, adventure, crime, musicals, horror, sci-fi, thrillers, fantasies, mysteries, romances, animation, children’s, religious, lgbt, foreign, documentaries, experimental – basically anything, and it doesn’t have to bizarre or on the fringe, though we definitely delight in those. Thanks to some good relationships with the theaters we’ve worked with, we’ve been able to program a lot of movies – 125 last year, which is on par with a lot of bigger “international” festivals. That included more than 20 features.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

RPS: It obviously depends on the festival, but certainly features without known talent have much more uphill battles on the overall circuit than features with stars or most any short, although “long shorts” (like 30-45 minutes) are difficult to program and often glossed over by festivals regardless of quality. TBUFF certainly isn’t going to turn its nose up at a celebrity-filled feature if it fits our program (we showcased a horror film in 2014 that had a bunch of well-known actors in it, including one who grew up in our area), but probably because of the word “underground” in our name, we rarely get such submissions, and we would indeed like to give as many slots as possible to good quality starless features that unknown “starving artist” filmmakers practically sacrificed their livelihoods to make. As far as long shorts, some of the best shorts that have been submitted to us were on the long side, so we found room for them. Again, we’ve been able to program a lot more movies than the typical underground film festival thanks to our good relationship with the movie theaters that we’ve worked with, as our festival has been much more of an asset than a burden to them.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

RPS: Most of the TBUFF founders (including co-executive director Jason Beck, co-executive director Kelly Nunez, marketing director Chris Maria Reyes, assistant programming director Jay Franks, social media director Jaden Mikes, photography directors Nicholas Barrera and Lisa Shorts, audio-visual directors Chris Cook and Geoff Langhans, as well as myself) worked on several Liberty Lane Productions films, including the recently released feature “Poltergeist of Borley Forest.” Before its distribution, that movie had a film festival tour that took it from New York to Miami to Louisville to California, which was such a wonderful experience for us that we wanted to share it with other filmmakers, particularly in our home market of Tampa. This area already had a couple of prominent festivals but they were more centered around celebrity-driven independent productions than true “underground” projects in the vein of such indie classics as “Clerks,” “El Mariachi” and “Blair Witch Project,” which were all made on shoestring budgets by then-unknowns without any notable cast members. Their level of success is the exception-to-the-rule but these passion projects embody the spirit of filmmaking that TBUFF seeks. But we did want to give these filmmakers a more “international” festival-type experience than most other “underground” festivals do, so we incorporated what we felt like were the best aspects of all the festivals we’ve attended into our festival – the best aspects that would fit into our “underground” budget, of course.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

RPS: TBUFF is only 3 years old, so not much! We were at a beach theater our first year, but it closed before the second year and we had to move inland into the main city, so that was a bit of a culture shock and led to different kinds of parties and a new technology learning curve. Otherwise our third year is largely looking the same as the first year, except bigger and better, with the same philosophy and a similar number of films. One very positive change is the substantial increase in submissions, with filmmakers seeking us out based on their previous positive experiences and word of mouth from other filmmakers, rather than us having to do a lot of scouting and convincing, as was the case in year 1. We’ve also expanded our staff beyond just the original founders, so hopefully this year will be a little less chaotic for the board members than in the past. But probably not!

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

RPS: Being in a city with two other established, world-renown all-genre festivals, we certainly don’t see ourselves as being the preeminent festival at that or any point, especially considering our “underground” nature, but we do hope by then that we have connected with both the local and international film community in such a significant manner that we’ll be the “Big Three” instead of there just being the “Big Two.” We already get some media exposure, but hopefully in 4 years newspapers and TV stations will seek us out instead of the other way around and far more people in the area will know about us.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

RPS: Like most people of my era, probably “The Wizard of Oz” because it was on TV at least once a year for most of my childhood. “Pulp Fiction” seems likely the movie I saw most in theaters, because for 6 months it was at a theater I worked at, and I watched it religiously during my breaks and before and after my shifts, leading to it greatly influencing my own screenwriting style. As I’ve worked at several theaters over a two decade period, there are many movies I’ve seen the best parts of dozens of times each.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

