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The recent boom in independent filmmaking has been both a boon and an added challenge for aspiring directors. While the chic status of festivals like Sundance makes it easier for a few hot new directors to find major distributors, other worthy films risk being lost amid a sudden flood of contenders. Chris Gore, editor of Film Threat magazine, has written the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide to help the aspiring auteur rise above the tide. The book is chock-full of practical down-and-dirty advice. Every aspect of submitting to and attending film festivals is covered, from an exhaustive listing of festivals and their entry deadlines (the Turku, Finland, Lesbian and Gay Film Festival deadline is in July, so get cracking) to what to wear to the industry party you'll be crashing (big pants with big pockets, the better to stash giveaways and whip out business cards). You can even find a listing for the best bar in the Ukraine (Eric's in Kyiv) and a sidebar of handy tips that will keep you on your projectionist's good side.

Perhaps most helpful is Gore's inclusion of interviews with actual filmmakers who have experienced wildly varying degrees of success; the directors are remarkably candid and very generously try to help others avoid their own mistakes. Those who are still struggling not only illustrate the ongoing process of learning to play industry games, they show an artist's remarkable ability to keep the spirit alive. Filmmaker Joal Ryan memorably describes taking inspiration from the career of Pauly Shore: "The world tells him he's not funny; he says he is--and keeps working." Whether you want to be a filmmaker or just party like one, The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide will help you operate like a true industry player. --Ali DavisBook Description
Chris Gore reveals how to get a film accepted and what to do after acceptance, from putting together a press kit to putting on a great party. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

This book is indispensable if you are an indie filmmaker
I am an independent filmmaker and run my own film festival in Utah, called The Gangrene Film Festival. I have striven to find a short list of film festivals that have good patronage and excellent exposure in which to enter my short films in. The truth is, the film festival scene is so saturated with fly-by-night film festivals that merely searching with Google only gives you a huge list of podunk festivals that aren't worth your while.

Chris Gore's book is an excellent resource to help weed through the white noise and get at the festivals that will truly find you exposure. He categorizes festivals into different groups, those with high-exposure, middle-of the road fests, and all the rest. He also categorizes festivals by genre, which I found particularly useful.

If you aim to send your films to the festivals, make sure you start with Chris Gore's book. It is absolutely comprehensive--the only festival guide you will ever need.

Thanks, Chris, and keep going man.

Hope this helps.

-Craig Nybo, co-author of Total Human: The Complete Strength Training System

Must Have For Any Filmmaker
This book is a much needed addition for any filmmaker. Not only does it list an extensive amount of festivals, it gives solid info about each festival that you usually don't find on the festival's website. Chris Gore also did a wonderful thing, he has top ten lists for categories such as; top ten underground fests, top ten digital media fests, etc. You don't want to blindly send out your film and pay the outragous festival fees if you know your film doesn't fit the vibe of the festival you are sending to. With this book you will avoid doing this. If you only get one book before sending your film out to festivals, get this one!

Good starting point....
If you're planning to submit your film to a film festival, then this is a good book to get started on your research of which one to submit to and when.You can also get a sense of the perks, pros and cons of submitting to a selected group of prestigious festivals.

The first half of the book has lots of tips and interviews from filmmakers, producers and the like that can help you plan and execute a successful film festival strategy.Then you have a great categorization of over 1,000 film festivals that will allow you to find the one that's right for your specific type of film.

The 3rd edition has revised information, but as one might expect additions and changes happen very frequently in this business.So you can use what you find here as a starting point and keep updating your own database, as you see fit.

every independent filmmaker should own this book
every independent filmmaker should own this book. I found it very useful on locating the major festivals & the do's & don'ts with applying to festivals. Highly recommended.

