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25 Festivals Worth the Fee

by MovieMaker Staff | Published April 17, 2009

Every moviemaker has dreams of his or her film landing at Sundance or Cannes and instantly acquiring the enduring acclaim that fests of that caché can offer. There’s nothing wrong with striving for those rarified venues, but moviemakers need not get their celluoid in a bunch if it doesn’t happen, because now more than ever there are excellent alternatives—festivals that go the extra mile to make certain that a moviemaker’s efforts are well-compensated.

Whether the payoff comes in the form of a generous cash prize, the opportunity to hobknob with an industry titan, or just a fattening of one’s press kit and crew Rolodex, the festivals that are worth your fee and your time can make all the difference in your burgeoning career.

Now more than ever, with our country deep in a recession, coughing up the entry fees for a number of film festivals can be an unfeasible expense, so moviemakers need to choose wisely and target those fests that can offer a potential return on their investment.

But how can you choose where to submit? You already know many of the larger names, so to find worthy alternatives we searched the country (and our good neighbor to the north) to bring you a list of 25 of the finest, though perhaps lesser-known, festivals that are very much worth the fee. And maybe because of the recession, this year we paid special attention to festivals that emphasize shorts.

Here, then, in alphabetical order, is MM‘s 2009 list of 25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee:

• Action on Film International Film Festival
• Angelus Student Film Festival
• Ashland Independent Film Festival
• Austin Film Festival
• Bermuda International Film Festival
• Boxur Shorts Film Festival
• Calgary International Film Festival
• Dark Carnival Film Festival
• DC Shorts Film Festival
• Doorpost Film Project
• Elevate Film Festival
• L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival
• Mammoth Film Festival
• Marfa Film Festival
• Myrtle Beach International Film Festival
• Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival
• Ottawa International Animation Film Festival
• Oxford International Film Festival

• Palm Springs Shortfest
• Poppy Jasper Film Festival
• Red Rock Film Festival
• Screamfest Horror Film Festival
• SILVERDOCS
• Syracuse International Film Festival --
• Whistler Film Festival

 

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION - 2013

The world premieres of 16 American narrative feature films.

Afternoon Delight/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) —  In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost L.A. housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.

Austenland/ U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Jerusha Hess, Screenwriters: Jerusha Hess, Shannon Hale) — Thirtysomething, single Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. On a trip to an English resort, her fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman become more real than she ever imagined.Cast: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Georgia King, James Callis.

C.O.G./ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kyle Patrick Alvarez) — In the first ever film adaptation of David Sedaris' work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. Out of his element, he finds his lifestyle and notions being picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. Cast: Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario.

Concussion / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Stacie Passon) — After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can't do it anymore. Her life just can't be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor.Cast: Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff, Johnathan Tchaikovsky, Julie Fain Lawrence, Emily Kinney, Laila Robins.

Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Francesca Gregorini) — Emanuel, a troubled girl, becomes preoccupied with her mysterious, new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to babysit her newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Jessica Biel, Alfred Molina, Frances O'Connor, Jimmi Simpson, Aneurin Barnard.

Fruitvale/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.

In a World.../ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lake Bell) — An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.

Kill Your Darlings/ U.S.A. (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — An untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

The Lifeguard / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Liz W. Garcia) — A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager. Cast: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Alex Shaffer, Amy Madigan, David Lambert.

May in the Summer/ U.S.A., Qatar, Jordan (Director and screenwriter: Cherien Dabis) — A bride-to-be is forced to reevaluate her life when she reunites with her family in Jordan and finds herself confronted with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. Cast: Cherien Dabis, Hiam Abbass, Bill Pullman, Alia Shawkat, Nadine Malouf, Alexander Siddig. DAY ONE FILM

Mother of George / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage.Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.

The Spectacular Now/ U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he attempts to "save." As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and "saving" and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.

Touchy Feely/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother's foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.”Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, Josh Pais.

Toy's House/ U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that’s the plan. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie.

Upstream Color/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.

99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film/ U.S.A. (Directors: Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read, Nina Kristic) — The Occupy movement erupted in September 2011, propelling economic inequality into the spotlight. In an unprecedented collaboration, filmmakers across America tell its story, digging into big picture issues as organizers, analysts, participants and critics reveal how it happened and why.

After Tiller/ U.S.A. (Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson) — Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009, only four doctors in the country provide late-term abortions. With unprecedented access, After Tiller goes inside the lives of these physicians working at the center of the storm.

American Promise / U.S.A. (Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) — This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.

Blackfish/ U.S.A. (Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite) — Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer.Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.

Blood Brother/ U.S.A. (Director: Steve Hoover) — Rocky went to India as a disillusioned tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV, he decided to stay. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face, or the love he would find.

Citizen Koch/ U.S.A. (Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin) — Wisconsin – birthplace of the Republican Party, government unions, “cheeseheads” and Paul Ryan – becomes a test market in the campaign to buy Democracy, and ground zero in the battle for the future of the GOP.

Cutie and the Boxer/ U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.

Dirty Wars/ U.S.A. (Director: Richard Rowley) — Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the truth behind America’s covert wars.

Gideon's Army / U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — Gideon’s Army follows three young, committed Public Defenders who are dedicated to working for the people society would rather forget. Long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads are so common that even the most committed often give up.

God Loves Uganda/ U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law.

