film festival

Interview with Festival Director Christopher Rohde (Mirror Mountain Film Festival)

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Mirror Mountain Film Festival brings the best in independent and alternative cinema to Canada’s capital. Mirror Mountain is an inclusive festival that welcomes all types of films and all types of people to share in the collective cinema experience. In addition to film screenings, our festival features live performances, parties, panel discussions, Q&A sessions and more.

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

Christopher Rohde: I started Mirror Mountain with a philosophy of doing it from a filmmaker’s perspective, including things I think most filmmakers would like to see when they submit to festivals. We keep filmmakers informed of the status of their submission. We refund your submission fee if your work is selected. We play your film in the correct aspect ratio and in high resolution on a big screen with quality projection. We promote the films and filmmakers as much as we can on social media. Even if your film isn’t selected, you still get a complimentary festival pass as a thank you for your hard work as an artist.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2017)?

Some of the most original films from unique creative minds around the world, plus spectacular live performances and great parties. It’s also an opportunity to meet cool like-minded people and talk with the artists about their work.

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We look for films to screen at Mirror Mountain that come from a distinct voice. A big part of what makes the festival special is that the audience can experience different points of view, and see something they wouldn’t get at home on Netflix or from a Hollywood movie.

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

As an independent filmmaker who also submits to festivals regularly, I can relate to this dilemma. I think filmmakers want to know that when they send their project in, the people there look at your work carefully and that the festival is run professionally.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

Our team is made up of filmmakers, actors, musicians, writers, arts administrators and technicians. But what unites us all is our mutual love for the artistry and creativity of filmmaking, and getting the opportunity to share some amazing films with captivated audiences.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

I still remember sending short films to festivals on VHS tapes through the postal service, so we’re grateful for the convenience to both filmmakers and festivals that online submission platforms give us. They also provide a greater global reach and connect us with filmmakers in many more distant parts of the world.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

Hopefully still providing an enjoyable experience for our community!

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

Probably the last short film I directed! It spent several years in post-production and I feel like I saw it a thousand times during colour correction and sound mixing.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

Passion, ingenuity, emotion, originality, fun.

How is the film scene in your city?

The Ottawa filmmaking scene is filled with collaboration and a sense of generosity. It’s a community where people support one another, and we’re always proud to feature many locally-produced films each year.
 

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Christopher Rohde (b. 1983) is an award-winning filmmaker from Ottawa, Ontario. His video The Pink Ghosts (2006) was screened across Canada and was one of the first four films selected for the inaugural edition of EnRoute, Air Canada’s in-flight film festival. Odd One Out (2014) was screened internationally and won awards for Best Film by an Emerging Filmmaker at the Jasper Short Film and Media Arts Festival and Best Director (Experimental) at the 2015 Ottawa Independent Video Awards. He received his M.A. in Film Studies from Carleton University in 2007. He was a member of Available Light Screening Collective from 2006 to 2013 and curated several programmes for the group including Stellar Regions: Jazz & Avant-Garde Film and Raw Power: Rock & Avant-Garde Film. From 2010 to 2014, he was the Programmer at SAW Video Media Art Centre, a dynamic artist-run-centre in the nation’s capital, where he curated dozens of screenings, installations, exhibitions, performances and other projects with many of Canada’s top media artists.

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Festival Director Gabriel Muelle (Bogotá Music Video Festival)

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ENG: The purpose of the Bogotá Music Video Festival is to celebrate the art of music videos, the joy of music and the passion for filmmaking. We bring the music video art to different screens around Bogotá and top that with live music, exhibitions and academic and industry events.

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

Gabriel Muelle: We’re creating a new space for creators and filmmakers to show their work, see what is happening in the city, the country and the rest of the world and to network. In recent years the production of films and videos has increased drastically, but it’s easy to find that your work gets lost on the immensity of the internet and the exhibition circuits. We curate our selection very carefully trying to find what’s good and relevant, besides things like it’s popularity or present reach.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2017)?

Awesome new music from all over the world and from every style, amazing innovative music videos, mind-blowing films, picnics, parties, great bands live and many creative people like filmmakers, musicians, photographers and designers hanging out and having a good time!

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We like to have a broad and diverse selection, so we can have a big budget production next to a small hand drawn intimate animation. The important thing for us is that every film in the selection tells something to the viewer, connects with spectators in a meaningful way via strong images, breathtaking rhythm, surprising narration or just a good concept and a creative integration with the music.

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

I do believe some jewels can remain undiscovered for a long time. There’s just so many films being produced and distributed right now that is hard to find the right place for your movie and even for programmers it’s hard to find space in a festival or screening for all the good movies that get submitted.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

We really enjoy sharing good work. When we find a movie we like we want everyone else to go see it and enjoy it as much as we do. That and having the opportunity to connect people and generate new creative relationships and possible collaborations is all the incentive we need to do our festival.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

We are very happy with FilmFreeway, it’s a great platform. It gives good exposure to festivals and is very easy an reliable to use both for festivals and filmmakers sending their projects. It makes possible for us to reach people from far away places and cultures, find some common ground and find great work from all over the world for us to share in our festival.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

Every edition of the festival gives us many opportunities to learn and grow, to find our public and meet new people making exciting work and to create new experiences for everyone involved and find new ways to show good films. So, by 2020, we see the festival as an important meeting point in the creative, film and music ecosystems in our country and the latin-american region where people like to come and participate because they already know is gonna be a good time and it’s going to have a very positive impact on their careers.

