HOW TO PACKAGE A FILM FESTIVAL SUBMISSION By Susan Youssef


1. The Video Tape

Buy a gazillion blank tapes from Pro-Tape or Media Toolbox. Both are in local shops that sell VHS for much cheaper than Tower or Radioshack. I would say buy at least 50. Yes. 50. You will need to submit to at least 10 festivals, and then when you get in, you will give lots of tapes out to new friends and contacts at the festival.

2. The Label

Buy Avery label size 5199-F (Video Face) and 5199-S (Video Spine) from Pro-Tape or an office supply store. Using the “Labels” option under “Tools” Microsoft Word, make labels that contain the following information:

• Title
  
• Director
  
• Contact information (e-mail address and/or phone number)
  
• Running time
  
• NTSC or PAL (NTSC is American format; PAL is European)
  
• Subtitles (if appropriate)

Example: Here’s one of my spine labels.

3. Write a synopsis.

A short one. Some festivals require they be as short as 25 words.

Example: For my short film Las Amigas Bonitas, my synopsis is, “A young girl escapes from her own private hell to the grocery store.”

4. Film stills

Send stills of scenes from your film—not photos of your production crew. Consider submitting a still from a scene that is nicely composed and interesting to the eye. A boring-looking or poor-quality still is not going to help you. Your film still may be the first thing that festivals happen to look at even before viewing your tape, so it’s worth your effort to try to make a good impression. Furthermore, the still you submit may be used for publicity in catalogues and web sites, so keep in mind that the image you select will be your face to the world.

If you failed to take film stills during your film shoot or the photos you took turn out badly, you may consider re-staging a scene with your actors at a later date.

If you are cheap or broke, you can opt not to send stills, but it is best to send one image. You need all the publicity help you can get to become the next Jane Campion or Wes Anderson or Todd Haynes.

You can send your still as a print or digital image. One of the best and most affordable options today is to submit a digital image saved as a 300 dpi TIFF file. You can submit digital images on floppy disk, or with permission, as an e-mail attachment.

5. Filmmakers’ Biography or Filmography

If you think that something significant has happened to you and /or your films, and you would like to let them know, write it down.

Example: Josh Khali’s work has screened at film festivals all over Texas, including the Cinematexas International Short Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, and the Dallas Video Festival.

Otherwise: Josh Khali is a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas.

6. Press Packet

If they ask for a press packet, don’t sweat. It’s not necessary to submit one for short films.

7. Mailing

Buy bubble envelopes from HEB, and be sure to mail them “media mail” from the post office. That’s the cheapest way for your tape to get there in one piece. Do not send them in fiber stuffed envelopes! The fiber can get into your VHS tape.

Priority and express mail are not necessary unless you are running late for a deadline.

8. Postcards

Send a self-addressed, stamped postcard that they can mail you to let you know that they received and are processing your submission.

9. The Fee

Yes, this is expensive. Unless your particular work has already screened at lots of festivals or you have been invited to submit, suck it up and pay it. I do on occasion ask for a fee waiver or discount, but only from smaller festivals or from festivals where I personally know the programmers. (On the other hand, smaller festivals often need the fee money to keep themselves in operation more than the larger, more established festivals do. You decide.)

10. About “Without A Box”

It’s a new online service that costs 60 bucks a year, and gives you a way to submit to tons of festivals, using only one form, and get discounts on submission fees. It’s also a way to find out about all the festival deadlines. I don’t “Without A Box” because I do a lot of research and begging for fee waivers on my own.

“Without A Box” may be good for you do if you don’t want to do a lot of research or fill out a lot of submission forms, and are seeking a very broad distribution plan (i.e. to submit to tons of festivals); however, it may be worth doing your own research and saving the 60 bucks. Visit www.withoutabox.com.

11. Deadlines

If you miss the deadline for submission, write the festival an e-mail and ask if you can submit late. Sometimes they will accept it. Most of the time, they won’t.

12. “I won't be done in time for the deadline!”

Send them a rough cut that makes the deadline. Then send them updated cuts as they come along. (Until you get in or rejected from the festival.) You can do this as long as you think you will finish the film in time for the festival.