FAVOR Hits Video-on-Demand Everywhere TOMORROW!

Hey everyone,

So tomorrow, April 22nd, is the end of a 3 1/2 year journey: my movie FAVOR will finally be released, hitting Video-on-Demand via iTunes, Vudu, Google Plus, XBox, PS3, Youtube, Amazon, and as a Pay-Per-View title on every major cable provider in North America.  If you have access to either the internet or a TV, you can see it, wherever you are and on the device of your choosing.

And of course I hope you WILL see it, and thru the service most convenient for you.  After all, we made this movie to be enjoyed by an audience.  If you like to kick back and check out flicks via DirecTV on your 70" man-cave mega-screen, terrific.  Oh, you dig peeping movies on your phone over your Google Play app?  Awesome.

However, if iTunes is your jam, we have a special offer for you.  Why iTunes?  Because of all the platforms we'll be featured on, iTunes is considered the yardstick by which success on VOD is measured.  It's the Coca Cola of VOD, and as such we've decided to add an extra incentive to hopefully shore up our ranking on their charts when FAVOR is released tomorrow.

Here's the offer - if you rent or purchase FAVOR tomorrow (Tuesday, April 22nd) on iTunes, you can get access to our 28-minute comedic behind the scenes documentary PARTY FAVOR, which contains outtakes, bloopers and all manner of on-set shenanigans.  This offer is also extends to anyone who has pre-ordered the film.

Here's how you collect - simply send any proof of purchase you like (a copy of your iTunes e-receipt, a screen cap of your iTunes window, a picture of your AppleTV display) to info@favormovie.com.  That's it.  We'll then email you back with a private link to watch PARTY FAVOR.  This documentary has never been seen before, and right now this is the only way to get access to it.

I want to thank everyone who's been behind our little production from the beginning - friends, family, our insanely dedicated cast and crew, festival staffs, journalists, incredible audiences and our wonderful Kickstarter backers, with whom there would be no movie for you to see tomorrow.

I hope you all enjoy FAVOR as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.

Best,
Paul

MY DEFINITIVE LIST O' RECOMMENDED FILM FESTIVALS – REDUX!!

A bitter sea of rejections poured out of Park City this week, crushing the souls and stealing the innocence of an entirely new generation of independent filmmakers.  That’s a lot of young directors and producers weeping in their mother’s basements, staring at the bills of the credit cards they maxed-out to pay for their movies and asking themselves, “What now?”

  

Well, here are a few truths for you, kids: 1) statistically speaking, more of you will die in car accidents in the next month than will ever get into Sundance your entire lives (this goes for ALL indie filmmakers, myself included); and 2) there are still plenty of other places you can submit your flick to.  So don’t give up.

Now, a few years ago I got a lot of inquiries about what fests might actually accept true indie films and still be worth the submission fee.  I’d just directed OFFICIAL REJECTION, a documentary about the circuit, so I guess I seemed like maybe the guy to ask.  I then put together a list of my favorites, which was a convenient way of answering the question in one big, easily-referenced piece.  At the time, I’d foolishly hoped this list would be definitive, but there have been a lot of changes on the circuit in the last few years.  Festivals are, after all, living, breathing beasts… they evolve, grow, are born and die.  Hell, even some - like the San Diego Film Festival - come back to life as zombies.  

Having just completed the 2013 fest run of my new flick, FAVOR, I felt compelled to amend this list.  If you’re one of the many just served one of those dreaded Park City rejections, maybe it gives you a little guidance -- or at least a modicum of hope -- as plan your next move.

Please note the following does not include any of what I'll refer to as the "Big Seven": Sundance, Slamdance, SXSW, Tribeca, Los Angeles, Toronto, Cannes or Berlin.  It's not that I don't recommend them, but rather that their value should be staggeringly obvious and if anyone reading this is lucky enough to be accepted to one, GO.  These are "market festivals", meaning that the few remaining legit distributors actually attend them with the intent of acquiring films, and if your movie is playing there, it’s probably going to be looked at.  Additionally, both national and international press cover these fests, giving your flick the potential for massive media exposure, so you better go wave it in their faces.  And if nothing else, having the laurels from one of these bad boys on your resume, poster, DVD cover, iTunes meme or trailer is only going to help you by proving that, however briefly, a movie of yours made it to "the show".

But as so many brutally discovered this week, most of us filmmakers never get into any of the Big Seven, nor are these usually the fests folks are inquiring about when asking me for recommendations.  What they want is to know what regional film festivals, hundreds of which take place all over the world each year, are any good.