RPS: A great film is one that truly becomes an escape from the real world – not just the first time you watch it, but all the many times you are compelled to watch it.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

RPS: As is the case with most Florida markets, Hollywood isn’t exactly overrunning Tampa with major productions due to the lack of state tax incentives, but a fair number of true independent features are produced in the area every year, usually by filmmakers putting their own money into the projects and getting as much of their community involved as they can, and we definitely have a very supportive, interconnected film community. More of these are horror than any other genre, sometimes leading to Tampa being called the “Splatter Capital” of the state, but there are also conventional dramas and comedies as well as art films being produced. There are an abundance of young filmmakers in the area who are attending or have recently graduated from area schools with respected film programs such as the University of Tampa’s, University of South Florida’s and the Art Institute of Tampa, along with Central Florida and Full Sail in nearby Orlando and Ringling College in Sarasota, and these artists are cranking out a steady diet of high quality short films. Tampa-St. Pete has about 10 total film festivals of varying stature and many other film-related events, quite a few of which have strong attendance, so the film scene is very lively here indeed, and TBUFF is very excited and proud to be part of it and hopes to continue to be for years to come.

tampa_bay_underground_film_festival

Programming director and co-founder R. Presley Stephens has written and produced several underground films himself, including the starless Tampa supernatural horror flick “The Poltergeist of Borley Forest,” which somehow found its way into Redbox’s Top 20 rentals rankings in October 2015.  He was also a TV station film critic for 7 years and did weekend cinema projection work for half of his life, so he is about as deeply immersed in film culture as a person can get

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Creative Director Sami Kriegstein (Los Angeles Music Video Festival)

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The Los Angeles Music Video Festival (LAMVF) exists to celebrate the art of the music video and to bring together the independent music and independent film communities of Los Angeles and beyond. We hope to encourage and promote the development of independent music video producers and their audience.

Interview with Sami Kriegstein
Founder, Creative Director | Los Angeles Music Video Festival
Producer | Figures of Speech

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Sami Kriegstein: I’m extremely proud of the safe space we’ve created for music video makers and the unique flavor of experimentation and poetic storytelling you only really find in this genre. So much of the glory of music videos goes to the artist or band; we celebrate the filmmakers and their team members and really bring them out of the shadows for the fest. We also create very real opportunities for attendees by introducing them to directors’ reps, music video commissioners, commercial production companies and more. It is the coolest thing in the world to know that we directly impacted someone’s career with our festival, and we hear those stories all the time.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

SK: 2016 is going to have a focus on dance in videos as an underlying theme. If you attend the festival this fall, you can expect some mind-bending screenings, eye-opening panel discussions with directors, choreographers, commissioners and artists, great food and drinks, unique performances, and maybe a workshop or two. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Cinefamily again this year and hosting the fest at the beautiful Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

SK: Selected submissions must all reasonably represent the music video genre (emphasis on a song paired inextricably from some kind of visual storytelling), and must have been completed in the past 12 months. Obviously the work needs to be original; but for our STUDENT and UNOFFICIAL categories the song used in the video does not need to be authorized or licensed. Beyond that, there are very few restrictions or qualifications. We instruct our screeners to look for emotional connection and creativity…there are so many great music videos that get the job done but when you watch something that really makes you stop in your tracks, that makes you smile in spite of yourself, or cry, or laugh, or dance, or want to share it with all your friends; that’s the magic we look for.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

SK: I can’t speak to other festivals but I can say that we always have entries we wish we could screen and honor that we just can’t find space for. As a grassroots fest we are restricted in the number of music videos we can program over a few days in a single location. I hope that as we get bigger we can increase the number of screenings and share the spotlight. Last year we started to post honorable mentions online leading up to the fest, which felt good. This is an issue we constantly grapple with. We want to make sure as many filmmakers and artists as possible get that extra visibility in such an oversaturated content environment.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

SK: Our team is really motivated by love for creativity, and of course, love for music videos. We are all connected to the indie film and indie music communities and see so much great work go up on various internet sites and get sort of lost in the shuffle…the festival is our way of collectively celebrating the amazing work being done. It’s cool shit. It deserves a moment of recognition.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