Gore's Ultimate Guide
Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide
By Chris Gore
Review by Pi Ware

There are few books that truly deserve the term "Ultimate" in their title.The 3rd edition of Chris Gore's book, Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, is one of those rare books.This is a must-read for every filmmaker.And it is a must-read not only before you apply to film festivals, but ideally, it's a must-read when you're conceiving the script.Because Gore's guide is not simply an extensive listing of festivals or a compilation of checklists of what to bring, but-first and foremost-Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide is an attempt to understand the entire marketplace of independent film.And it's an attempt to arm the filmmaker with all the knowledge, materials, courage and charm to succeed in that marketplace.

Gore packs this essential guide with interviews from successful filmmakers like Morgan Spurlock and Jared Hess, with Sundance director Geoff Gilmore, and with notorious film rep Jeff Dowd.But Gore also includes interviews from filmmakers whose films have not sold at Sundance, filmmakers who have self-distributed, and filmmakers whose films have out-and-out bombed.All of which serves to give you a very well-rounded and realistic perspective of the indie film world-a goal that few people in the media have ever attempted.In fact, most of what you read about indie filmmaking concentrates on the 1 in a 1000 success story and then distorts it into some kind of low-effort "overnight" success.Gore bursts that bubble.And tells you the truth.

Here's the basics of what Gore's book arms you with:
- in-depth analysis of the Top 10 film festivals, and why you should apply to these first
- tips from true experts on how to make a splash to maximize potential distribution offers
- how to create the all-important marketing materials such as a web site, poster, postcard, press kit, and trailer
- lists of mistakes filmmakers commit that screw up their films
- comprehensive listings of over 1,000 film festivals, including travel tips and contact information

Perhaps what I like the most about the book is that Gore reiterates the secret festival strategy that select filmmakers have devised after attending festivals around the world:be nice.This underestimated strategy is part of the long-term thinking that characterizes Gore's guide.He advocates other virtues that you'll find equally as important during your daunting struggle through the film world:patience and humility."When you pick up the trades and read that this film or that film sold for a million bucks," he writes, "don't let it get you down when yours does not sell.The cold truth is that the entertainment business moves at a glacial pace.Things happen very, very slowly, so you must have patience.You may not close a distribution deal for you film, but you'll have made many new friends and useful contacts that will help you along on your eighteen month (or more!) journey in getting your work seen in front of appreciative festival audiences."

The book suffers in minor ways due to Gore's overly informal writing style and the advertisements peppered throughout as if it were a magazine (and yet the cover price is $21.95).It's funny to note, too, that the most detailed of the checklists is about successfully crashing a party.But these criticisms are petty.Gore's twenty year real-world experience shines through and empowers you to take advantage of the ultimate launching pad for nearly every indie film in the world:the film festival. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Good Book
This is an excellent book and a great guide to film festivals, for both filmmakers and film lovers

I wish there were more film festivals listed within this book, however, the important ones are covered

Hopefully, we'll also see an update of it soon

I recommend it to anyone who is submitting films to festivals, anytime soon

an excellent and succinct overview of festival process
I found this to be an excellent and helpful guide to navigating the filmfestival process. Most helpful were the pointers about how to save moneyapplying for film festivals and how not to "cancel out" yourchances at one festival by applying to another. Like with any guidebook,some of the entries will go out of date. That's why they should always bechecked before you apply to a particular festival. Most festivals will mailyou their application materials, so this book is a good starting point tofind which of the festivals are right for your film.

good source; bad contact info
This is a comprehensive guide to film festivals, however there are so many mistakes in the contact information:wrong phone and email addresses, no contact info, orinfo for one festival listed as contact info for another-- that contacting these festivals becomes an exercise in frustration.Idon't think all this is due to the fact that the pub date was 1998.Itappears that the info was never correct.Ugh! ... Read more