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

The music video I’ve seen the most in my life is probably Come to daddy by Aphex Twin, directed by Chris Cunningham. I was obsessed with it growing up and had recorded it in a vhs tape from the tv so I could re-watch it every time I wanted. It opened my mind to new images, new possibilities, new works and sounds.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

The ability to find a way to move the insides of its audience by any means necessary but in a way that happens to be the only possible way for itself.

How is the film scene in your city?

It’s amazing! We are producing exciting films, we have amazing festivals and a big number of young persistent people doing their best to make movies and show them to every one who wants to see.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Festival Executive Director Steffanie Finn (WINTER FILM AWARDS INDIE FILM FESTIVAL)

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New York City’s Winter Film Awards (WFA) is a volunteer-run and operated celebration of the diversity of local and international film-making. Our Mission is to recognize excellence in cinema and to promote learning and artistic expression for people at all stages of their artistic careers with a focus on nurturing emerging filmmakers and helping them gain recognition and contacts to break into this difficult industry. We pride ourselves on our diverse collection of Festival selections, allowing our audience to enjoy films they normally wouldn’t think to seek out.

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

George Isaacs: Seeing your film on the big screen with a real audience in New York City beats pretty much everything!

Winter Film Awards is all about showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers. It’s so hard for emerging filmmakers without huge budgets or celebrity contacts to get their work seen! We firmly believe that it is critical to provide an absolutely fair and bias-free selection process, and we require at least four judges to view and score each submission. To ensure a diverse slate of films, we make an enormous effort to seek out filmmakers from around the world and are incredibly proud of the awesome films we screen.

Each year, we award over $100,000 in cash, prizes and distribution opportunities. Since SEO and google presence is critical for a film’s success, each selected film gets a page on our website with links to their social media and we have a team of bloggers who write about most of our films for posting on our website, social media and a press release.

And, we ensure that attending filmmakers are interviewed live on the red carpet and post that to social media.

At Winter Film Awards events, filmmakers see fantastic films in a terrific theater, make life-long connections, get their work seen by NYC distributors, get useful filmmaking tips, experience the wonders of New York City and have a whole lot of fun.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2018)?

In addition to our awesome parties and events, we host a variety of panels to help your career – including sessions on getting financing, producing the best sound on a budget, legal issues for indie film and casting considerations, plus we’ve had New York City and State representatives explaining the permit and tax credit process. For our 2018 Festival, we are excited to team up with EarthAngel to host a session on Green Filmmaking for the indie filmmaker.

We also throw the fanciest Awards Ceremony Gala of any Indie Film Festival in town, complete with live performances at one of the most beautiful venues in New York City.

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We don’t have specific qualifications other than basic awesomeness – we accept all genres and all lengths. Our screening judges have a wide range of interests and include film industry professionals, film enthusiasts and film students from around the world; each film must be viewed by at least four judges including at least one woman. To keep them from getting burnt out, we have at least 50 judges at any given time and they are assigned just 2-3 hours of viewing per week.

We provide our judges with virtually no information about the submitted film in order to ensure there is no bias in scoring. They score each film on ten technical points (cinematography, acting, directing, etc) and give an overall score. These scores are then averaged together and run through an algorithm to determine a final overall score for each film. We then craft the program based upon score and available screening minutes – we generally accept the top scoring 8-12 films for each category. Basically, if four people with wildly different experiences and tastes love your film, your film is awesome and we want to screen it.

The absolutely most important thing for an indie filmmaker to do in order to qualify for any Film Festival is to make sure the film’s sound is excellent. Terrible sound will tank your chances immediately!

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

There are a lot of film festivals out there, and it is important to do your research before submitting your film. The “big boys”, like Sundance, generally are looking for celebrities and big budgets – emerging filmmakers are unlikely to have any chance there. Don’t overlook smaller festivals!

Be sure to check out the Festival carefully before submitting – if your film doesn’t meet their basic criteria, it will be turned off within a few minutes. And, be sure to submit your final work – Festivals will judge your film based upon what they see, not promises that sound or color will be fixed in some future edit.

Legitimate Film Festivals take submissions judging very very seriously. Make sure the Festival is legitimate — go through their website to see what sorts of films they show and how they showcase them on their site. Make sure they have live screenings in a real cinema, and look for a written policy on how they make their selections. Take a look at films the festival has shown in previous years – if you keep seeing the same names, they are probably mostly showing films by their friends; you want to see a nice variety of countries and directors in there. Don’t only apply to the big boys – your chances of getting in are miniscule. Look for local festivals first – festival organizers love showing
local films so you have a better chance of acceptance.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

Hosting a Festival is an enormous amount of work! We do it for love of film and
filmmakers – it is so exciting to meet everyone and we are so proud of the integrity of our organization and our process. We keep in touch with our filmmakers after the festival ends and cheer them on throughout their careers.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

FilmFreeway is fantastic! From an organizer’s perspective, it is so simple to gather, promote and review submissions. Administration of the Festival’s listing is easy and the customer support is really terrific.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

We continue to grow year over year. Our dream is to become the Tribeca of the little guy. Emerging filmmakers with limited budgets work so hard and deserve to be celebrated.