SK: Every year the festival changes cosmetically, meaning the venue changes or the number and types of events change; but honestly things haven’t changed much at all, which is a point of pride. The spirit has stayed 100% the same: we want to put on a kickass event, we want to show you some badass videos you’ve never seen before, we want to show you some familiar videos in ways you never expected, we want everyone to have a blast and leave inspired and be so glad they came.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

SK: I would love to see the fest in multiple cities and hosting events all year round. I think there’s so much potential for this kind of programming…the sky is the limit.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

SK: I’m gonna guess the music video I’ve seen the most times in my life might be Thriller…

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great music video?

SK: A great music video* is one that surprises and affects you on an emotional level; the visuals should feel intimately tied to the music; you should be left full, like you ate a rich and satisfying meal…whether it was a hearty steak dinner, a somber and painstakingly crafted omakase or a fizzy boozy brunch shared with all your craziest friends.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

SK: I split my time between LA and NYC and obviously both places are Mecca’s for film (and music). The only downside there is, festivals and screening events often get overlooked because there’s just so much going on all the time. It can be harder to get people to come out and play.

los_angeles_music_video_festival
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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Jes Reyes (Altered Esthetics Film Festival)

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Over the past ten years Altered Esthetics has hosted over 100 group exhibitions, launched a solo exhibitions program for emerging artists, and have brought the work of more than 500 artists to public view – many of whom were sharing their artwork with the public for the very first time. Altered Esthetics largest program is the the Ae Film Festival (formerly the Ae Art House Film Festival), an annual event dedicated to the organization’s mission to foster an inclusive and sustainable arts community through exhibitions, education, and outreach.

Going on its 3rd season, the Ae Film Fest will present July 27-31, 2016.

Altered Esthetics is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization /  www.alteredesthetics.org

Interview with Festival Director Jes Reyes:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Jes Reyes: We offer exhibition opportunities for artists who create experimental short films. We aim primarily at exhibiting Minnesota-based works – all to demonstrate the active presence of moving image artists in our home state. 81% of artists exhibited at the 2014 Ae Film Festival were practicing Minnesota-based film/video artists. In 2015, we exhibited 30% Minnesota-made projects. For our 2016 season, exhibiting this July, we will showcase 55% local artists.

In addition to showing local artists, the film festival also works to represent gender equality within Ae’s film/video lineup. Both in 2014 and 2015, male and female identified artists exhibited at 50% each. Representing cultural and racial diversity is also an aim and success of this festival.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

JR: Community and conversation – we do a lot of outreach to partner with filmmakers, artists, and local groups to show off the amazing talents that live and create in the Twin Cities. This festival is about coming together once a year to celebrate those local artists. We want our programming to spark conversations, especially around the artwork and what the moving image is and can be. We will also offer the experience to see short films from international and national-based artists, too.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

JR: Films generally have to be 12 minutes or shorter. We have a preference for experimental works and moving image that explores contemporary art practices.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

JR: It is hard to get selected for a film festival, especially if you are emerging or not apart of the larger network or local film communities. I know this first hand as an artist. It is one of the very reasons I started the Ae Film Festival.

Declining a film for exhibition – it’s probably one of the hardest parts of my job. You can’t show everything. What generally happens on our end is that programming gets organized based upon themes that arise from submissions. We then select films by what works best together when it comes to planning screenings.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

JR: What motivates us is our appreciation and admiration towards the medium, as it is a diverse and progressive art form. We find value in representing artists and aim to share their work.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

JR: The amount of programming has definitely changed. We started off as a one-night event and now – three years in – we have stretched out to four to five days of screenings.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

JR: In my eyes, the festival is a living and breathing organism. It will continue to grow into whatever it wants to be – whatever the community wants it to be.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

JR: I have probably seen Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon the most. I return to it often.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

JR: I am always looking for honesty in a film, so a great film is one that explores reality rather than constructs reality.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