Book Description
Film festivals have become the new meccas of emerging film talent around the world. Industry players and wannabes alike flock to them in droves. Whether you're thinking about Toronto, Cannes, Sundance or Slamdance, The Variety Guide to Film Festivals is an indispensable source of information for filmmakers and fans alike, with listings of virtually every film festival in the world, and insider profiles of key fests. You'll know all you need to know:how festivals work, who goes, and why they can be an independent filmmaker's best friend. And you'll get it in a way that is only possible from Variety--the largest entertainment news staff in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A brilliant distillation of expert views on key fests
I don't know when this fest guide came out, but it's a revelation. As an indie film producer and festgoer, I've waded through all of the hype and junk on festivals. They fall into two categories; either they're stodgy anddry or they're filled with crap about where to go dancing and/or be seen.Festivals cost a lot of money and time to attend and thank God the expertsat Variety have cut through the nonsense and delivered a book that istimely, informed and concise. This festival guide cuts to the chase. Also,having been around the intl. fest scene, I know the names like Peter Cowie,David Stratton, Gerald Pratley, Derek Elley, et al. These people know theirfests and they can't be bought off, which I suspect is the case with someof the nonsense I've read in books that supposedly help you"survive" fests.

Total snoozefest! Helpful only if you're a complete bore!
This has to be one of the most boring books I've ever read. Follow this book, and you'll end up waiting tables in no time. The film festival guide by Chris Gore is a much better, more informative read. Avoid thissnoozefest!

INACCURATE, THIN ON USEFUL INFORMATION
I expected quite a bit more from the staff of Variety but this compilation of articles reprinted from the archives of Variety lacks focus.It is unclear who this books is for -- the filmmaker or the traveller?The thincontent satisfies neither.In addition, there are glaring inaccuracies inthe listings and appendix such as the phone number for the Sundance FilmFestival, which is wrong.How could they get this number wrong?! Also, thebook is only a paltry 197 pages, not the 288 pages mentioned in the bookdescription.Buyer beware.

PS to last review!
Also omitted is the Franco-Spanish Film Festival -- held in Miami last year, sponsored by the French and Spanish governments,a venue mostly for Latin American films co-financed by the French and Spanish. It has beengoing for at least two years. Another indication that this compendium offilm festivals is neither all-encompassing nor up-to-date.

Good overview of film festivals but incomplete
Gaydos's guide is nicely-organized by date, which is helpful for filmfestival entrants,and the various indexes (country, genre,etc.)areexcellent, but does it really include all-- or at least, all the major --film festivals? If it doesn't, it's misleading to claim (from the backcover) that "you'll know all you need to know." One extremelyimportant festival it doesn't mention is the New York Film Expo, which isthe oldest venue for short independently-made films (narrative,documentary, animation, experimental) in the United States. The Expo beganin 1966 or 1967 in Canton, New York,at St. Lawrence University and movedwith its founder, Nick Manning, to various campuses across the countrybefore settling in New York City.(It's now independently run.)Variety hasrun articles about it, as has the Village Voice and like publications.Danny De Vito, Spike Lee, and other filmmakers had among their firstexposures (and some the first of many awards) at this festival. If thismajor festival was omitted from Gaydos otherwise well-done compendium, onehas to wonder how many others have also been omitted ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Every winter, 8,000 feet above sea level in the Utah snow, the hopes and dreams of young moviemakers are put on display at the Sundance Film Festival--the haven for independent films where you can show up a kid and go home a star. In barely twenty years of existence, the festival--now overseen by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute--has assumed tremendous importance for today's film culture: during the annual ten-day event, tiny Park City is so overrun by agents, publicists, studio executives, and other Hollywood types that in 1988 they blew out the town's cell-phone relay system.