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

Probably The Rocky Horror Picture Show (I was a weird teenager). Otherwise, the three films I will always watch if they are on TV are: Fight Club, The Breakfast Club and Working Girl. I’ve seen Working Girl at least 100 times and I always cry at the end.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great film needs a special magic combination of story, originality, wit, and production values.

How is the film scene in your city?

New York City’s film scene is crazy! It’s a $9Billion industry here and NYC is a world leader in indie film production. There are tons of film students, alternative screening venues, film festivals and events. It’s all very exciting!

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Festival President Sabine Mondestin (OPEN WORLD TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL)

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At OWTFF we welcome filmmakers and artists from all walks of life. We also welcome productions from any countries and years. The Open World Toronto Film Festival is a 3 days Glamorous event with Red Carpets, Winners Award Acceptance Speech, Networking and Masterpiece Screenings.

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Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?
​
Sabine Mondestin: Open World Toronto Film Festival(OWTFF) is succeeding at giving exposure to new talent and unknown talent. We give a special attention to every submission. We know how hard it is to create a project that you are proud of so we treat it with respect. We try to share the promotional materials of most of our submissions in our social medias. We watch all submissions with a sense of respect and admiration toward the filmmakers, because we really love what we do. ​

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this​
year (2017)?

This year is all about glitz and glamour. We have at least 10 photographers per
night to capture the event. We also will have Rain Cosmetic and Hollywood Eye
Magic to do some makeup touch up before having your pictures on the Red
Carpet…But before everything you will have the chance to discover some amazing
talented filmmakers from Toronto and all over the world.
​
What are the qualifications for the selected films?

OWTFF provides an equal chance of winning for all entrants, regardless of size
and budget. Entries are judged on quality of craft and creativity. Our main goal
is to help artists gain publicity, media exposure, and momentum, as well as pay
tribute to their ingenuity.

At OWTFF we welcome filmmakers and artists from all walks of life. We also
welcome productions from any countries and years.

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

It really depends on the Festival…I feel that some of them are too focus on who’s in the projects and who did the project. It’s hard for new talents to get
recognition in those conditions. ​
​
What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

We are film lovers are we really respect and admire new filmmakers. We pride ourselves on being good marketers and good event planners. We knew we will be able to give the exposure the news filmmakers deserve.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

It’s been amazing year we received lots of submissions from all over the world
and the choice was so hard due to the abundance of marvelous projects.​
​
Where do you see the festival by 2020?

We still going to follow our mission to introduce new talents from Toronto and
from all over the world and we will keep screening films from new talent even if
it’s a student film.

We are working hard to collaborate with new partners to bring the light on some
of the most remarkable talents and yet unknow filmmakers. We also want to
introduce new technology to the OWTFF. ​
​

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

I personally love films with an underlying message, like Equilibrium from Kurt
Wimmer with Christian Bale, Revolver from Guy Ritchie, The Nines from John
August with Ryan Reynold …But I also love most of the film of Quentin Tarantino
and Ava Duvernay. I think the one I watched most is Equilibrium and V for
Vendetta.​
​
In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A film needs to make you feel something …If you don’t care about the story or
the characters in my mind it’s not a great film.​

How is the film scene in your city?

Toronto is great! We create some local show that are commercially viable
worldwide, “Orphan Black” for example.

The talents are very diverse and the scene is open minded. It is exhilarating
and inspiring. For sure we always hope for more funding but if you are ready to
work there is help for filmmakers if you are willing to do the work to find it.

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

SUBMIT your TV PILOT Screenplay or TV SPEC Script
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Interview with Festival Directors Nick John Whittle & Stuart Wheeldon (9LadiesFilmFestival)

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9LadiesFilmFestival is a distinguished independent film festival showcasing short films from around the world to an audience of film fans and movie-makers.

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What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

9LadiesFilmFestival brings cinematic exposure for independent filmmakers. That’s what filmmaking is essentially about: getting audiences to see your creation. And with exposure comes possibilities. It isn’t just about letting the common man see your film. There are scores of studios out there watching indie films. If they see something that ticks boxes they’ll grab it. Famous case in point: Paranormal Activity.

There are also the laurel stamps for the winners. Films showing laurel stamps in their credits are proven to be the ones most watched. True, it’s not necessarily the mark of an all-round incredible film but it shows it has been scrutinized by professionals and that one element of it (or several) passes muster. It also proves that the filmmakers have a belief in their product and have put in the man hours (and money) to get it through the festival process.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2017)?

Our finalists this year will enjoy a specific location for their live screening, from historical houses to modern cinemas. We’ve worked hard to secure theatres that in some way add a cultural essence to the screenings. This isn’t just town-hall-and-sandwiches stuff; it’s a festival with a difference. Always has been.