Before I give my picks, I should probably lay out the criteria by which I judge a festival's worth.  The ones I think are worthy of recommendation all have these elements in common, so rather than keep restating the same justifications after each fest on my list, I'll spell 'em out now:

1) The festival is run for the right reasons: Each is put on by people who truly love movies and want to use their event as a platform to showcase films that otherwise might not get exposure in their local community.  They favor art over commerce and talent over celebrity, and while it's impossible to always avoid making programming decisions based on big names or politics, they keep it in check.  Festivals like these also tend to be extremely filmmaker friendly and throw fun parties, so you'll likely have a good time.

2) They attract big audiences: While I believe every filmmaker should tirelessly promote their movie wherever they go, if the festival isn't well-known in its region and isn't generally well-attended, there's very little you can do to get people to show up to your screening.  Festivals develop a relationship with their local audience over time, and the ones I'm recommending have done just that.  They've culled a crowd of potential moviegoers for you, leaving it your hands only to lure them to see your specific flick.

3) They attract media attention: For most indies, playing the festival circuit IS their theatrical release.  That said, you not only want to get as many people as possible to see your movie, but you want to get as much coverage as you can as well.  In addition to audiences, festivals should develop a relationship with their local press.  It's still up to you to swing coverage your way, but if that city's newspaper, broadcast and web outlets don't care about the fest, they're not going to touch you.  If you want to get written about, discussed or reviewed, a fest with solid press connections can certainly go a long way towards making that happen.

There are plenty of well-intentioned festivals that have yet to develop the latter two points,  and some that certainly attract big crowds and press but lack the first.  The ones I'll be recommending here, however, possess all three of these qualities.  I’ve attended them, seen these criteria fulfilled firsthand, and therefore can heartily endorse them. 

There are also several others FAVOR, OFFICIAL REJECTION or TEN 'TIL NOON played that I heard were great, but wasn't able to actually make it to myself.  Since I can’t account for their quality from personal experience, I’ll include these but list them separately at the end.

PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL - This one not only remains my all-time favorite but somehow improves year after year.  It's run by a trifecta of amazing guys - Jason, Greg, and Chris - and is the only fest I've made a point of attending whether I've got a movie or not.   I could write volumes about what they do right, but in the interest of brevity I'll just mention a few things that really put them over the top:

One, the entire event is centrally located.  The festival takes over multiple store-fronts adjacent to their venue, the Harkins Scottsdale/101 theatre, and everything that goes down - the screenings, parties, panels, awards shows and galas - does so right there. 

I cannot stress how much such a simple thing enhances the experience.  At every other festival, there's always this downtime where you're sorta waiting for the next bit of business on your schedule and find yourself on your own.  When you've traveled to a city you're not familiar with, putting your life on hold to promote your movie, these pockets of dead time are a serious bummer.

But this doesn't happen in Phoenix.  In the morning you wake up at your hotel (which is only a mile or so down the road from the Harkins), hop onto their free shuttle and head straight to the venue, where you're plugged into the festival for the rest of the day.  Screenings start early and the parties go late, so all unnecessary downtime is eliminated.  To my knowledge, no other festival can boast this.

Secondly, they don't program a lot of films.  Their feature competition category usually only consists of around ten flicks - narrative and documentary combined.  While that does make it harder to get into the fest in the first place, this is done in order to give the selected films a chance to screen several times, which allows serious buzz to build around each and every movie.   "Oh, you missed that one?  It was great – and you can still catch it when it shows again tomorrow night!"  Phoenix boasts some staggeringly rabid film fanatics, and by the time you're showing your flick for the third time, they're literally packing themselves into the aisles.

NAPA VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL – It’s astonishing that NVFF is only in its third year.  With 12 screening venues in 4 different villages, multiple parties every night, celebrity guests and an open bar literally everywhere you turn, there are clearly some serious funding and sponsorships fueling the festival. 

For FAVOR, which was programmed merely as a minor out-of-competition title in  the “edgy” Lounge sidebar, the fest covered airfare and lodgings for not one - but three -  representatives of our movie.  Yes, that's three separate round-trip airline tickets, three separate hotel suites.  I can’t imagine what sort of treatment the actual competition films received.  Movie stars like Colin Farrell were in attendance and A-list filmmakers like Joe Carnahan sat on their jury, yet the festival never turned into a celebrity jerk-off event.  The focus, by and large, stayed on the actual indies in its program.

