Film festival

The Intrigue of the Cannes Film Festival

August 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Cannes Film Festival is the most popular festival in the world. The Cannes Film Festival began in 1946 and is the oldest film festival. The festival is not only the most influential in the world of films, its red carpet is the most popular attraction of star struck celebrity fans. In the month of May, thousands invade the small town of Cannes. Celebrities, filmmakers and press converge on this quiet small town. It is the ultimate film festival, much like your ultimate movie collection in www.direct.tv. This festival is also the most exclusive and you must meet one of six criteria to gain entrance.

The average person does not have the credentials to attend this exclusive film festival. In addition, there are costly fees, which few people can afford. Thousands of people line the streets to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrity. You can squeeze your way into the town of Cannes and spend hours in the crowds on the streets. This is as close as you can get to the festival. You may be able to crash a few parties during the evening hours or get a few photos of your favorite celebrities. Many people visit Cannes during the week of the film festival just for the excitement.

While it is the most popular festival, it is best to watch clips on TV to catch glimpses of the activities and celebrities. If you have direct.tv at home, you won’t really have to go all the way to Cannes anymore. Film Festival fans would love to have the chance to attend the Cannes Film Festival just once in their lifetime. However, for all these fans, this remains a dream that has yet to come true. If you are lucky enough to have connections, you should not miss the opportunity to attend this event. If you are not connected, you may want to scour other film festivals for possible connections. You never know whom you will meet and you may discover an opportunity of fulfilling a lifelong dream to attend the Cannes Film Festival.

Filed Under: Celebrities, Entertainment Tagged With: Arts, Cannes Film Festival, Film festival

Film Festivals: With Entertainment and Accessibility for All

March 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

International film festivals are very popular in Italy. This is a platform for filmmakers to compete for awards, bring awareness to different topics all over the world, and discuss artistic trends.

Not only are many film festivals as accessible as the local movie cinemas, the festivals are also as diverse as the movies themselves. This diversity extends not only the genre of the movies involved, from sci-fi, to comedy, action and drama; but also includes diversity within the directorship as well. Interested in the perspective of today’s youth? Check out a children’s or youth film festival. Curious about different cultures, religions and ethnicities? Look up a minority or cross-cultural film festival. For every hobby or passion, from female directors to animation to human rights, there is a film festival you are sure to enjoy.

Additionally, there are so many film festivals available throughout the world, they are more accessible than many people may have thought previously. In fact, it is probable that there are multiple film festivals in the city nearest you. In addition to physical proximity, film festivals can also be an economically feasible option for recreation with ticket prices sometimes costing even less than, or comparable to, a movie ticket. Remember when a movie cost $5? With prices like these, and with the plethora of styles available, attending a film festival could be a movie event the whole family could enjoy.

With the accessibility of film festivals, and with so many options for different recreation styles and enjoyments, it’s a wonder that they are not a more commonly accepted form of entertainment and recreation. So, check out your local options and see if there is a film festival near you. Or spice up your next vacation by staying at a luxury hotel Italy and spotting celebrities!

Filed Under: Fashion, History Tagged With: Film, Film festival, Italy

New York Horror Film Festival Celebrates its 10th Aniniversary

March 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

This year the New York Horror Film Festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary. This year’s festival promises to be an event to remember. The New York Horror Film Festival is the largest and most recognized horror and science fiction festival in the country. This festival has a massive cult following and all events are open to the public. The festival is as much about films as it is about the party. This is truly a festival that celebrates films. Thousands will descend on New York to participate in the 10th anniversary celebration.

This year’s festival will feature a kick-off celebration with numerous celebrity guests. This kick-off party is open to the public and will set the stage for a fantastic festival. If you are a science fiction or horror filmmaker, you can obtain a submission application online. The festival is currently accepting submissions and will screen only 50 to 60 submissions. It is a highly competitive festival, so get your submission in as soon as possible.

For the public, this festival is about enjoying great movies and having a fantastic time. The festival will have special screenings and discussion opportunities with the filmmakers. For added fun, there will be several parties and forum participation events during the evening hours. You will have ample opportunity to socialize and discuss your favorite films. You will enjoy the company of thousands of horror film fans. You will also have an opportunity to win prizes and meet many of the celebrity guests.

You may attend several film festivals throughout the year, but this is a festival you will want to place on the top of your to do list. This year’s festival promises to be full of surprises and promises to be a wonderful experience. If you enjoy horror films and science fiction, this is definitely the festival for you.