9LadiesFilmFestival promotes the work of inventive, original, free-thinking and independent filmmakers; to raise their profile throughout the web and connect them with established industry professionals around the world. One of the ways we do this is by creating and taking care of your online presence; creating a web page for your winning film and promoting it like hellfire across social media platforms.

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

9LadiesFilmFestival accepts short films and documentaries and we take submissions from filmmakers all around the world. We stipulated that the language of the piece has to be in English (or at least subtitled) but we’ve left things very free and easy deliberately. The films are required to be either 9 mins or less or 10-29 minutes long. The whole theme of this year’s festival is “nine” in honour of our parent company’s title.

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

We believe every film gets a fair shake. Film festivals are an essential part of the growth of an indie moviemaker. If the festival is managed correctly and in a just and reasonable way everyone has equal chance of becoming a winner. Festivals open gateways to the Bigger Picture, to distribution possibilities…a festival like ours represents equal opportunity for everyone – from beginner to expert.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

A passion for making great movies and helping others through the process.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

We have found the FilmFreeway submission process very good, we are already up on the number of entries for the current time of year. With recent tweeks to the way the FilmFreeway program works it is easier to manage the film festival process. And it seems that more and more filmmakers are now using the FilmFreeway Submission process.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

We’d like to think the festival will have grown to the point where we can award substantial funding and great distribution opportunities to the winners.  There are a huge number of inspiring and culturally stand-out filmmakers out there and we look forward to viewing their work.

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

Nick: Casino Royale (the good one!)

Stuart. The Red Shoes

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

Basically, a great story. A movie is like a book in some ways with scene cuts instead of page turns…if you’re bored by the plot of a book you won’t turn a page. On the other hand, if you love it, you can’t stop turning pages. A movie is also story – whether you pour millions of dollars into a project or not, if the story doesn’t hit the spot it won’t be successful. Add superb characters to your story and plenty of subtext and you have a winner.

There is a technical consideration as well, something we like to look at in the festival. Sound, direction, visuals, lighting, props are all taken into consideration as technical achievements of a movie. After all, they are important aspects of the art.

 How is the film scene in your city?

We are fortunate that in the Midlands the film scene is thriving, there are a number of very good Independent Cinemas that show films that otherwise wouldn’t get a release, the indie film making scene is also very good, with the likes of cities such as Nottingham, Sheffield and Birmingham all  have a thriving Indie scene.

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Nick John Whittle – Producer. Nick is an award winning writer and producer based in Birmingham. His work includes the award winning film Faith, The Adventures of Joshua (TV mini-series), No Way Back (short/horror) Nick’s cinematic influences include Beckett, Hitchcock, Buñuel, Mamet, Allen, Jarmusch, and Bergman. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7825353/. nick is the co- director of the 9ladiesfilmfestival.

Stuart Wheeldon. Writer/Director Stuart is an award winning writer and director and founder of Nine Ladies Film. Stuart’s work as included theatrical plays, radio and film shown and featured around the world. His work includes In Limbo, The Telephone, The Collector (Pre-Production)and The Wasteland.  Stuart was also the founder of 9ladiesfilmfestival which in it’s first year attracted over 200 entries from around the world. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7240661

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Festival Directors Betsy Uhler Colombo & Alexa Roman (LA Dance Film Festival)

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The LA Dance Film Festival aims to provide a supportive and enriching environment for both emerging and established dance filmmakers. The festival is open to filmmakers from around the world. LADFF accepts films from a variety of genres as long as dance is the main storytelling component.

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What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Our film festival has been successful at fulfilling our mission, which is twofold: 1) to create opportunities and exposure for dance films from around the world, and 2) to unite the Los Angeles dance and film communities.

 What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2017)?

Attendees to our festival in January 2018 should expect to see a wide variety of short dance films from around the world. We have some fantastic submissions coming in across all styles and genres of dance, and are looking forward to sharing a selection of them with our local community of dance film lovers.

 What are the qualifications for the selected films?

Qualifying films are under 30 minutes in length, and incorporate dance as a core narrative component. We have two categories: fiction and nonfiction.

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

It’s hard for us to speak to other festivals but we take a lot of steps to ensure we are as objective as possible in how we assess films. We have a submissions team comprised of dancers, filmmakers and dance filmmakers. Our team watches every film and scores it against a multi-point rubric. We use the scores to determine the final selections for the festival. Separately, we have both a Jury Award and an Audience Award. Those awards are determined by people who are independent from the festival staff.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

We are motivated by our desire to provide opportunities and exposure for dance films from around the world as well as unite the dance and film communities here in Los Angeles. Dance film offers something different than traditional films and it’s not a commonly known genre. We wanted to make Los Angeles a place where dance filmmaking and dance film viewership thrive.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

Great! We love FilmFreeway. We also use WithoutaBox and we offer an extended deadline on WithoutaBox.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

We’d love to be able to expand to a bigger venue and offer multiple days of programming so we can reach a wider audience and offer screening opportunities to a greater number films.

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

Beverly Hills Cop. Maybe Beverly Hills Cop III.