Of course it’s advantageous to us filmmakers that NVFF is fairly new and not yet terribly well-known.  Once word gets out about how much fun is being had so short a distance from Los Angeles, Napa’s bounded to get completely flooded with people from “the business”.  Apply now before it’s bum-rushed.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL – Partly because it’s an extension of the Austin Screenwriters Conference - and partly it happens in the same city as some other giant film festival – the AFF is a huge industry event.  Major behind-the-camera talent like Vince Gilligan and Shane Black flock to this every year, giving the festival a tremendous amount of street cred, and the educational program they put on is astonishing.  If you’re a fledging filmmaker, you’re far better served attending the panels here than party-hopping at Sundance.

AFF smartly assigns each film a liaison to make sure you get where you need to be when you need to be there, including all the parties with free food and booze.  If you feel like networking, you can hit the bar at the host hotel pretty much any time of the day or night and are guaranteed to be neck-deep in writers, agents and producers.  And the AFF experience isn’t hurt by the fact that Austin is one of the most enjoyable cities on planet earth.

STARZ DENVER FILM FESTIVAL - It's a wonder this world-class festival doesn't yet attract major national media and distributor attention.  Sponsored by the Starz channel, this is a top notch event, with huge galas and three separate lounges for filmmakers to relax in.  The programming is particularly strong; it's all about quality, with little interest seemingly placed on the size, scope, or star-value of the movies.  The result is an eclectic mix of both higher-profile and micro-budget DIY films, and when I was there I didn't see a bad one in the bunch.   The staff is super-friendly, and every year they organize a trip for filmmakers to Denver's legendary Casa Bonita, which is NOT to be missed.

deadCENTER FILM FESTIVAL - Although completely unrelated, this one functions as sort of a sister to the Phoenix Film Festival - the vibe of both is, in the best sense, eerily similar.  I've personally witnessed a lot of growth at deadCenter; when we visited with TEN 'TIL NOON in 2006 it was well-intentioned and promising, but when we returned three years later it had blossomed into something far larger and more impressive.  Screenings are packed, and the press is everywhere.  Carry copies of your press kit wherever you go.  I'm not kidding.

The only minor drawback is that, unlike Phoenix, the festival is spread out all over downtown Oklahoma City, but they run a pretty effective circuit of shuttles for filmmakers.  Or, for anyone possessing a pair of legs, you can work off all the free food by walking.   It takes about fifteen minutes to cross the length of downtown OKC on foot.

WATERFRONT FILM FESTIVAL – There was a lot of wine in Napa, sure sure - but Waterfront somehow still easily takes the prize for the most drunken fest I’ve ever attended.   Seriously, make sure you find time to eat, because you will never be offered or handed anything here but hard liquor. 

Last year WFF migrated from it’s long-time home in Saugatauk to South Haven, but that didn’t seem to hurt the festival’s attendance.  If you’re fortunate enough to be programmed into Waterfront you’ll find yourself in a charming lakeside community somewhere in Michigan, with a welcoming audience for your screenings and a hard-partying staff who will be daring you to drink tickles of booze poured down a massive ice-shute at 3:30 in the morning.  It’s a really good time.

FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - This fest operates out of the coolest venue I've ever had the pleasure to screen in - the Cinema Paradiso.  It's a funky converted church with plush stadium seating, state-of-the-art projection, and a full bar in the lobby.  But the theatre's best feature is a hidden back staircase; this allows you to travel between the nose-bleed seats and said bar without disrupting your audience.

FLIFF just opened a second Paradiso in Hollywood, Florida, and operates both venues year round.  If you screen successfully at the festival, you might try sweet-talking the staff into booking your movie as a regular theatrical engagement down the road.  Something to think about, especially for those of you planning self-distribution.

HILL COUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL – Located about an hour outside of Austin in Fredrickberg, Texas, this event has quickly evolved in a few short years from a well-intentioned start-up to a pretty serious contender.  Local audiences have discovered that the region has more to offer than just wineries and bed-and-breakfasts, and filmmakers programmed here benefit from it. 

UNITED FILM FESTIVALS - This is actually six festivals in one, with editions in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco, and Tulsa.  So when you apply you're actually doing so for multiple fests, and acceptance can get you quite a bit of play.   Plus, on the off-chance you're rejected, you can request constructive and detailed feedback on your flick, albeit for a nominal fee.

Another unique aspect of United is the company that runs it, Connell Creations, not only produces movies but is also distributes them.  Collapsing the gap between festival and distributor is a unique approach, and their model, thus far successful, is still evolving.  Something to keep an eye on.

NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL - A well-run, well-financed and well-attended affair that gets a solid amount of industry attention, presumably because of its propinquity to Los Angeles.  There were a few actual distributors, albeit minor ones, wandering about when we hit this festival with TEN 'TIL NOON. 

