If you’ve just overcome the hurdles of generating your 1st independent film, the knowledge of obtaining festivals and distribution for your project can be unbelievably daunting.  The A-List festivals frequented by Hollywood’s Who’s Who are normally the 1st choices for an independent filmmaker. Regrettably, they are also the most challenging ones for tiny independent films to be accepted into since of the high requirements and politics that they employ in their selection processes. Most of the films that win awards and screen at the elite festivals are produced either by so-known as “specialty” divisions of the significant studios, i.e. Warner Bros., Disney, 20th Century Fox, and so forth. or are represented by high energy sales agency firms who specialize in getting their projects into these festivals to facilitate sales on them. Furthermore, the major studios themselves are increasingly using film festival premieres to promote their personal projects in order to garner good publicity and platform their theatrical release.

So in the past thirty years , a program that was intended to market movies produced in opposition to the studios has been practically totally co-opted by them, leaving the newbies and accurate independents out in the cold. Every single year, 120 films are selected for exhibition at one certain star-studded festival. These films are chosen from much more than 8000 dramatic, documentary and short film submissions. Even so, most indie directors and producers starting out probably aren’t going to have access to an Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp proper off the bat and seeing as how virtually all high-profile festival projects are celebrity-driven, the chances for an intriguing film with a no-name cast becomes even slimmer. A lot of very first time filmmakers are eager to get noticed with their breakout film that was typically done on a little budget with savings or mortgaging their home.  They discover it tougher to attract star power and it becomes an impossible process to stand out against the films that have millions invested in them and celebrity attachment.

Just ask director Dan Frank who applied to all the key festivals with his films Tiny Bruno and Devils Highway. Frank says, “After figuring out that my independent low-price range films had been becoming ignored because they had no main stars in them, I realized no one at film festivals had been even seeking at them and I was wasting my cash sending out entry fees. So I entered my films into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival ( NYIIFVF)  and my life has altered for the better. I go to the Cannes Film Festival and Marche du Film every single year with them and I’m actually making a living in the film enterprise.”  Because the entering the NYIIFVF, Frank’s films have sold to numerous international territories including: Russia, Thailand and Germany, through the festival’s distribution organization ITN Distribution.  He’s created a Television cooking series referred to as “Bikini Kitchen” with Stormy Daniels that has customers interested about the globe and created and directed the documentaries Medicinal which has screened in 16 cities and Medicinal 101 and is screening 43 occasions this August 2009  “Since my screenings at the NYIIFVF in New York, LA and at the Cannes/Marche du Film. I’ve discovered more about the film organization that I ever did in film school ” says Mr Frank. His organization URD ( Upward Rising Development) is presently theatrically re releasing Steve Soderberghs epic film “Che” starring Benicio De Toro in Los Angeles.

The NYIIFVF showcases independent films in real independent theaters in NYC and LA and serves as a exclusive platform for emerging filmmakers to gain a voice and network amongst distributors. No hotel ballrooms or bingo halls are employed, as opposed to other festivals. The festival is identified as “the voice for independent film” and receives extensive coverage in media outlets. A cross-section of media outlets which have covered the festival are: Hollywood Reporter, Fox five, CNN, New York Observer, New York Times, Newsday, LA Occasions, LA Weekly, Time Out NY, E News, NY Everyday News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Film Maker, Star Magazine, Screentalk Magazine, and so on.  The Wall St. Journal has even referred to as The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival “The independent filmmakers choice to the grand New York Film Festival.” Indie guru Abel Ferrara stated in an interview with MovieMaker Magazine, “This festival is the genuine deal: Everybody else just talks about undertaking it, these guys just do it!”

The festival was founded in 1993 by entrepreneur Stuart Alson and is noted for promoting independent films that you’d in no way get access to in multiplexes across the nation, whether or not it be through the festival circuit or typical theatrical distribution. Alson himself was formerly a stand-up comedian and produced successful live shows in New York prior to making his own feature length independent film. However, soon after the film’s completion he began enter it into the festival circuit and started to recognize the politics that dominated it as nicely as now. Alson noted, “I was a businessman and didn’t have time to attend events and schmooze festival directors. I designed my personal festival because I was tired of entering a lottery that was rigged. When above 2000 filmmakers had been sending in their submission fees and all that was happening was their checks had been becoming cashed and they’re paying for the 100 films that do have stars in them, I realized the only way to create a genuine independent film festival is to give independent filmmakers a opportunity to in fact show their work—not just give them a rejection letter.”