If we’re talking dance films, I’ve seen Confrontation (dir. Shannon Janet Smith and Steven Butler) the most as it has played at three festivals I’ve attended, was part of a StandardVision Showcase and we screened it at our festival. Thomas Freundlich’s film Cold Storageis a close second. [Alexa]

 In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great dance film uses the art of dance to tell a compelling story in a unique and entertaining way. It leaves the audience asking questions, entertaining new thoughts or discovering untapped emotions.

  How is the film scene in your city?

Los Angeles is the film capitol of the world, so… pretty good!

 

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

SUBMIT your TV PILOT Screenplay or TV SPEC Script
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Interview with Festival Director Georges Chamchoum (Asian World Film Festival)

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The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles in order to draw greater recognition to the region’s wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, our festival champions films from  over 50 countries across Asia spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India. All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films to the Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration.*

The Social Links are:

https://twitter.com/asianworldff

https://www.facebook.com/AsianWorldFilmFest

https://www.instagram.com/asianworldff/

http://www.asianworldfilmfest.org/

 
  • What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

We pride ourselves on being at the service of the film and the filmmakers. We feel that we are their gateway to the Oscars and Golden Globes during the award season. We give them PR opportunities, which saves the filmmakers a lot of money during their marketing period.

  • What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2017)?

We like to think of the Asian World Film Festival as being the window to dreams. Besides screening the Oscar and Golden Globes submitted movies, we also have a Signature Screening Series. 

Our opening night film is Ayla: The Daughter of War, which is Turkeys official Oscar entry.

We screen movies from unchartered territories, little known countries like the Republic of Sakha, Buryatia, and this year a movie called Salt from North Korea.

This is the first time Salt is being screened in the U.S.  The film is directed by the controversial South Korean filmmaker Sheen Sang-ok during his period of filmmaking in North Korea, so we are excited to have it in our schedule.

We also screen Asian American movies. This year we have the 25th anniversary screening of The Joy Luck Club, which was a ground-breaking movie. Several of the cast members will be in attendance for the Q & A.  Our closing night film is George Takei’s Allegiance. We will be honoring George with our Lifetime Achievement Award.

  • What are the qualifications for the selected films?

First and foremost, any movie submitted to the Oscars and Golden Globes for Foreign Language selection from Asian Countries is automatically selected. Then we choose films from countries that often get overlooked but we feel would be interesting to an audience.

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

It’s a matter of perspective and taste, which of course depends upon the individual.  Each movie is perceived in differently.  The Jury sees a film in a certain way, probably different from how the press sees it, and the audience tastes differs most of the time from the Jury or the Press. So, it boils down to one thing: not everyone sees a movie with same outlook.

  • What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

The love and passion for the Asian Cinema.  When we say Asia, we mean from the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean to Japan, from Russia by way of Turkey to India and China. Fifty plus strong countries with a wealth of talent.

We want the Asian Cinema to find its rightful place in Hollywood, a place in the sun. After seventy-one years and only six Oscars, that’s what motivates us.

  • How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

We do not have a submission process. After the Oscar and Golden Globe submissions, we have a selection team throughout Asia that makes recommendations, based upon our criteria. Our Los Angeles programming team makes the final selections.

  • Where do you see the festival by 2020?

On the level of the Cannes, Venice and Berlin Film Festivals. We aspire to being a major festival, that will keep the spirit of the art of cinema and not focus on the business side.  It’s the films and filmmakers who are our key focus.

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

Andrei Tarkovski’s ANDREI RUBLEV; Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER TRILOGY; Clint Eastwood’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES and Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

The Screenplay. The Screenplay. The Screenplay!

How is the film scene in your city?

How can you describe the film scene in the cinema capital of the world, and for that matter Culver City, the heart of screenland and home of the Asian World Film Festival.

In Los Angeles, Hollywood, Culver City we breath cinema, we eat cinema, we dream cinema – we are surrounded by everything that suggests cinema!

Look left, right, front and center and you see films that defines my City: Sunset Boulevard, Rebel Without a Cause, Chinatown, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, Alice’s Restaurant, The Day of the Locust, LA Story, The Player, Boyz ‘n the Hood, La La Land and I could go on….

**********************************************

GEORGES N. CHAMCHOUM, EXECUTIVE & PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Georges Chamchoum is an Emmy and multiple award-winning Film Director and Producer, born in Niger West Africa of Lebanese origin. He was educated in France, Germany and Wales and entered the film industry in 1968 after graduating from the Conservatoire du Cinema Francais in Paris.

Georges has directed and produced over 35 features in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Canada and the USA, with many screened at various International Film Festivals and Universities.

He has also organized numerous film festivals since 1982, most notably as Jury Delegate for the Festival du Film Fantastique et de Science Fiction de Paris (France) and as the Executive and Program Director of the Monaco Charity Film Festival.

Georges is currently the International Director of the Yakutsk International Film Festival (Yakutia, Sakha Republic) and International Relations Executive for Notre Dame University International Film Festival (Lebanon). In addition, he is Co-founder of Film Festivals Cinergy, a union of film festivals around the world to promote and champion talent in filmmaking.

Georges has lived in Los Angeles for the past 28 years. Most recently, in 2017, he was named one of the 100 most influential Lebanese in the world and has been   honored in a special commemorative publication to mark the occasion.