JR: We have a diverse film community in the Twin Cities that includes a variety of opportunities and festivals, which I adore. We are also supportive of each other. I do feel that this is all because of the excellent resources in the area and how our community appreciates and advocates for the arts.
About the Festival Director:

Jes Reyes is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and arts administrator. Recent photography and video art of hers has exhibited with Artists in Storefronts, Altered Esthetics and the Walker Art Center. Components (2015), a short silent video poem in collaboration with Katie Rensch, premiered recently with with Made Here, a public art project of Hennepin Theatre Trust. Jes is the founder of the Ae Film Festival, Altered Esthetics largest group exhibition program.

altered_esthetics

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Rafael Jovine (Frame by Sound Festival)

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Breaking away from traditional norms, Frame by Sound presented by Vents Magazine offer patrons a unique and groundbreaking experience of its own kind. By taking it online, FxS reaches audiences around the world in an effort to bring a personal film and music festival in the comfort of their own home. Various ways to experience are via computer, mobile, ROKU/APPLE TV.

Interview with Rafael Jovine

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers? 

Rafael Jovine: Helping them reach out more people. As a online fest, we aren’t limited to any city or country in the world -well, except those that aren’t too internet friendly-, as a filmmaker myself I know how painful is to look for the perfect festival around the world, and our mission is basically to be a one-stop for them. We are also bringing a great group of talented filmmakers and crew members that would be doing this very educative and in some cases, practical, workshops and panels that aims to teach them some tips and how to be better on their particular field.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)? 

RJ: Comfort. Fun and definitely for all filmmakers and film enthusiasts this would be an exciting learning experience. We are doing our best to have some creative and talented group of speakers from pretty much each department in a film, from the usual suspects like directors, producers, writers to the not common such as Editors, Directors of Photography, Art Directors, Custom, designers, etc.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films? 

RJ: Creativity at the time of writing and producing a film, some sort of uniqueness on the way the story is told, engagement and so many things more I am sure those who attend the festival would see.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why? 

RJ: Totally! Through history we have seen all these great and iconic filmmakers who have been rejected at the early stage of their careers like Wes Anderson. And I think it’s both a matter of time as many festivals are very limited by time and in some case scenarios, elitism.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival? 

RJ: Well, personally I can’t afford to go to any of this big festivals like Sundance, SXSW, etc. and those who are luckier, they have to spend thousands in cash. So we are also thinking on those who attend this festival, we are aiming to bring an equally exciting festival at a cheaper price and without they having to travel to another city or country.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception? 

RJ: This would be our second year, so not too much haha. The format has definitely change, we are totally focusing on the online format instead of the physical as we did last year, we are also adding the musical element, the workshops and we are extending our panels by including other departments of a film production.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020? 

RJ: Ruling the world! Hahaha. But seriously, though the online format isn’t as new as I thought it was, we are definitely more ambitious and hopefully by then everything goes as plan and this would become the new way of enjoying festivals.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life? 

RJ: I would say Pirates of the Caribbean and Inception.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film? 

RJ: Creativity, hands down.

MT: How is the film scene in your city? 

RJ: It’s definitely growing. We started focusing more on it like 6 years ago, before it there wasn’t too much of an industry and we barely get one or two movies produced by year, now we get like 20 or so films produced. What we definitely need is a signature, we are currently lost in the sea of mimmicks.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Gisella Calabrese (Visioni Corte Film Festival)

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Visioni Corte Film Festival was born in 2012 and realized in the Baronial Castle of Minturno (Lazio, centre of Italy) since its beginning. It has 6 categories: Corto Fiction Italy, Corto Fiction International, CortoDoc (for documentaries), CortoMusic and CortoAnimation. They’ve got also another particular category, SocialVisions, dedicated to short movies realized by therapeutic communities or social cooperatives, to compare with another reality and spread new type of relationships and communication between people with different disabilities.

http://www.visionicorte.it

Interview with Gisella Calabrese:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers? 

Gisella Calabrese: Filmmakers are always welcome in Minturno. It’s a honor for us, especially who comes from abroad, because we’re trying to get tourism close to culture. It’s a heat, but we’re really convinced that it’s possible, if you love your town and, of course, cinema. They’ll find out that in our festival, the short movies and their creators are the real protagonists. Visioni Corte isn’t just a runway for celebrities as others do, we give importance to our films with no reserve.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)? 