Filed Under: Celebrities, General Tagged With: Film, Film festival, New York

Putting On a Film Festival

January 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

If you have a keen interest in film, you may want to think about the possibility of putting on a film festival in your local area. Film festivals are relatively niche events and are not exhibited often, so any event you put on will be sure to draw a crowd. However, there are a few things you can do yourself to help boost numbers and generate publicity for the event.

One important step is making sure you have a sufficient space to hold the festival. You can think about hiring out a local hall or center in your community, although if you have a university in your area, these can also be great places to put on a festival (empty classrooms can fit a lot of people, and some may already have televisual equipment in them that you are able to use). Make sure you also research fully the legal requirements for your festival and whether you need to gain permits to put it on.

After this, you will need to set a date for the event. Decide as early as you can when you want to put your festival on and once you have chosen a date, do not change it! People will get annoyed if you plan for one date for a long time and then suddenly alter it at the last minute.

Promoting your festival is a vital step to its success, and one good way to do this is with flyers. You can hand them out on the street or outside cinemas to really boost interest. You should also start promoting your event on the Internet as soon as possible. Social media sites are a great way to spread the word around and you can also make videos and short promotional films that give the details of your event.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Recreation Tagged With: Festival, Film festival, Sundance Film Festival, United States

A Sad Good-Bye to the Chicago International Documentary Festival

January 20, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The Chicago International Documentary Festival began in 2003. Chicago is an exciting city with wonderful restaurants and nightlife. The festival was well received and quickly became a popular festival. It received community support and documentary filmmakers from around the world participated. The festival received more than 100 film entries each year. The festival was able to provide amazing activities and entertainment for the public to enjoy. Chicago is a popular city to visit and the festival drew substantial crowds. Chicago is a large city with large city budget problems. During these tough economic times, the city of Chicago is attempting to reduce its budget. This has prompted cuts for programs that were note considered essential.

In 2009, the board members of the Chicago International Documentary Festival issued a statement announcing the 2009 festival was cancelled due to lack of funding. The board members indicated they did not want to sacrifice the quality of the festival and felt it was necessary to cancel the festival for that year. The announcement was eventually amended to indicate the festival would be discontinued until further notice. The Chicago International Documentary Festival has succumbed to budgets cuts and the lack of alternative funding. It appears a comeback is unlikely and there seems to be little effort to revive the festival.

While there are many festivals that have discontinued to lack of funding, many of them were small and obscure. Many cities are experiencing financial difficulties and this may lead to the demise of many more film festivals. It is best to enjoy them while you can. Fans of the Chicago festival did not expect its sudden demise. Maybe one day the Chicago International Documentary Festival will make its return, until then a sad good-bye to this wonderful festival. Chicago is still a great city and this festival is missed by many.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Film festival

Attending Film Festivals on a Budget

January 15, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Film Festivals are exciting and provide fantastic entertainment. Almost every major city in the United States has at least one Film Festival. Add these to the Film Festivals around the world and the numbers reach into the thousands. Film Festivals continue to be a favorite recreation activity for movie connoisseurs. Visiting and enjoying Film Festivals can be costly. The airfare and hotel expenses consume most of the budget. Of course, you can save money if you are able to drive instead of flying. You also have to budget entrance fees, ticket prices for movie screenings and fees for other activities.

An overlooked method of saving money while attending Film Festivals is volunteering. Most film festivals use volunteers to reduce costs and you can reduce your costs by volunteering at events. You may have to stand at a gate for a few hours greeting people or hand out flyers, but it is a wonderful way to meet people and have fun. In addition, you will receive free passes to screenings and free admission to events. You will save money and will be an active participant in the festival.

Another way to save money attending Film Festivals it to visit the message boards on the Film Festival’s Internet page. You will find many postings for rooms to rent during the festival. If you attend festivals with a group of friends, you will find many condominiums for rent during the festival. The prices are significantly cheaper than most of the hotels. Many local vendors participate in festivals within their area. You will find postings for part time work during the festival. This is a fantastic way to earn money to spend at your favorite festival.

Volunteering is easy; you simple choose the festival of your choice and visit their Internet page. Volunteer information and applications are available on the web page. Most applications can be submitted online.

Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: Film festival

Film Festival Mania

January 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Film Festivals provide a wonderful opportunity for filmmakers and scriptwriters to advance their careers. While Film Festivals provide a venue for self-promotion and networking opportunities, the festivals also provide entertainment for those that love to watch movies and socialize. There are thousands of film festivals all over the United States and around the world. Film festivals have become a favorite recreation activity for movie lovers. Film Festivals are one of the most popular social activities among avid movie fans. Film Festivals are filled with lively activities that provide remarkable opportunities to socialize and meet people.