 

 *****

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

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Interview with Festival Director Alessandro Cassa (FICMAN/INSFF)

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What is FICMAN/INSFF in a few words ? 12 months. 12 finalists. 1 great winner! Filmmakers, get noticed! FICMAN / INSFF is an international film festival and LIVE screening for Short film. Be part of this one of a kind festival for shorts lovers, and give your film and your talent a chance to be shown and noticed by the right people from all over the world.  FICMAN / INSFF is produced by Productions du 3 juin, a company from Québec (Canada) recognized internationally. Since 2007,Productions du 3 juin has focused on production (videos, short films and promotional documentaries) for various renowned clients. This creative company is recognized internationally and followed by people from 47 countries on its WEBTV (P3J.TV) and VIMÉO PRODUCTIONS DU 3 JUIN channel. To celebrate its 15 years in 2017, it has founded the FICMAN International Short Film Festival, in which it excels, and WEBTV by P3J.TV which offers an immersion in emotion, its production line.

Contact

What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers? 

All filmmakers work hard to realise and produce their Short… and FICMAN/INSFF wants to give author’s film a chance to be seen and to be discovered all around the world. This is why FICMAN/INSFF is a monthly international competition that offers the opportunity to be selected for a live screening in Québec (Canada) at the end of the year: a great night of short to present and choose the best of the best. But all year round it is also a moment to be discovered by an international jury from the industry, and most of all, to have its trailer (for monthly winners) relayed on P3J.TV, a cultural WebTV followed by people from 47 countries. And because we all need recognitions in this industry, our Festival will give official Laurels, review on a professional cinema blog (LE PETIT SEPTIÈME) and much more to winners. Prizes of more than $ 15,000 in visibility and recognition will be awarded.

We create this one of a kind festival for short films lovers, to give to filmmakers a chance to be shown and noticed by the right people from all over the world. So, each month, for a year, a winner will be chosen in a monthly competition from the submissions received during the past month, what means we will have more than 12 Films Finalists. The trailer of this Finalist Short Winner will be shown on P3J.TV with a bio of the Director, the poster of the Film and a description of the Short. FICMAN/INSFF offers international visibility, recognitions, and a chance to be discovered!

What are the qualifications for the selected films? 

FICMAN/INSFF is really a simple and friendly user Short Film Festival for author’s film. Shorts submitted must have a trailer that will be shown on the international cultural WebTV called P3J.TV. Short must have been made for 5 years or less, and our festival is also open to first films and student films. Of course, the film will not be shown online, but on the yearly live screening. The following categories of fiction films are eligible: author’s film, narrative film, silent film, art film, animated film, experimental film, student film, first work, documentary fiction, video clip, web series. Short films must be under 15 minutes and all Submissions must be subtitled in English (for non-French speaking films). Silent films are also accepted. All the details are on our website (www.ficman-insff.com) and FILMREEWAY.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival? 

The FICMAN/INSFF team simply loved Short film! Our motivation is simple, we want to help promote inspiring, honest short films that focus on the director’s vision and reflect their personality. Whether the films are poetic, intimate, touching, funny or political, we want to put the spotlight on high-quality works that reflect the personality of the director who wrote and created them from a single idea, a vision of the story they wanted to tell, the universe they wanted to share. As a festival and platform for discovery, FICMAN-INSFF, also wants to help highlight short films in the current cinematographic landscape that were written and directed by the same person. Works that present their own universe. And we simply want to celebrate the many independent shorts from all over.

In one sentence, what makes a great film? 

We believe that all great film begins with a great idea, a flash of genius, and the desire to bring a personal universe to life.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been? 

From the beginning of the process, and from the beginning of the adventure, the FilmFreeway Team has been there to help us with all the steps for creating our Festival page’s. And we must say that the submission processes each month, of our monthly competition, is easy and friendly user. For us, to manage, and for the Jury. All this offers an great opening and a great opportunity to connect with Filmmakers from all the world, and must of all, with FilmFreeway, we are able to do it the right way.

Where do you see the festival by 2020? 

Our vision is to be, in 2020, one the recognized international Festival, dedicated to narratives Shorts. And we wish that through the years, we will give a chance to Filmmakers to get noticed… to encourage them to continue and to create more shorts. As a Director myself, I know that first of all, we have to believe in us, and to believe in the potential of our film. Our festival is there, simply for that: to help creators to believed in their ideas, by getting visibility and recognitions with FICMAN. And we wish for FICMAN, to be recognized that way in 2020. We have three years do to so!

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

I must confess to be honest, that one of the first movie I saw, and the one I am always trilled to see again and again, is Signing in the rain with Gene Kelly. For a lot of reasons (quality of actors, music, script, dance numbers of course…) but for one reason in particular. It was the first time I saw, behind the scene. And that day I knew for sure, what I was going to do in my life: filmmaking !