GS: This year we’ve made some changes, beginning from the period. We used to play in October, while we’ve decided do realize it in summer. We’re sure that filmmakers will appreciate this decision. We’ve got a beautiful sea, why don’t take advantage? We’re going to do this fifth edition outdoor with a big screen. Some guests belonging to the world of cinema, cultural events, music, traditional good food of our region… we’re preparing a lot of surprises.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films? 

GS: Well, during selections we’re very strict. Only the best film will pass. They must have a good screenplay, intense performance, great filming, excellent photography and if possible an original story. In the previous editions we had international premiere, and also very particular (and beautiful) movies that you can’t see in Italy so easily. We don’t make obvious choices.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why? 

GS: It depends on festivals. Some of them are just a showcase for famous and sometimes the selections of the movies isn’t so accurate, while other ones focus on the quality and are able to advertise them better than other. Of course, if you have been selected by the TIFF or Cannes, it’s another story, at all. We’re proud to say that many films which have been selected in our festival during these years, afterwards have been selected also in prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Tiff, Venice, Goya, New York, Los Angeles. It shows that we make a really good selection. It’s the better acknowledgment for us.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival? 

GS: We live in a beautiful place, we’ve sea and mountains, romans ruins and a temperate weather but Minturno (Lazio, centre of Italy) hasn’t a cinema, a theatre or an auditorium. You must go to nearby towns for this. Visioni Corte is born to spread the idea that making cultural tourism is possible, if you strongly believe in it. Before us people here had no idea what a short movie was. Instead, now we’ve got regular fans that attend every year, it’s a close audience who follow us with love, and some surrounding cities are trying to make something similar to our festival. We’re on trend, perhaps 😉

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception? 

GS: Our festival has improved a lot. The passion is the same but the screen is bigger and we’ve more volunteers to realize it now. Our Techical Jury has become more prestigious and Visioni Corte is becoming famous in the short film industry. We receive so many films abroad! Also the programm is changed. We make more events, retrospectives, presentation of books regarding cinema and also workshops and cine lab.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020? 

GS: I hope that in 2020 we’ll have more support from the local institutions to realize a really big festival of cinema, especially for the economical burden. It’s our dream but also our target. We’ve made everything by ourselves and our sponsors and we’ll go on this way. We’re not tied, we’re free to make our own choices. If this support comes, we’ll be very happy, otherwise we’ll carry on making the festival with the same enthusiasm and passion… searching for other sponsors! We’d like to create a sort of Visioni Corte Village, with many stands, masterclasses, cinema and photo exhibitions, workshops, music… a long party for the short movie and its lovers.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life? 

GS: This is a very difficult question. There are so many films I’ve seen so many times! I love Blade Runner, for example, or Point Break, but also Star Wars saga, Gone with the wind, Vittorio Gasmann’s movies… But there’s a movie that moved me and made me cry like anything else: The Wrestler, of Darren Aronofsky. Really, it’s an incredible movie, shooted as an european indipendent film. I can’t see it as often as I would like because it hurts me, but I mean it as the true essence of the cinema, at all.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film? 

GS: Well, a great film must hit you, leaving you something you can’t explain but you feel it so strong that it will never leave you.

MT: How is the film scene in your city? 

GS: The film city in Minturno is very low, but we feel that people are hungry of culture, in all its way. That’s why we’re making Visioni Corte. It makes you dream, laugh, cry, think, move but especially, it enriches all of us in spirit. Thank you so much for the interview. I’m honored.

visioni_corte

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Amanda Perry (Cutting Edge Film Festival)

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The Cutting Edge Festival is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization which endeavors to promote the best filmmakers and their films to an ever-growing worldwide audience as a powerful medium that inspires creativity, encourages introspection, and compels the exploration of the senses, and expands the imagination.