There is one minor drawback: they program an alarming number of flicks, and each one only gets a single screening.  If you're lucky enough to get a good screening slot, then you're set; but if you end up with, say, 1pm on a Tuesday, you're boned.  Unless you can convince people you know personally to show up, your screening is likely to be a bit of a throwaway.

ALSO WORTH NOTING...

Here are some festivals I didn't personally attend, but I've heard are terrific nonetheless:

First, from all reports the TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL was the best event I had the misfortune to miss due to being triple-booked with fests over the same weekend (yes, I know, good problems to have, but still…)  My lead actor Blayne Weaver endlessly bragged to me about the sold-out screenings, excellent staff,  press coverage and bonding time with the other attending filmmakers.  Their Stubbornly Independent Award carries a serious cash prize with it, too - $2500.

My other lead actor, Patrick Day, had a terrific experience at the FLYWAY FILM FESTIVAL in Pepin, WI, which is supported by a tightly-knit local community of movie enthusiasts that do things like let visiting filmmakers stay in their homes.  The SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has similar local support, and showed Team Favor such a good time that one of our producers came back pregnant.  Really.

Birmingham's SIDEWALK MOVING PICTURE FESTIVAL has a reputation for being one of the best and most-loved stops on the circuit, and I’ve nothing but great things about both VAIL and OHAMA.

AND NO LONGER ON THE LIST…

Both the SAN DEIGO FILM FESTIVAL and CINCINNATI FILM FESTIVAL are under new management, so I can’t account for how they’re run these days.  And the IDAHO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL stopped operating in 2011.

So those are my picks – but that doesn’t mean those are the only good ones out there.  Know a good festival that’s not on my radar?  Please share your own festival recommendations in the comments below – let’s get the word out.

Getting the FAVOR of a few Film Festivals

Hey folks,

Yes, it's been a little while since I've chimed in, but I have a good excuse - I've been busy making, and then touring with, a little flick called FAVOR.  Many of you reading this already know about the gruesome little drama I wrote and directed, but if you don't yet and want to know more, feel free to check out the website here.

Epic Q&A for FAVOR at the NVFF Sony Lounge

We just concluded our 2013 fest tour with the Napa Valley Film Festival, and it was a pretty terrific experience.  Filmmakers, I highly recommend submitting your work there - that is, unless you don't want to be ears-deep in wine, food, gorgeous scenery and excellent movies.  Seriously, I think it's fair to say I consumed over a full bathtub's worth of booze during the 4 days I was up there, and I didn't pay for a drop of it.  The venue we were assigned, the Sony Lounge, was pitch-perfect for our movie.  A smaller make-shift theater, the Lounge is reserved for "edgier fare", which means the audiences they get are ready for something nasty like FAVOR.  It doesn't hurt that the Lodge staff are all irreverent rule-breakers, wearing fake IDs with names like Cody Pendant, Hugh Jass and Buster Hyman.  The intro given our specific film was quite special - I'll be posting a little video of it on Youtube in the next day or so.  Our screening was packed, the audience loud and responsive, and our Q&A went on for nearly an hour.  Yes, AN HOUR.   I don't think you can ask for much better.

Hugh Jass, NVFF volunteer!

FAVOR is without question an indie film of the new paradigm: a micro-budget, digitally shot affair whose production was largely crowdfunded, with a healthy festival tour and Tugg screenings taking the place of traditional theatrical and a forthcoming digital release.  I'll be sharing specifics in upcoming posts, including hard numbers so anyone who wants to can learn from what we've done, whether it's replicating or avoiding the steps we took.

If you've managed to catch us at any of our screenings thus far, I want to sincerely thank you for supporting our little movie.  And if you haven't yet, look for more screenings coming up in 2014!

Stars Blayne Weaver, Patrick Day and I flank new fan/friend Lee Miller.

Talk at'cha later!
Paul

The 2011 Phoenix Film Festival Daily Reports

I've just returned from the 2011 edition of the Phoenix Film Festival which, once again, I've enjoyed like no other.   While every event has its flaws - this year there were some projection hiccups due to a new digital file format - these guys still do it better than anyone else.

In an attempt to convey what the PFF experience is like, I decided to write a series of daily installments, and Film Threat was kind enough to carry them.  Since not everyone could go to the Phoenix Film Fest, why not bring the Phoenix Film Fest to everyone?

Below are quick-n-easy links to all five blogs.  These were written in the wee hours after I returned from my very full days at the fest, so please forgive any and all, uh, "creative" grammar.

INTRODUCTION

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

Kickstarter Campaign for my new movie, FAVOR

Yep - it's launched!