SHORT BIO OF THE DIRECTOR

Vice-President of Productions du 3 juin and Festival Director, Alessandro Cassa is a versatile creator whose works have been selected at various festivals in recent years, recognizing his creativity and sensitive approach. He is an author, chronicler and director and passionate about image and creation.  In 2006 and 2007 he represented Quebec at the Cannes Festival Short Film Corner, with two short films. He was decorated in 2013 with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for all his achievements in culture, literature and film. His most recent short film that was inspired by his youth series has been screened in 10 countries around the world where he has won several awards: ACARUS DUMDELL OU LA THÉORIE DE LA FICTION is in official selections at 21 international festivals: India, Great Britain, United States, France, Belgium, Italy, Romania and Spain. He hopes that the FICMAN/INSFF will offer the opportunity to highlight and showcase various auteur cinema productions throughout the world.

BANDE ANNONCE ANGLAIS : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh3epbkPo08

SITE FILMFREEWAY : https://filmfreeway.com/festival/FICMAN-INSFF

SITE FICMAN : www.ficman-insff.com

ficman1.jpg

*****

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

SUBMIT your TV PILOT Screenplay or TV SPEC Script
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Interview with Co-Founder Karl Rössel (AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL)

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AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL KÖLN
1992 – 2015: 25 years of Films from Africa in Cologne/Germany

THE FESTIVAL:
FilmInitiativ Köln e.V has been organising the AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL KÖLN since
1992 in Cologne/Germany. In 25 years more than 750 films from 40 African countries have been shown and the cinema-goers had the opportunity to get to know more than 160 filmmakers.

The AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL KÖLN presents the most comprehensive range of
contemporary African cinema in Germany. As a result, the festival has grown in
national and international stature during the years.

In preparation for the Cologne festivals FilmInitiativ has regularly attended the panafrican film festival FESPACO in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. FilmInitiativ has also attended African film festivals in Durban, Tunis (Carthage), Rabat and Cairo, as well as those in Milan, Amsterdam, Leuven, Tarifa/Cordoba and Frankfurt a.M. Special programmes featuring films from Africa that are screened at international film festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Venice, Locarno, Toronto and Innsbruck, are also reviewed and evaluated for the Cologne festival.

FilmInitiativ offers information about all films and guests that were presented at the festivals in Cologne via a database in three languages on the website:
http://www.films-from-africa.com

The 15th edition of the festival will be held from September 21 to October 3, 2017. It will mark the 25th anniversary of the festival.

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

Karl Rössel: The festival provides an opportunity for filmmakers from Africa and from the global African diaspora to present their films to the German audience. We promote those films not only by presenting them at our festival in Cologne, but also by recommanding them to cinemas and festivals in other German cites. We also subtitle some of the festival films as it makes it easier to distribute them in Germany.

For those filmmakers who come to visit the festival we organise meetings with the documentary and feature departments of the WDR. The WDR is Germanys biggest
public TV station and based in Cologne.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year
(2017)?

Given that we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL KÖLN,
people attending our festival can not only expect about 80 new films from more than 20 countries in Africa and from the diaspora, but also 30 guests, two exhibitions, four live music acts including an anniversary concert (with the Kasai Allstars from Kinshasa) and a party (with the Steven Ouma Band from Cologne).

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

The films for our festival are selected by the whole festivalteam. If the opinions in our team on certain films are inconsistent we also ask friends from African communities and others for their advise. We always try to present the best films from festivals in Africa, including those winning major awards.

The most important criteria for the selection is, that films should be directed by people from Africa or the African diaspora and not by Europeans or Americans. We deliberately present films from Africa, not about Africa. All genres and styles are welcome as long the content and form of the films are interesting and
inspiring. Given that we see cinema as a form of art we are not interested in
mainstream films, which are just shot for commercial reasons.

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

At festivals like the Berlinale (as well as other international A-festivals like Cannes, Venice and Rotterdam for example) films from Africa still are widely ignored. The few exceptions from this rule do not represent the great variety of genres, styles and contents of contemporary filmmaking in Africa. While films from Asia and Latin America are more regulary presented at international festivals, they still seem to be not interested or capable to do comprehensive research on new developments in African cinema.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

The association organising the festival, FilmInitiativ Köln e.V., was founded in 1988 when it set itself the objective of “arousing interest in cinematic art by screening films and giving lectures and seminars and also to stimulate and encourage political discussions”. In doing so, “primarily films that are not represented in the listings of commercial cinemas should be given a platform. These could be significant films in cinematic history or culture which document the cinematographic works of non-European filmmakers”. After presenting a first series of films from West Africa in 1992, the whole team of FilmInitiativ in 1993 traveled to Burkina Faso to attend the legendary panafrican film festival FESPACO. Overwhelmed by the amount of fascinating films from African directors, which we discoverd at this festival inOuagadougou, we decided soon after to concentrate on the presentation of films from Africa. By providing opportunities to watch those films and to discuss with African directors at eye level we also try to overcome sterotypes and racist prejudices, which are still widely spread in Germany when it come to Africa and its people.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

We received more than 400 film submission via FilmFreeway. The problem is, that
even if you define certain criteria, many filmmakers submit their films without fulfilling the criteria.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?

We hope that we will be able to present (and finance!) a festival in 2020, which will be as comprehensive, diversified and ambitious as our anniversary festival this year.

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

„Hyènes“ by Djibril Diop Mambety from Senegal, because we have presented this
masterpiece several times in the last 25 year.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great film moves and changes the audience watching it.