Forget online dating and social media sites. There are thousands of Film Festivals to visit. Even the smallest and least known Film Festivals attract hundreds of people and provide excellent opportunities to meet like-minded people. Once you delve into the Film Festival world, you will be amazed and astounded by the numerous social and professional connections you can develop.

For the socially challenged, Film Festivals offer an easy way to meet new people. You will always have a subject matter to discuss to break the ice. People that attend Film Festivals love movies and love discussing every aspect of films. The evenings are filled with parties, which provide a phenomenal way to relax, socialize and have fun. While Film Festivals are designed to display the talents of filmmakers and scriptwriters, the festivals also provide an opportunity for those seeking social interactions.

Film Festivals offer wonderful opportunities for networking and socializing. You get to watch great movies from a wide variety of genres and participate in wonderful activities. Film Festivals are an exceptional way to connect with people and to have a great time. For many, attending Film Festivals is their favorite form of recreation. With so many Film Festivals to choose, you will find many opportunities to enjoy wonderful films and wonderful people.

Filed Under: History, Recreation Tagged With: Arts, Film, Film festival, Filmmaking, Movie, New York

DC Shorts Film Festival

January 6, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The DC Shorts Film Festival is one of the most popular film festivals of its kind. In its seven years, it is one of the favorite film festivals in the United States. DC Shorts stands apart from most film festivals because the judging panels review every entry and feedback is given on every submission. Filmmakers continue to rank DC shorts as one of their favorite film festivals. DC Shorts is expecting at least 1,000 short film submissions for the 2011 competition. In addition, they will receive hundreds of script submissions. This is a fabulous venue for filmmakers and scriptwriters.

The submission process is easily completed online with the payment of the entry fee. For those that love movies and reading scripts, DC Shorts is accepting application for volunteer judges. This is a phenomenal opportunity and an experience of a lifetime. The judging does require some travel to attend training sessions and they prefer you live within the Washington D.C. area. This is a wonderful experience for film or writing students.

The festival is full of activities and provides free seminars for filmmakers during the festival. Filmmakers have an opportunity to discuss their films with the audience and judges. The top scripts are read to an audience, which is an opportunity for the writer to obtain immediate feedback. The festival provides an opportunity for filmmakers and scriptwriters to display their talents while building an exceptional networking resource.

The DC Shorts Film Festival typically receives films and scripts from at least 34 nations. In it short seven-year history, the festival is recognized around the world. The expectations for the 2011 festival are quite high and DC Shorts is committed to making the festival a fun and exciting experience for everyone. The festival begins September 8, 2011 for films and October 13, 2011 for scripts. This is an exciting opportunity for short filmmakers and scriptwriters from around the world.

Filed Under: Celebrities, General Tagged With: Film festival, Filmmaking, Movies, Nokia, Short film, United States

Size Matter: Festival Rules

December 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

It was meant to be a quick film, contained within meager minutes. All scenes were to be succinct, offering power through their simplicity. But each day offered a new inspiration; and all scenes expanded beyond their original intents. Eventually your short movie billowed out to almost an hour — and you could find no frames to slice away, no seconds to cut. Everything instead seemed too vital. It all had to stay.

And so you send it now to a festival, certain it will be accepted. It is not the length you intended but it still remains far below the usual times. It should be appreciated.

It’s not.

Festivals seeking short films will not allow entries to ramble on, hovering at the hour mark and ruining their scheduling. Individuals hoping that the merit of their work will earn them recognition will be (highly) disappointed. No movie that extends beyond 20 minutes will be allowed entry into the majority of festivals; and even that number is often too much.

The most craved length for these formats is under 10 minutes. And the reason for this is obvious — festivals wish to offer their audiences as many films as they can. Each hour is to be filled with new genres, new styles. When that hour is dominated by a singular movie, however, the entire purpose of the event is lost. There can be fewer viewings and fewer chances to discover an exciting project.

Individuals therefore must recognize the importance of size. Never assume your work will be selected (even if it’s too long) simply because it’s unique. It won’t. Instead it will be replaced with a piece that follows the rules. Entering short film festivals requires an understanding of time and its demands. You must remain true to the format.

Try to narrow your frames to 10 minutes. If they refuse to be edited, consider abandoning the notion of small films entirely and create an epic instead.

Filed Under: Recreation Tagged With: Film, Film festival, Filmmaking, Movie, Short film, Sundance Film Festival