FAVOR is the new thriller I've written and am directing this summer.  We have a start date of June 12th, and I'm thrilled to announce actors Blayne Weaver and Patrick Day are locked into the leads.  This wasn't a stretch, of course - I wrote these roles FOR them.  I've been dying to work with these guys.  The rest of the casting will happen over the next few months.

Anyway, YES - I've jumped on the bandwagon and have launched a crowdfunding effort for the movie!  With the virtual death of the National Endowment for the Arts and the economic downturn, crowdfunding is the best hope for indie cinema - and of course independent art in general.  It allows the audience to put it's direct faith in artists.  And I hope you'll do so with this, my new effort.

FAVOR KICKSTARTER PAGE
Please check out our Kickstarter page, promo video, the works - and let us know what you think!

My Annoying Semantics Rant

This year's edition of the Phoenix Film Festival is a handful of days away, and I'll be there to enjoy it from a very privileged position: that of a returning filmmaker without a new movie.  Although attending a festival sans new work feels a little like hanging out at high school after you've graduated, it does mean parties, drink tickets, endless free flicks and general VIP access without having to do any of the actual labor of promoting a film.  As a movie fan - and I think most filmmakers would consider themselves one - you're essentially a kid let loose in a candy store.

It also means you talk a lot of film.  With everyone.  And it's in the anticipation of these conversations that I wanted to mention something that's become a bit of a pet peeve of mine.  I don't know if it bothers anyone else, and I'm sure many will consider me unreasonably sensitive, but I thought I would toss it out there regardless:

It kinda irks me when someone refers to a movie as "product".

Now yes, we've all done it.  Myself included.  Within the right context - usually a discussion about marketing or distribution - this is an accepted and well-worn term.  I've been on panel after panel and "product" has just rolled right on out of my mouth.  And I certainly couldn't be accused of meaning anything negative by its use; after all, I love movies.

Yet just because a word is part of our common lexicon doesn't mean it's not derogitory, and I submit that's precisely what referring to a film as "product" is.  The implication is that movies are widgets, created on some sort of assembly line to be packaged and sold thusly.  But movies aren't created this way - at least not yet.  Certainly there are no shortage of suits in Hollywood who've been pushing the studios in this direction for years.  "Product" implies a lumping off all films, each of which have a different execution and audience, into one pile where they're to be dealt with in the same way.  It reflects a core problem with the way we think about distribution and marketing, if not production and conception as well.

In short, I feel "product" puts movies down.  Belittles them.  It's the closest thing we have to an N-Word for films.

As is the case with most slurs in common circulation, the majority of the people using them truly don't mean anything negative.  The term just finds its way into the context of conversation.  But as any student of George Orwell will tell you, the implication of a word can carry weight and influence thought, intended or otherwise. 

Let's take a brief look at some groups of people for whom movies truly are just "product":

• Fear-gripped studio executives who greenlight so many films with pre-sold titles that ninety percent of the "product" coming out of Hollywood are sequels, remakes, reboots, or re-imaginings derived from television shows, video games, comic books, toys, theme park rides or 80's films.  In 3D, no less.  This is soulless garbage puked out by the most visionless and uncreative of minds.  And they wonder why the box office is circling the drain.

• Small-minded indie distribution folk who run all the "product" they have through the same channels in exactly the same way, knowing that Netflix and Blockbuster and iTunes will give them a certain miminum order and all they have to do is spend less than this to stay afloat.  Never mind identifying who the best audience might be for any given film and doing a little work to target them.  That would require creativity.  Showmanship.  As long as they can shove two-to-five movies every month down their pipeline they'll make a profit.  Right?  And we wonder why distribution advances are now lower than the day rates for jury duty.

• Porn producers.  (Although I would submit that these guys still display more creativity and less "product"-oriented thought than the former two parties).

I get that everything isn't about "art".  As I constantly hear people say, "it's called show BUSINESS."  But this mantra is often used as an excuse to let the "business" side completely dominate and override creative concerns.  Guess what, folks: there ain't no business without the "show".  Any other arrangement is the tail wagging the dog.

If you don't feed the creative fires, then the suits don't have anything worth selling.  I submit that making interesting, diverse, and unique movies, and hiring the best artists to do it, is the smartest way to conduct business.  If a film is a quality piece of work, there's an audience for it, and it's the job of the distribution and marketing people to put their creative hats on and find a way to sell it.  And ANYTHING, no matter how uncommercial it may seem, can be sold if handled with the right ideas and ingenuity.  We should've all learned this lesson thirty-four years ago when the seemingly impossible-to-market ERASERHEAD became a box-office success. 