The festival uses the monies raised from film submission fees to promote and expand the world of Independent Filmmaking as an ever increasing endeavor.

www.cuttingedgefilmfest.com

Interview with Amanda Perry:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

We feel that in the two years since we established our Festival that we have offered hundreds of Filmmakers from around the world a lot of additional exposure for their work to countless lovers of Independent Film the world over. As I’m sure that you know, for an Independent Filmmaker, exposure of their films is everything.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

First, our festival is produced strictly through a virtual film screening platform, and there really isn’t a physical event to attend. However, what a Filmmaker who is screening at the CEIFF could expect is not only a great deal of exposure for their film, but additionally they should expect the potential for their film to come to the attention of Distributors, and a Filmmaker should most certainly expect that the audiences for their film will be of the warmest kind. What a virtual attendee of our festival should expect should be films of all genres that are among the highest caliber in the world.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

Like most Festivals in the world, ours makes it’s film selections based on the quality of Directing, cinematography, story line, script plot, writing, acting, production values, and lighting along with many other elements of the film. Most importantly though, we think that a film overall should be entertaining and should capture the viewer’s attention from start to finish.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

I think that most Festival, ours included, try their best to offer every Filmmaker who submits their film an equal opportunity to be selected and screened. However, I also think that there are a few Festivals out there that seem to focus more on the big budget films which have celebrities attached to them, and less on the smaller budget films with no celebrity involvement. Though this is not the case with the majority of Festivals, there are a few with this focus, and I feel that it is unfortunate because there are countless films that are produced with little or nearly no budget that would rival those larger budget films.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

Very simply, a love of film, a great respect for the Independent Filmmaker, and our passion for the art of Filmmaking.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

The Fest hasn’t really changed, though we have learned quite a bit and have refined many of our systems and processes as to allow for what we feel is a better overall experience for the Filmmaker from the submission process all the way through to the end of the Festival.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

Hopefully still producing Festivals that are much better, and much more well attended each year.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

That is really hard to answer because I have seen so very many, both Independent and “Hollywood” films.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

As I said above, what I think makes a great film is for the film to have the ability to capture the viewer’s attention from start to finish, drawing the viewer into a new reality created by the Filmmaker to the point that the viewer forgets that it’s a movie.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

As with many cities around this Country, I think the the demand for Independent Film has grown, and will continue to do so over the coming years.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Pavel Pankov (World International Film Festival)

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The World International Film Festival is a global industry event held around the year in the world’s biggest cities:  New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Amsterdam, Reykjavík, and more to come – an around-the-world film festival tour bringing together filmmakers and film fans, auteurs and cineastes, great new independent movies and a global audience.

The around-the-world film festival tour option showcases some of the very best independent films on the scene today, in a truly international event bringing new cinema to audiences on a global scale.  

See more at: http://worldinternationalfilmfestival.com/about

Interview with Pavel Pankov:

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

Pavel Pankov: The very international aspect of WIFF is immediately evident from the great number of “foreign” films we’ve selected — “foreign” if you’re from the U.S.A., not so foreign if you live elsewhere in the world. We’ll be screening exciting work from filmmakers from all over the map.

Of course, we do have a few American movies too, including one picture with real breakout potential, “Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story,” an award-winning Hollywood biopic about the “legendary” director Oskar Knight, played by Lenny Von Dohlen. It’s a very funny mockumentary, and ultimately, quite touching.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

PP: Our festival jury is a wide-ranging team of industry veterans from about 20 countries. We have a big internal world forum online where we exchange opinions and make decisions on the films.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

PP: I can’t speak for the decision process at other festivals. But I’ll say, in terms of getting a response when your film actually screens at a festival, because 99.9% of filmmakers don’t have any publicity budget and don’t do a Q&A, that really diminishes your chances of drawing a big crowd. But WIFF itself is promoting its events more and more, and we strongly encourage and assist filmmakers in setting up Q&A’s.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

PP: I can tell you, it’s actually not money.

In the festival business, unless you are Cannes or Sundance or the like, you are just trying to maintain, so you can achieve your goal: discovering and spotlighting great new works of cinema. And helping them find their audience.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

PP: We are changing every day… A year ago we started with one festival. This year we’ll be hosting as many as 25 festivals in 20 different countries.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

PP: In most of the biggest cities and cinema capitals on this lovely cinema planet of ours.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

PP: “Once Upon a Time in America.”

