21-Day Filmmaking Competition
We already have Teams from Philadelphia, California, the UK, Canada, and beyond…what are you waiting for?
Not only will you receive a World Premiere at the Philadelphia International House Theater, but you’ll get listed on IMDB, get submitted to dozens of festivals automatically, and qualify to win awards and prizes!
Have a great short, feature, or music video? Submit it to the Filmathon!
Not only will you qualify to screen at P21Fest 2010 in Philadelphia, but you’ll qualify for rescreenings all over the world! And if you submit via WithoutaBox, you’ll get listed on IMDB.
Early Deadline is May 21!
Put your submission form down. This is the must-see documentary for anyone even considering entering ANY film festival. “Official Rejection” is a lighthearted but cautionary tale about a group of independent filmmakers striving for a successful film festival run. I was moved by this film both as a filmmaker and a festival producer.
I remember entering the film festival world in college – scraping together change I found in the student lounge couch cushions to pay for submission fees and printing press packs secretly on the printer at my crappy retail job. My classmates and I would gather around the communal mailboxes, waiting for our acceptance letters and discussing what we would do with our fortunes after we were “discovered” at a festival.
As our mailboxes filled with rejection letters, our hearts filled with disappointment. It was only when we received a handful of “Official Selections” when the real “fun” started. We ran the entire gamut of horror stories: Festival producers holding films hostage over “Premiere Status”. Inexperienced projectionists screening our films in the wrong aspect ratio and/or without sound. Festivals that only screen the work of friends, relatives, or festival-veterans. My experiences at sub-par festivals was one of my main inspirations for starting an ethical arts organization in order to “build a better festival”.
I wish I could get in a time machine and bring my 18-year old self a copy of “Official Rejection”. At a minimum, it would have alleviated some of my anxiety that I was the only having bad experiences. Sadly, watching this film might have saved an anonymous colleague of mine tens thousands of dollars in legal fees after a festival attempted to charge him hidden “promotional fees” after projecting his film onto some kind of bed sheet in a humid county-fair tent. It also would have prepared me to best utilize the platform that well-managed festivals provide for filmmakers so I would have spent more time networking at after-parties and less time trolling the neighborhood for good hamburger joints.
I also respect that the film boldly criticizes independent festivals that favor “Hollywood-indie” films vs. home-grown low budget talent. The film also reviews local festivals that can’t offer big red carpet premieres, but might offer a way to “get your foot in the door”. Or at least your pinkie-toe.
As someone that now runs a festival, I can verify that “Official Rejection” gives a very realistic look at the costs of having a festival run and offers valuable tips on how to work with an extremely limited budget. The most important lesson the film teaches is the direct value of ATTENDING festivals to interact with the audience, fellow filmmakers, and even random passers-by.
“Official Rejection” needs to be required material for all film schools. It definitely has more real world value than sitting through the six-hour extended version of Erich von Stroheim’s “Greed” in Narrative Cinema class. Brother, just thinking about it makes my butt hurt.
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