Want a more recent example?  How about BLACK SWAN?  Think about it: how did an oblique, Polanski-esque, phantasmagorical psychodrama about a frigid ballet dancer tormented by sappho-erotic desires and the apparition of her own evil self become a mainstream smash in this, our allegedly sexually-repressed, dumbed-down, fast-food-munching nation?  Why, by some brilliant folks over at Fox Searchlight rolling up their sleeves and putting some actual thought to it.  And by remembering for one brief moment that perhaps the audience isn't necessarily stupid. 

Of course there are also examples of visionary (i.e. unique) movies being financial disappointments when they're first released, but even these still tend to find their audience and make a mint for their distributors over the long haul.  FIGHT CLUB bombed horribly when it hit theatres eleven years ago, but I doubt its studio would dare call it a failure now.   And ARMY OF DARKNESS, an embarrassment for Universal Pictures back in 1993, has been re-issued on DVD more times than I care to count.

Cinema is about event, and when movies cease to be surprising, enthralling, involving and entertaining, the audience will stop watching them.  The cookie-cutter mentality has been applied for too long and we've seen attendance erode accordingly.  We as filmmakers have a responsibility not only to make our films well, but to also push them to be unique and interesting.  Eradicating the use of the term "product" when referring to movies won't change much by itself, but it'll certainly shove the way we think in the right direction.  Not that "product" will disappear overnight.  It's hard to change the way we speak.  But hearing it still makes me bristle, and I'm going to try and do my part to phase it out.

So remember, boys and girls - product is what we put in our hair.  Movies are what we make.

_____________________

On a side note, I'll be blogging daily from this year's Phoenix Film Festival via FilmThreat.com, which starts Thursday, March 31st.  Feel free to follow along and vicariously enjoy what I consider the best fest on the planet.

MY DEFINITIVE LIST O' RECOMMENDED FILM FESTIVALS

I'm often asked by filmmakers which festivals I'd recommend.  Probably because I'm the guy who made OFFICIAL REJECTION.  I get asked a lot.

Not that I mind, but there are quite a few good ones out there, and since they're not all alike, I find myself giving a long rambling answer full of endless qualifiers and an excruciating amount of detail.  So rather than continuing to repeat the whole shebang time and time again, I thought I'd simply spill it all out here, in one concise place.  Then everyone will be spared listening to me drone on and on and on.  And on.  And on.

Please note the following list of recommended festivals does not include any of what I'll refer to as the "Big Seven": Sundance, Slamdance, SXSW, Tribeca, Los Angeles, Toronto, Cannes or Berlin.  It's not that I don't recommend them, but rather their value should be staggeringly obvious and if anyone reading this is lucky enough to be accepted to one, GO.  Regardless of what the experience is like.  These are "market festivals", meaning that the few remaining legit distributors actually attend them with the intent of acquiring films, and if your movie is playing there, it’s probably going to be looked at.  Additionally, both national and international press cover these fests, giving your flick the potential for massive media exposure, so you better go wave it in their faces.  And if nothing else, having the laurels from one of these bad boys on your resume, poster, or DVD cover is only going to help you by proving that, however briefly, a movie of yours made it to "the show".

But most filmmakers don't get into any of the Big Seven, nor are these usually the fests they're inquiring about when asking me for recommendations.  What they want is to know what regional film festivals, hundreds of which take place all over the world each year, are worth spending their hard-earned dollars to apply to.

Before I give my picks, I should probably lay out the criteria by which I judge a festival's worth.  The ones I think are worthy of recommendation all have these elements in common, so rather than continually restating the same justifications after each fest on my list, I'll spell 'em out now:

1) The festival is run for the right reasons:  Each is put on by people who truly love movies, and want to use their event as a platform to showcase films that otherwise might not get exposure in their area.  They favor art over commerce and talent over celebrity, and while it's impossible to always avoid making programming decisions based on big names or politics, they keep it in check.  Festivals like this also tend to be extremely filmmaker friendly and throw good parties, so you'll likely have a good time.

2) They attract big audiences:  While I believe every filmmaker should tirelessly promote their movie wherever they go, if the festival isn't well-known in its region or isn't generally well-attended, there's very little you can do to get people to show up to your screening.  Festivals should strive to develop a good relationship with their local audience over time, and the ones I'm recommending have done just that.  They've culled a crowd of potential moviegoers for you, leaving it your hands to lure them to see your specific flick.

3) They attract media attention:  For most indies, playing the festival circuit IS their theatrical release.  That said, you not only want to get as many people as possible to see your movie; you want to get as much coverage as you can as well.  In addition to audiences, festivals should develop a good relationship with their local press.  It's still up to you to swing coverage your way, but if that city's newspaper, TV and radio outlets don't care about the fest, they're not going to touch you.  If you want to get written about, discussed or reviewed, a fest with solid press connections can certainly go a long way towards making that happen.

