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2010 Festivus Film Festival Wrap Up… and Why You Need to Submit!
By Eileen | February 15th, 2010
I didn’t know what to expect as I was walking into Filmmaker Bowling, and I was terrified.
Okay. “Terrified” may be a bit of an overstatement. But for someone like me, who is “shy around strangers” if I’m being nice, and “socially awkward” if I’m being honest, walking into Elitch Lanes for the Festivus Filmmaker Bowling & Informative, alone, was pretty nerve-racking. It was Friday evening the weekend of the 2010 Festivus Film Festival, and none of the Alone cast and crew could make it, so I was the lone representation of our short horror film, which we were thrilled to have accepted by the fest. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. Would I know anyone? Would my at times borderline debilitating shyness make me look like a complete loser? If needed, would I be able to escape unnoticed?
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I quickly found the Festivus group, and I wasn’t there 30 seconds before various people began introducing themselves to me. I got the opportunity to meet several filmmakers, as well as some of the Festivus staff, and each and every single one of them was warm, friendly, and made me feel like I was part of the group (something that isn’t easy for a shy gal like myself.) In that moment I truly felt like I was a part of something great; like I wasn’t just there, but was actually an active participant in the event.
That feeling pretty much sums up my entire experience with Festivus. I've been to festivals where the feeling was almost passive; you're there, and your film is there, |
but it feels like it’s just another screening and another set of laurels to put on your cover art; nothing more, nothing less. Festivus is the opposite of that: it is a truly unique and incredible experience that is filmmaker-friendly from every angle, and it was a true honor to have been involved. Festivus has long been at the top of our “absolutely must get into someday!” list for some time; being a Denver event, we’ve attended in previous years, and even as a part of the audience we could tell there was something special about this festival, and that we very much wanted to one day be a part of it!
You can tell the festival’s organizers have their act together right from the start. The level of organization and communication from the now 3 year old fest is unbelievable, and unmatched by any other I’ve been involved with, even those that are much older. Less than a day after the notification emails went out my inbox was full of useful information from the various staff members. If there’s one thing you need to know about Festivus, it’s that they take care of their filmmakers. The staff was friendly and helpful, even on the fourth day, when I imagine they had to be exhausted. The Filmmaker’s Lounge was a very nice touch, and great place to hang out between screenings, mingle with others, and even have some free drinks. We’re based in Denver, so I can’t speak to what it was like for those filmmakers who came from out of town, but I do know, based on communication with Festivus and what I heard from those who traveled, that they not only managed to secure a fantastic rate at the Curtis Hotel, they even provided transportation to and from DIA.
| And the festival itself? It was amazing. The selection of films shown was truly impressive. I cannot express how much of an honor it was to have our short film Alone selected to screen alongside the incredible lineup of films they had. The Oriental and the Bug are both fantastic theatres; we’ve seen our share of bad projections at various venues, but the screenings at both the Oriental and the Bug all looked and sounded great. I couldn’t have been happier with the way Alone screened. The attendance was impressive – most of the screenings were packed, some of them even sold out. As someone who has been to festivals where the only audience members were the filmmakers, I was beyond impressed and |
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incredibly grateful. Festivus did an incredible job advertising their event, and it definitely payed off!
Looking back, a month after the event, I cannot think of a single negative thing to say about Festivus Film Festival or our experience there. I’m sure I sound like a broken record by now, but it truly is one of the best indie-friendly film festivals around. This one is a must to submit to, fellow filmmakers. And if you’re one of the lucky ones to be accepted, make sure you take a trip to Denver to attend. It will be very worth it!
Thank you, Festivus, for a fantastic 2010 fest! It was an absolute honor to be involved, and we look forward to submitting our future films!
You can check out Festivus online at their website and their Facebook page.
(This was originally posted on Eileen Agosta's blog TheSelfFundedFilmmaker.com)
Alone to Screen at 2010 Festivus Film Festival
We are very excited to announce that our short film Alone has been accepted into the 2010 Festivus Film Festival!
Festivus Film Festival will take place January 14-17, 2010 here in Denver, Colorado. Alone will be screening on Sunday the 17th at 5:00pm during "The Other Side: Sunday Short Films" block at the Bug Theatre.
View details for Alone at bside:
http://festivus.bside.com/2010/films/alone_festivus2010
View the full schedule and purchase tickets:
http://festivus.bside.com/2010/schedule/week
More information can be found on the festival's website:
http://www.festivusfilmfestival.com/
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