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

PP: Great buzz…? Or so it seems.

But more seriously: There are many “Great things” which it takes to make a great film: Great idea, great script, great shooting, great producer, great director, great actors, great voice, great cutting, great marketing.

All these great things make one big great cake. If any “great” is missing
— that cake isn’t going to rise.

Even when a film has all these ingredients, just like a cake it needs time to rise. Hopefully, the films we’re getting behind will rise to the attention they deserve this year.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

PP: I’m really never in one city longer then a month, these days, as I need to manage and host up to 25 locations as you know.

But the World International Film Festival has five basic centers now: Los Angeles, Toronto, Brisbane, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and we’ll be showing many films in all of those great cities.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Stanley Cobos (Action Packed Film Festival)

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Action Packed Film Festival, is an event that is solely dedicated to films that are covered under that genre of action. Any project that has stunts, well coordinated fighting scenes and can be easily categorized as an action film can finally find a dedicated home at this film festival.All films that we receive will be viewed by industry professionals, and only a few of the best that we received will be officially selected to screen at the festival.

http://actionpackedfilmfest.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/actionpackedfilmfestival

Interview with Stanley Cobos:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Stanley Cobos: We’re setting up for a community of filmmakers that love to make films, more focused on action genre. We’re not opposed to other genres, but this festival in particularly focuses on the action genre. Action packed films are usually the tentpole films of the industry. Blockbuster films, that generate followings and an automatic hit (for the most part) in the box office. Most award ceremonies and film festivals appeal to the comedy,lighthearted and drama films. Regardless of the box office success of the action packed film. The action packed film is pure entertainment. What we intend to do and what is makes it succeeding for our filmmakers, is to focus on them now and push them further in their career. Our festival will showcase two seminars, networking events, and a special award ceremony where we intend to award three individuals (that are not in the festival) that are professionals working and mainly focused in the action film genre as stunt performers.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

SC: I would hope that it will be a complete success and entertaining, but most important, that our filmmakers have an amazing and memorable experience. It’s important that they continue in their path towards this at time difficult journey as a filmmaker. We want to acknowledge them.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

SC: A well executed film that has action and well coordinated stunts. It took a great deal of time and dedication to make these films, especially if they had little to no budget. When we see a project and we like it, and found it truly entertaining, it makes the cut. It wasn’t easy. Our judges viewed hundreds of film. We had to decline a handful of amazing and just plain beautifully shot films that looked so beyond professional, it was hard to say no; but they did not fit our genre – action. So the films have to be considered an action type film. Regardless if it’s action-thriller, or any other type of film; as long as it falls in the action classification (chases, stunts, fighting sequences, etc.) that’s what we’re looking for. As well as the obvious, good story telling.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

SC: I really do. It’s a lot of based on who you know and if you have the right amount of funding backing your project. There are amazing films that exist, but don’t get the full amount of recognition because there wasn’t enough money to place it in-front of enough eyes. That’s why web content is starting to gain momentum. Also, it’s difficult to succeed without a name talent. It’s not easy to have someone watch a film if there is no “attachment” to it. It’s unfortunate because there are a lot of great actors out there that will act and do a stellar performance without the need of hassling through the red tape of managers and agents and payment that at times is more than the films project, especially if it’s independently made.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

SC: We’re filmmakers ourselves and know that feeling of making it. Even if it’s just for one day. We want to spread that. Spread the hope and allow for a great networking opportunity, it’s key in this industry.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

SC: Well, this is our first year and so far, it’s been doing great. We focused on a good genre and have been able to watch some great films and are looking forward to showcasing it for all to see! August 20-21, 2016!

