The Film Festival Shuffle

One night a week, I try to undergo the demoralizing endeavor of sending my short film to festivals. Tonight, Friday no less, is the night. And I couldn't be more excited. (That was sarcasm by the way. Or irony depending on who you ask.)

You know how it goes. (Or maybe you don't and you should just consider yourself lucky.) You mail a DVD (or a VHS when the festival matters less) to a festival and pay them some silly amount of money ($10-$60) and wait. And wait. And wait.

Sometimes you win but more often you lose. That's just the way it goes.

There are festivals that you think you are a shoo-in for. Small festivals that should be happy to show your film, right? And then the rejection letter comes in. Those are a bit less shocking. They are more like, "Huh?" letters. I equate this to your safety college rejecting you but your longshot college taking you.

Then there are festivals you desperately want to get into! Desperately! And then you don't but your film school classmates do and you are really, really supportive because that makes you a big person. The biggest person. This is much like my wanting to go to Brown and not getting in. That still stings and it was 10 years ago!

Then you randomly get into a festival and it's nice. And for your screening you feel like a superstar. This was like getting into and going to Wesleyan. I feel like a rock star for going to such a great school!

Sure I've been to a lot of festivals but with films that I did not direct. And it's just different. It's an honor to be a part of those films but in the end I need some more validation for me, Angela, the director.

As a black filmmaker, I am always unsure what box to put my films in. Is it a "black" film that performs well in "black" settings? This would mean that I submit it to as many black festivals as I can. Recently, I did not get into two prominent black film festivals and I was kind of surprised and honestly, hurt. Time and time again I have been told (not directly of course) that my work isn't "black" enough. When I ask my friends what that means exactly, one says, "Well, you're work is about black people in a particular situation and not specifically about their "blackness" per say." I am not sure what to make of that. Not sure where my work fits in. (Remember I'm not a millionaire so I can't apply to every festival there is. Plus, I do not have a personal assistant to mail my stuff out for me. Boy, what I would do with a personal assistant?!)

Or is your film more "mainstream" (aka a film that is palatable to white audiences)? Which isn't a specific niche because that basically is almost every other film festival in the country.

The arbitrariness of all of this leaves you not even sure how good your film is or is not? Not that it matters necessarily ... You know what, it matters. It does. We can all pretend we don't need some kind of validation but we do. That is how you get jobs. That is how your work gets seen. That is how you can turn around and try to do it all again for thousands of dollars that you have to lapdance to earn. (OK, maybe I didn't lapdance but I would've.)

I don't have a coherent conclusion to this rant. Maybe because I'm at the beginning.

Comments

[Ms. World]

You have hit on a very interesting topic - the idea of Black people & their Blackness. I think some Black & non-Black people are obsessed with the idea of Blackness being the sole narrative to a Black person`s life. The issue of race is huge in many lives of African-Americans but it isn`t everything. However, since American society has yet to understand that African-Americans are complex & original human beings- the issue will continue to come up.

[Quel]

I agree with Ms. World. And I don't think America is ready for "mainstream" black films. I think America is in a sort of comfort zone where blacks are concerned. Movies depicting us in "normal" situations don't draw the crowds or the critics. They "live" quietly among those of us who appreciate seeing reflections of ourselves on film (and will always appreciate Love Jones for being one of the first to bring an easy, cool, normal black story to the big screen). Same with TV. City of Angels was a great drama, but nobody was interested in watching a show about a hospital run by minorities. Stay encouraged and stick with it. You're just ahead of the curve. They'll catch up to you eventually.

[Angela]

That's why I think shows like Grey's Anatomy are SO important. Say what you will about the quality of the show, having a show like that with many black actors and created by a black woman in groundbreaking! Now, if movies could catch up.

[aliza]

I encourage you to submit to the Anchorage International Film Festival. 3 weeks to deadline. I'm on the lookout for films by women filmmakers that I can showcase and would love to see your work there. Let me know if you do submit!

CALL FOR ENTRIES
Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF)
December 2 - 11, 2005
ENTRY DEADLINE: Sept. 1, 2005
http://www.anchoragefilmfestival.com

Filmmaker Area:
http://www.anchoragefilmfestival.com/2005/filmmaker/

[Sean Johnson]

I'm working on a short film competition with a major cable network. The competition is for short films that cover the African American Experience in all of its forms. There is no entry fee and the winners' short film will be broadcast on national tv/ For more information, please email me at [email protected]

Sean