There are plenty of well-intentioned festivals that have yet to develop the latter two points, and some that certainly attract big crowds and press but lack the first.  The ones I'll be recommending here, however, possess all three of these qualities.  I’ve attended them, seen these criteria fulfilled firsthand, and therefore can heartily endorse them. 

Now, there are also several others either OFFICIAL REJECTION or TEN 'TIL NOON played that I heard were great, but wasn't able to actually make it to myself.  Since I can’t account for their quality from personal experience, I’ll include these but list them separately at the end.

PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL - This one's my all-time favorite, which is the reason it's featured as the "example of what a festival should be" in OFFICIAL REJECTION.  It's run by a trifecta of amazing guys - Jason, Greg, and Chris - and is the only fest I've made a point of attending whether I've got a movie or not.  I could write volumes about what they do right, but in the interest of brevity I'll just mention a few things that really put them over the top:

One, the entire event is centrally located.  The festival puts up a tent outside their venue, the Harkins Scottsdale/101 theatre, and everything that goes down - the screenings, parties, panels, awards shows and galas - does so right there. 

I cannot stress how much such a simple thing enhances the experience.  At every other festival, there's always this downtime where you're sorta waiting for the next bit of business on your schedule and find yourself on your own.  When you've traveled to a city you're not familiar with, putting your life on hold to promote your movie, these pockets of dead time are a serious bummer.

But this doesn't happen in Phoenix.  In the morning you wake up at your hotel (which is only a mile or so down the road from the Harkins), hop onto their free shuttle and head straight to the venue, where you're plugged into the festival for the rest of the day.  Screenings start early and the parties go late, so all unnecessary downtime is eliminated.  To my knowledge, no other festival can boast this.

Secondly, they don't program a lot of films.  Their feature competition category usually only consists of around twelve flicks, and that's narrative and documentary combined.  While that does make it harder to get into the fest in the first place, this is done in order to give the selected films a chance to screen several times, which allows serious buzz to build around each and every movie.  "Oh, you missed that one?  It was great – and you can still catch it when it shows again tomorrow night!"  Phoenix boasts some staggeringly rabid film fanatics, and by the time you're showing your flick for the third time, they're literally packing themselves into the aisles.

STARZ DENVER FILM FESTIVAL - It's a wonder this world-class festival doesn't yet attract major national media and distributor attention.  Sponsored by the Starz channel, this is a top notch event, with huge galas and three - yes, three - lounges for filmmakers to relax in.  The programming is particularly strong; it's all about quality, with little interest seemingly placed on the size, scope, or star-value of the movies.  The result is an eclectic mix of both higher-profile and micro-budget DIY films, and when I was there I didn't see a bad one in the bunch.   The staff is super-friendly, and every year they organize a trip for filmmakers to Denver's legendary Casa Bonita, which is NOT to be missed.

deadCENTER FILM FESTIVAL - Although completely unrelated, this one functions as sort of a sister to the Phoenix Film Festival - it's run by three ladies instead of three dudes, and the vibe of both is, in the best sense, eerily similar.  I've personally witnessed a lot of growth at deadCenter; when we visited with TEN 'TIL NOON in 2006 it was well-intentioned and promising, but when we returned three years later it had blossomed into something far larger and more impressive.  Screenings are packed, and the press is everywhere.  Carry copies of your press kit wherever you go.  I'm not kidding.

The only minor drawback is that, unlike Phoenix, the festival is spread out all over downtown Oklahoma City, but they run a pretty effective circuit of shuttles for filmmakers.  Or, for anyone possessing a pair of legs, you can work off all the free food by walking.  It takes about fifteen minutes to cross the length of downtown OKC on foot.

FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - This fest operates out of the coolest venue I've ever had the pleasure to screen in - the Cinema Paradiso.  It's a funky converted church with plush stadium seating, state-of-the-art projection, and a full bar in the lobby.  But the theatre's best feature is a hidden back staircase; this allows you to travel between the nose-bleed seats and said bar without disrupting your audience.

FLIFF owns and operates the Cinema Paradiso year round, so if you screen successfully at the festival, you might also try sweet-talking the staff into booking your movie as a regular engagement down the road.  Something to think about, especially for those of you planning self-distribution.

SAN DIEGO FILM FESTIVAL - This festival excels at handling the press so well that, in the years I attended, they managed to pack their theatres using only their publicity team - no paid advertising at all.  The fest is run like a big media event and it feels like it, too.  If you make yourself available to their PR folks, you and your movie can get quite a lot of coverage.  Their parties are also insanely good.

