Sunday, May 1, 2011

Has Everyone Been Notified?

I'm seeing lots of questions on Twitter, Facebook, Without A Box, etc. asking if everyone has been notified. A couple of days ago someone said they saw screening times posted - this was before we'd even penciled in a schedule ourselves. Others are guessing at what have and have not been announced by what they see on our Facebook page (I think). Not every filmmaker is on Facebook, and we don't make selection announcements there until the whole schedule is set.

Here's a rough idea of the way it works. In the last few weeks we've sent out second and third round notices to start a dialogue with the films we're interested in. If you haven't gotten one of those it doesn't mean you are 100% out of the running. You have a lottery ticket, and about the same odds of winning - so work on your 2-Minute 2-Step.

Believe it or not, some filmmakers don't respond to our e-mails, so we have to call them to see if they're alive and kicking. If they don't get in touch, then a slot opens up and discussion of what film of the many good ones we haven't been able to program might fit starts up.

During this time, individual invitations are sent out, and we wait for confirmation from those films. We have had some films say they just KNOW they are going to get into, such & such festival but only if they are a world premiere, so they pass on us. I can think of two movies that did that and still had their world premiere status when they submitted the next year. When that happens, we go back to the good movies we couldn't fit in, discuss which one would be good for the open slot, etc. etc.

In the meantime, some of the films that have confirmed start Tweeting and Facebooking, but as you can see it's not a simple process of us sending out a bunch of e-mails and being done with it. That's why we can't give a simple yes or no to anyone just yet.

I hope this insight helps. Good luck.

10 comments:

Allison, Producer said...

We're looking forward to hearing!

sooz said...

Glad to hear you guys also call people, a lot of times emails get hung up in the spam filters =)

Anonymous said...

So it appears that if you have received a 2nd/3rd round letter, but not an acceptance notification... you are on the runner up waiting list. You have to wait until someone who has notified, accepts or deny the festival to see if you fit in the runner ups.

Unknown said...

So we should still wait on a possible rejection (or acceptance) and not bug you that we haven't heard anything yet?

ray ellis said...

This is great info! You guys are the best of any festival in communicating. It is much appreciated.

All the best,
"Certain Proof" Team
Ray Ellis

Anonymous said...

If we have not heard from, should we contact you or is it just better to wait and see what happens?

RSMellette said...

Trick - that's the Trick. :)

You don't have to contact us. Just keep checking the e-mail you gave us on submission, and if you have a spam filter, check that, too.

Leslee just sent me an e-mail saying that slots are still open. This is when choosing becomes so hard, because it's clearer than ever that picking one great film means another great film doesn't get a shot.

Anonymous said...

So here we are a week later and there doesn't seem to be any sort of official statement. Meanwhile you guys apparently had some sort of orientation for the folks who already knew they had gotten in. What's the deal?

RSMellette said...

The deal is, as I have said many times before, pass letters do not go out until 100% of the slots have been filled. In the meantime, we have to move forward with the 99% that are slated and ready to go.

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