Alson then skilled the issues of distribution when he traveled to numerous film markets to sell his film and realized that distributors didn’t want to spend independent filmmakers for their perform. Alson mentioned, “This made no sense to me when the distributors kept the cash they sold the film for and told filmmakers it was underneath ‘expenses’. I then produced my very own distribution company that really pays filmmakers.” As a outcome of that knowledge, Alson formed the festival’s distribution wing, ITN Distribution, which travels to main film and tv markets exactly where it has successfully acquired and licensed top quality product in all significant territories. ITN Distribution has rapidly established itself as a key player in the planet of distribution and specializes in negotiating the very best deal possible for international and domestic filmmakers and customers. ITN’s objective is to turn out to be a top supply for attracting, acquiring, understanding and promoting product their international presence at Cannes/Marche du Film, NATPE and AFM has shaped a realistic approach to selling, programming and closing offers with buyers worldwide.

“The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is an integral component of each filmmakers journey to obtain greatness in the art of film generating,” says New York based actor and director Matt Jade. He has appeared in above a dozen films in the festival given that 2001 and has produced a lot of beneficial contacts to move his profession forward since of the festival. Jade is a operating actor on Tv shows and key motion images and his independent films The Gleam and Browsing for Bobby D have received distribution and are available in Hollywood Video, Netflix and Blockbuster. Every single year good results stories from alumni from the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival emerge. For instance, Australian Director Greg McLean’s very first film ICQ screened at the 2001 festival where it won Finest Director. He then moved on to write and direct the international box office hit Wolf Creek. Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber’s (The Butterfly Impact) 1st function film Blunt won an award for Best Comedy at the 1998 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. More not too long ago, New York director Lana Pashina’s documentary Svetlana About Svetlana premiered at the 2007 NYIIFVF and since then, has scored US/Canada distribution with Very first Run/Icarus Films as properly as airing in Russia and Europe.

Her New York and LA premieres at the NYIIFVF attracted international press from Europe. Pashina says, “The festival was a automobile to ultimately get distribution for my documentary and it opened the doors for new opportunities. The PR advertising and marketing of the festival was amazing and such great exposure.” Pashina is now in pre-production in LA for her initial feature Reflections with Das Films. Holistic practitioner and former geologist turned screenwriter Dr. Andrea Levinson is proving she has the goods to become just as productive in the film enterprise. Not long ago Levinson completed the festival circuit of her first film Death, Taxes… and Chocolate! in Los Angeles, Cannes and New York. “Getting into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is the finest thing that ever happened to me. And it wasn’t fixed, it is the real deal,” says Levinson.

She continues, “Since getting in the film business, I really feel like I’m in a shark-like atmosphere. Nonetheless, I felt I could truly trust the NYIIFVF. The festival has exceeded my expectations. I had a wonderful experience and distributors are calling me and I don’t want to call them. I like that the festival has educational seminars for filmmakers. One particular time, I had a bad knowledge at one particular film festival that was fixed, nevertheless at the NYIFVF, we won Finest Comedy and Very best Screenplay devoid of understanding a single individual and acquiring ‘connections.’” Dr Levinson’s film Death, Taxes…Chocolate! is a comedy based on a genuine story about a group of baby boomers who take charge of their lives and destiny. Levinson has begun to operate on the sequel. She has two distributors interested in DVD rights and it iss becoming regarded as for theatrical release. Due to her exposure at NYIFVF, a amount of South American and Iranian film festivals have invited her to screen as nicely.

Ultimately, The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival cares about filmmakers. They are passionate about exposing the films and documentaries that regular people make devoid of subjecting them to the internal politics that the bulk of a lot of other festivals are governed by. They are proud of their filmmakers and have a extended list of festival pals, delegates and repeat clients. It is quite critical that you decide on the correct film festivals to enter your film into if you want to realistically increase your probabilities of receiving commercial distribution and winning awards. Of course, it would be nice to win an award at an A-list film festival and have a bidding war above your film. Nonetheless, you have to be realistic and find a festival that is friendly to small independent filmmakers and their projects.

The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival will at the quite least give your film a quality screening in a superior, as well as appropriate, theatrical screening in either New York and Los Angeles. They genuinely recognize the needs of genuine independent filmmakers and are the professionals when it comes to working with tiny budgets and large concepts. The festival represents a new wave of independent filmmakers hunting to get their voices heard and movies seen and presents a special opportunity for members of the film industry as properly as delegates and attendees without having the pretentiousness. According to popular Micro Cinema Magazine’s editor Dave Sardella, “For any aspiring musicians, producers or directors, the NYIIFVF is the location to have your projects noticed and reviewed by the best of the greatest. This planet renowned festival can be the launching pad to a productive profession.”

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