How is the film scene in your city?

There are not enough cinemas and screens in Cologne.

Film does not play the role it should. If people in Cologne still get a chance to watch important films from around the world, it is due to the efforts of independent film groups (like FilmInitiativ Köln e.V.) and a few art house cinemas.

afrika.jpg

*****

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

SUBMIT your TV PILOT Screenplay or TV SPEC Script
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Interview with Festival Directors Daniel Foreman & Sharlene Millang (Edmonton Short Film Festival)

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The Edmonton Short Film Festival (ESFF) is dedicated to the elevation of Alberta Independent film. The ESFF showcases Alberta filmmakers outside of the “normal” festival market and features diverse projects (newly created or “dusted off” favourites) including: trailers, music videos, web series, commercials, short films … as long as it’s less than 15 minutes, we’ll accept it! There are two main screening events: a Red Carpet Gala on October 14 and a Family Fun Film Fest on October 15.

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Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers? ​
​
Daniel Foreman & Sharlene Millang: We are a jumping point to take emerging Alberta filmmakers and help them progress in their careers. A lot of them have only known YouTube as an audience and never played in a sold out theatre or networked with industry professionals. We give them the opportunity to move forward professionally with a filmmaker skills class (included in each submission), and we offer cash prizes for best of category. We also bring them up on stage to be recognized.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year
(2017)?​
​
Saturday night Gala:

As a film lover, you will be greeted by ushers at the door and directed to the ticket table, refreshment bars and to volunteers serving free, fresh, hot popcorn. There is a selection of pre-gala movies playing on the screens in the lobby and many opportunities to network and interact with other filmmakers and film fans. There is a silent auction where you can bid on exciting prizes. If you prefer, you can relax in the theatre and experience the pre-show on the big screen. We encourage our patrons to become engaged by tagging #ESFF2017 and
seeing their posts live on our Twitter wall.​
​
The first batch of films run for about 45 minutes and the audience will experience documentaries, commercials, comedies, dramas, animations and more. The maximum length of each film is 15 minutes so if someone doesn’t like what they’re seeing, they can just wait a few minutes and they will experience something new​
​
At the intermission, you will be entertained by live music by Olivia Rose and be fed hot food served by Drift Food Truck, which is all included in your ticket price of under $20. Free popcorn and bars serving local beer (as well as wine and soft drinks) give you get a great chance to meet new people and have fun in our festive atmosphere. Take a moment to have your photo taken on the red carpet!​
​
The second act has another 45 minutes of film and then the audience votes on the their choice from all the films that have been screened. ​
​
Sunday afternoon Family Fun Film Fest​
​
This FREE event includes a variety of activities for younger children including virtual reality demonstrations, facepainting, green screen backgrounds to play against, a GPS scavenger hunt, a photobooth with costumes and more. ​
​
The movies in the theatre include many excellent student films and family friendly shorts, and will showcase a special presentation by Edmonton born Hollywood actor Josh Emerson.

Filmmakers in attendance will also be recognized.​

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

The only mandatory requirements are Alberta-created, under 15 minutes, screenable content (e.g., no pornography, extreme violence or extreme language). We accept all genres and any date of creation. Our selection process is based on production value, story and performance. Then the program is pulled from the best technical films to create an awesome audience experience.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival? ​

​
Our biggest motivation is to help emerging Alberta filmmakers move their careers forward. It is a great feeling to have the filmmakers on stage beside us at the end of the evening and celebrating with them in front of a packed house.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?​
​
This was our first year on Film Freeway and it has been fabulous. It’s been a great way to supplement direct submissions on our site and opened a whole new group of Alberta filmmakers who may not otherwise have found our festival.

Where do you see the festival by 2020?
​
We see it including the western provinces and territories in Canada: BC, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It will be a week-long festival with speakers from across Canada, industry professionals and agents buying films. The short film section will still be the focus but we will expand to features as well.

What film have you seen the most times in your life? ​
​
Dan: Ghostbusters. I saw it at least 10 times in the theatre and countless times on video after. I still own and watch the original VHS tape which has held up remarkably well.

Sharlene: Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

In one sentence, what makes a great film? ​
​
A great film comprises of compelling story and interesting characters all woven together with fantastic visuals and stellar sound.

How is the film scene in your city? ​
​
Edmonton has a dynamic, vibrant film scene that is very, very indie. We don’t get a lot of big productions here currently but we make up for it with rich grassroots filmmaking. ​

Here’s a tidbit just for your information (not part of our official response):​
The newly-created Edmonton Screen Industries Office includes the full range of
screen-based entertainment, education and training – from mobile, television, Internet streaming and theatrical release inclusive of live action, animation and interactive video games. http://www.edmontonscreenindustries.com/​
​
With the creation of this new organization Edmonton is poised to become a leader in digital entertainment across Canada, North America and the globe.

Edmonton Short Film Festival.jpg

*****

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 2 times a month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

SUBMIT your TV PILOT Screenplay or TV SPEC Script
Voted #1 TV Contest in North America.		 Screenplay CONTESTSUBMIT your Short Screenplay or FEATURE Script
FULL FEEDBACK on all entries. Get your script performed