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

SC: It will be a milestone, and we hope to see the growth of it and the expansion of it become something that filmmakers will look forward to seeing and being a part of. We hope that generate a good community and be able to assist in funding other projects.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

SC: The Fifth Element, it’s one of those films that I can’t ever get enough of. I also enjoy Total Recall, The Professional and V for Vandetta.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

SC: Great story with an amazingly talented cast and crew.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

SC: Well we’re based in Los Angeles, so it’s a thriving scene, I’m just glad the tax incentive’s are starting to catch-up.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go towww.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Umberto Santacroce (The Gulf of Naples Film Festival)

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The aim of the Festival is to promote and circulate cinema and cutting-edge films, foster discussion between various branches of learning, and provide a space for the cinematic arts and other disciplines to engage with each other and grow.

Go to Website

Interview with Umberto Santacroce:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Umberto Santacroce: GoN IFF is a new festival, the result of the encounter of three filmmakers with different experiences in cinema, television and theatre. The difficulties we have experienced in distributing our works led us to create a new opportunity for all lo-to-no budget producers; thanks to this opportunity, all those who make low cost yet valuable films, like we do, have the chance to promote their artwork and exchange ideas and expertise.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

US: This is the second edition of the GoN IFF. Thanks to the serious approach shown in the first edition, our Festival is getting more and more popular and prestigious day by day. There has been an increase in the number of films submitted and of media interested in our Festival. Accordingly, the better the quality of the Festival, the greater the attention given by media to the participants who will enjoy the opportunity to show their works to increasingly wider audiences. And, last but not least, films will be awarded based on their quality.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

US: Although we have decided to select indie films which are not promoted and distributed through the main channels, our Festival is actually open to everyone, but definitely, the films that benefit from a strong budget will not be evaluated from a technical point of view, but only for their concepts and scripts.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

US: I believe that in the main festivals the awards usually go to the filmmakers who simply had the chance to spend more money on their production, so, they could hire popular actors, as well as skillful technicians and professionals. Moreover, for the support of their high investments, producers and distributors launch massive – at times even deceptive – campaigns, overrating the films and attracting huge audiences. While low budget films usually do not get the success they deserve.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

US: The fact that different people from different countries with different cultures, sharing the love for this form of art, may gather and become a source of mutual inspiration, getting beyond all borders and potential prejudices.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

US: Now it is too early to talk about a proper change; anyway, since the first year, many more participants have joined our festival and public institutions have started giving us some attention. We are now considering implementing new sections, in order to enhance the cultural value of the festival.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

US: In Naples, of course. With key partners in the national and international institutions. People need quality and we want to continue what we started last year, growing year after year, promoting new awards and turning our festival into the true celebration of top quality films, involving a bigger audience. We also hope to extend the festival’s calendar from 3 days, which is the period set now, to 10 or 15 days. We are well aware that this is very challenging, but there are good conditions and encouraging signs for improvement!

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

US: Well, it happened many times. Every film expresses emotions and fortunately, every film is very different. I love many genres but I am particularly keen on those which are milestones in the story of this art, I mean, the films produced in the 50’s and the 60’s both in Italy and in the U.S.A. Each film represents a step forward in the growth of this sector. For example, just compare “Clash of the Titans” – the 1981 epic film by Desmond Davis, featuring an all-star cast, with well done animated scenes – with its 2010 remake. Even if I prefer the original film, its remake represents the natural evolution of filmmaking with special effects and animations which are light years ahead of the first production. And I could go on indefinitely…

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

US: The depiction of universal values, such as justice, equality, solidarity, and the ability to communicate emotions.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

US: There was a time when Naples was a sort of capital city of the film industry. The famous Galleria Umberto arcade and its lively cafés were the meeting area of people from different backgrounds and the birthplace of hundreds of new production companies. This happened in the years between the 19th and 20th century, a time of intense film production, and implementation of new techniques and art styles.

However, after Cinecittà was built, Rome attracted the whole world of film industry.

Nowadays, the new digital techniques have greatly reduced the costs of film making allowing everyone to easily record a video. The young generations are definitely showing a growing involvement in this art. Cinema schools and training courses are now becoming increasingly popular, and I believe that there are some talented artists among the emergent filmmakers, who will be successful in the next future. However, the national institutions still do not acknowledge and support cinema with adequate fundings.

gulfofnaples

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to http://www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.