Submission Fees
01/28/09 12:04 PM Filed in: Film Festivals
A mailing list that I’m on recently has blown up with the debate regarding submission fees to film festivals. More than anything, it drove home the fact that a lot of people, especially filmmakers don’t understand why the fees are in place and why they’re necessary.
I would write on it, but, the topic is much better covered in Chris Holland’s book Film Festival Secrets, which you can get for free on the site. He tackles the why’s and how to deal with it pretty well.
I will add a few quick thoughts: The submission fee is an affirmation, both to you and your crew. If you believe in your film, you will put up the money to say its good and to say, “I’ve gone this far - no way I’m turning back now!” If you make a lousy film (Which happens to the best of us), you don’t spend the money, but if your film is worth something, show it. (I will say that this dynamic is not always true. Screening for festivals, I have come across some very bad films, some of which the filmmaker doesn’t realize are bad. However, the one that was Alan Smithee’d had to have known, but paid the fee and submitted anyway.) The fee, ultimately, is an investment in yourself and your dreams. If you send Sundance a cheque for $45 then you have every right to dream about your film becoming the next big sensation, selling it to Fox/Searchlight, then nailing whoever is the it girl at moment. If not, you don’t.
Can’t win if you don’t play.
I would write on it, but, the topic is much better covered in Chris Holland’s book Film Festival Secrets, which you can get for free on the site. He tackles the why’s and how to deal with it pretty well.
I will add a few quick thoughts: The submission fee is an affirmation, both to you and your crew. If you believe in your film, you will put up the money to say its good and to say, “I’ve gone this far - no way I’m turning back now!” If you make a lousy film (Which happens to the best of us), you don’t spend the money, but if your film is worth something, show it. (I will say that this dynamic is not always true. Screening for festivals, I have come across some very bad films, some of which the filmmaker doesn’t realize are bad. However, the one that was Alan Smithee’d had to have known, but paid the fee and submitted anyway.) The fee, ultimately, is an investment in yourself and your dreams. If you send Sundance a cheque for $45 then you have every right to dream about your film becoming the next big sensation, selling it to Fox/Searchlight, then nailing whoever is the it girl at moment. If not, you don’t.
Can’t win if you don’t play.