UNITED FILM FESTIVALS - This is actually six festivals in one, with editions in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco, and Tulsa.  So when you apply you're actually doing so for multiple fests, and acceptance can get you quite a bit of play.  Plus, on the off-chance you're rejected, you can request constructive and detailed feedback on your flick, albeit for a nominal fee.

Another unique aspect of United is the company that runs it, Connell Creations, not only produces movies but is also starting to distribute them, and as of this writing has acquired and released two films that it discovered while programing the fest.  Collapsing the gap between festival and distributor is a unique approach, and their model, thus far successful, is still evolving.  Something to keep an eye on. 

RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - When we attended this fest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I asked Executive Director Andrew Rodgers why he had actively avoided any mention of celebrities in their program and press materials.  I was naturally curious: several of the movies on their schedule had famous faces, and exploiting their presence would certainly be an expected way to try and lure audiences.

His answer was simple: "The whole town knows what we do here, so I don't have to play the name game.  And if I don't have to, I won't.  I'd rather let the art speak for itself."

Wow.  Just... wow.  This festival is focused solely on presenting quality work, and their screenings are packed.  They're doing something seriously right.

NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL - A well-run, well-financed and well-attended affair that gets a solid amount of industry attention, presumably because of its propinquity to Los Angeles.  There were a few actual distributors, albeit minor ones, wandering about when we hit this festival with TEN 'TIL NOON. 

Newport throws a mixer where filmmakers can interact with representatives from other fests, which can be really helpful for continuing your run on the circuit.  (In fact, I made a handshake deal with the director of the Delray Beach Film Festival while we were both standing at the urinals.  Awkward but true.)  Newport also assigns each film a specific contact person - usually a programmer who helped select that particular movie.  This is a nice touch, because it means not only do you have a real-live human being you can always get ahold of, but it's someone who's a fan of your work.

There is one minor drawback: they program an alarming number of flicks, and each one only gets a single screening.  If you're lucky enough to get a good slot on the program, then you're set; but if you end up with, say, 1pm on a Tuesday, you're boned.  Unless you can convince people you know personally to show up, your screening is likely to be a bit of a throwaway.

ALSO WORTH NOTING...

Some strong up-and-comers I feel are more than worth considering:

CINCINNATI FILM FESTIVAL (formerly OXFORD INTERNATIONAL) - These guys had to endure a significant venue change just weeks before their 2009 edition but still managed to pull out a pretty damn good event.  Attendance was understandably spotty in the beginning but grew significantly as the locals realized what was happening.  Their new homebase, the terrific Esquire Theatre, is a perfect location for a festival - and the coffee shop next door, Sitwells, is a wonderfully friendly place to hang out between screenings.

Additionally, the HILL COUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL of Fredrickberg, Texas, has shown tremendous promise.  Now only in their second year, this fest has managed to dominate their local press and as a result attendance has been really encouraging.  Their venue, the Stagecoach Theatre, is equipped with state-of-the-art digital projection, and the opening night film was preceded with a wine-tasting trip.  Nice.

I also really liked Boise's IDAHO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, but the 2011 edition has been cancelled so they can go through some re-structuring.  Ironically, during the writing of this piece, their new managing director contacted me and asked if I would consult with them to "help shape the future of the festival."  That's pretty flattering - hopefully I can come up with something useful to say.

Now, as promised, here are those festivals we played that I didn't personally attend, but I've heard are terrific nonetheless:

First, Birmingham's SIDEWALK MOVING PICTURE FESTIVAL has a reputation for being one of the best and most-loved stops on the circuit.  It's said they do everything right and filmmakers won't have a better time anywhere else.  It just about killed me when I wasn't able to go, but I'd already committed to being at two other festivals the exact same weekend by the time I found out we were accepted, and there was just no way to make it work.  To their credit, the Sidewalk staff was extremely understanding and fully supported our movie regardless.

According to friend and filmmaker Chris Suchorsky, Saugatuck Michigan's WATERFRONT FILM FESTIVAL is just about as terrific as Phoenix, and for many of the same reasons.  Elsewhere in the same state, my partner-in-cinematic-crime Scott Storm fell in love with Bay City's HELL’S HALF MILE FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL.  And my pals Todd Giglio and Chris Springer, the guys behind the excellent DRAWING WITH CHALK, did nothing but rave about the NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

So those are my picks.  I warned you this list would be excruciatingly long.  And please feel free to share your own festival recommendations in the comments below.  I'm sure there are lots of great ones that haven't gotten onto my radar, and they deserve their due, too.