The Good Life/ U.S.A. (Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine) — Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns fight to save their only son from Progeria, a rare and fatal disease for which there is no treatment or cure. In less than a decade, their work has led to significant advances.

Inequality for All/ U.S.A. (Director: Jacob Kornbluth) — In this timely and entertaining documentary, noted economic-policy expert Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality, and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy.

Manhunt/ U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — This espionage tale goes inside the CIA’s long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.

Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an LA narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.

Twenty Feet From Stardom/ U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Neville) — Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight.  Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead – until now. DAY ONE FILM

Valentine Road / U.S.A. (Director: Marta Cunningham) — In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.

The 11 Greatest Films of All Time

Posted October 18, 2012 by Wael Khairy

1. It’s a Wonderful Life – “It’s a Wonderful life” is the most inspiring film ever made, it’s a film that feels fresh and new no matter how many times you view it.  I doubt any film will ever replace this spot on my list. Frank Capra’s feel good film has acted as a savior to every dull experience in my life. It’s the film I watch whenever I’m down and it never fails to make me appreciate life. This is a very personal choice for me, for when film becomes as important as medicine, it transcends art.

2. Taxi Driver – Martin Scorsese’s dark urban tale is the most authentic and terrifyingly real character study ever depicted on film. The camera functions as image converters sending the protagonists’ distorted perspectives through virtual and real screen space into neural pathways connected to our brains. The viewer has no choice, we are forced to breathe the air, gaze through the pupils, experience and feel a nightmarish environment by slipping into the shoes of a twisted protagonist – the shoe laces tightly tied by none other than a master of his craft, Scorsese.

3. The Thin Red Line – It is a film about the beauty and cruelty of nature, about the blessing and curse of life, the good and bad, the weak and strong, the brave and cowardice. In other words it’s about the two extremes constantly clashing in conflict; one tries to overcome the other but no victor rises above the other and the battle rages on till the end of time. Terence Malick’s masterpiece can be about anything you want it to be. It isn’t simply a canvas of ideas; it’s a series of questions or anecdotes on life. Like all Malick films, the answers aren’t laid out in front of us, but rather the viewer fills in the gaps. We therefore end up with an experience that is whole, personal and emotionally satisfying. . I would die in peace if this becomes the last work of art that flickered before my eyes.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey – Stanley Kubrick is a master of cinema, perhaps the most talented director the world has seen and this is his crowning masterpiece. At its core, the greatest science fiction film of all time reveals more truth about the meaning of life and the insignificance of human beings than any work of fiction. Scratch that -it captures the essence of our universe better than any piece of art regardless of the medium.

5. Citizen Kane – The film most often cited as the greatest of all time is indeed the grandfather of cinema. Orson Welles exploits light, shadow and space inventively to express meaning. Everything you need to know about film can be found here from great performances to striking cinematography and the brilliance of mise-en-scene.

6. El ángel exterminador  - In the midst of the golden age of art films, a director by the name of Luis Bunuel directed probably the greatest surreal European art film of all time. “The Exterminating Angel” breaks every cinematic rule established by traditional classical cinema. It’s a timeless masterpiece with a deep understanding of human behavior. Human beings are trapped within the limitations of social, religious and moral rules, a lesson learned from a life changing film.

7. Psycho – We all have our favorite Shakespeare play or Mozart symphony. There is no need to argue for them and against the rest, for all are truly great in their own right. Hitchcock fans don’t dispute one another; they simply nod in respect, for unlike lesser directors, he doesn’t have one obvious masterpiece but an entire body of them. My favorite Hitchcock is “Psycho”. There’s a dark side to every human being. We’re not 100% good. Occasionally we slip into that dark side. If you’re lucky and smart you can save yourself from letting the darkness overcome you. Here lies the true horror of “Psycho”, the dark side of the psyche.

8. Das Boot – The most authentic war film ever made is also the most psychologically exhausting one. “Das Boot” brings experiencing a war to life like no other. With perhaps the most powerful use of irony put to film, “Das Boot” is a journey into hell. I strongly recommend the uncut 293 minute version. That is if you have it in you to submerge into the claustorphobic depth of the Atlantic.

9. Heat – I doubt anyone expected to see this film on my list, but I would be betraying my feelings in excluding it. Michael Mann created the perfect crime film. Two lonely souls wander in a silent milieu of isolation. This is the grandeur film that every crime film should be measured up to. It includes the loudest heist scene in history, but it’s in its silence that I find harmonic solitude.

10. On the Waterfront – Elia Kazan’s masterpiece is mostly remembered for Marlon Brando’s groundbreaking exercise in method acting, but it lands on this list for encapsulating my love for film history. “On the Waterfront” is a boxing film in disguise; it’s about a time in history when some Americans named names before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. It has also been argued to be Kazan’s answer to Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” or his redemption and justification for falling victim of Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunt of the 1950′s. To this day I cite the cab scene as the most emotionally nerve-wracking scene in film history. It gets me every time.

11. Eyes Wide Shut – Kubrick’s last masterpiece is arguably the best film to ever capture the psychology behind jealousy. “Raging Bull” is another masterpiece about jealousy corrupting the soul, but “Eyes Wide Shut” simply explores the subject on a much more subconscious level. Every single shot in this film feels like a masterpiece of photography. “Eyes Wide Shut” is a flawless film rich with symbolism and cinematic metaphors.