JOHN ANDERSON, chief film critic for New York Newsday, attended his ninth Sundance in 1999, but this time he did more than screen films and leap for tables at overbooked restaurants. He interviewed performers and filmmakers of all kinds, including top prize winners, but also uncovered the effect of all this ballyhoo on the indie film scene--and on the bemused Park City locals. Alongside the thoughts of Diane Lane, Steve Buscemi, Mike Figgis and other distinguished film people are conversations with festival volunteers, bus drivers, policemen, shopkeepers, and more. Together, they form the most candid, most fascinating, most hilarious, and most human-sized coverage of the Sundance Film Festival ever achieved. Join John Anderson as he goes...SUNDANCING

JOHN ANDERSON, chief film critic for New York Newsday, attended his ninth Sundance in 1999, but this time he did more than screen films and leap for tables at overbooked restaurants. He interviewed performers and filmmakers of all kinds, including top prize winners, but also uncovered the effect of all this ballyhoo on the indie film scene--and on the bemused Park City locals. Alongside the thoughts of Diane Lane, Steve Buscemi, Mike Figgis and other distinguished film people are conversations with festival volunteers, bus drivers, policemen, shopkeepers, and more. Together, they form the most candid, most fascinating, most hilarious, and most human-sized coverage of the Sundance Film Festival ever achieved. Join John Anderson as he goes...SUNDANCING ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It draws a fair picture
A previous reviewer claimed author John Anderson was some kind of piteous wannabe. He didn't read this book very closely: it's not Anderson talking. The author almost completely relies on interviews with others; they make up 9/10ths of the book. It's an *oral history*, or maybe an oral snapshot, of the 1999 festival. I just got back from my first Sundance (2003) last month, and read this book afterwards. Very amusing, very "human-sized," as the back cover blurb puts it. Some movie suits are their own self-parodists; it's interesting to read about people who live in Park City, Utah all year and then get overrun for two weeks annually. This is not snobby at all, not whiny. It's fun and funny and true.

So sad . . . . .Just reeks of the empty life of a hanger-on
Far from informative, this book does nothing toward providing any sort of accurate rendition of the madness that has engulfed Sundance of late. Both the dashed dreams and the fulfilled hopes of the various players are often obscured by the author's tedious, hackneyed prose. Prosethat is so cliche-ridden I wonder whether the esteemed Mr. Anderson actually wrote it himself or simply gave the book as an assignment to another drear film student, a pre-John Anderson in its larval stage if you will. On every page we learn not so much about the Sundance festival or its participants as we discover Anderson's yearnings to fit into that world, to find a place for himself among the glamor and achievement that only true creators attain.Sour grapes and misgivings on every page, it might more aptly be titled "Tales of a Film Critic Nothing." ... Read more

Book Description
This guide offers a wide range of unique information on over 500 film festivals around the world. Excellent for anyone involved in the film industry at any level. Attorney John Sloss writes its foreword. He is according to the Hollywood Reporter " the quintessential indie lawyer[whose] projects are quality all the way".The guide also has feature articles which include the making of "Cuba 15" an award-winning short film by its creator Elizabeth Schub, the benefits of travelling festivals and first hand coverage of different festivals throughout the world. It also includes a listing of producers and distributors, and film schools. Produced in association with the Kodak Emerging Filmaker Program.

There is a brief description of each film festival, with festival dates, addresses, number of attendees, type of film accepted, languages and country restrictions, entry fees, email and website information, contact person and awards. Each entry is separately indexed alphabetically, by month, genre, country and submission date to make searching as easy and quick as possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Frustrating
With online listings readily available, the listings in this and other film festival books are not particularly relevant. This one in particular, since it is three years old.

The value of these books, then, is the commentary. IFFG has some good stuff, specifically the first-hand accounts, by filmmakers, of their experiences at many different festivals (though sadly they too often consist of reviews of the movies that played at these festivals, which is especially irrelevant four years after the fact). Overall, it is a useful tool for filmmakers trying to decide which festival to attend, though I would say it is inferior to the Gore book in this regard, and quite dated.

Unfortunately, it is marred by absolutely the worst editing I've ever seen. Every page has numerous typographic and grammatical errors, something that is especially ridiculous considering that this is a 3rd edition. The mistakes are consistent across the many different authors who contributed to the book, so these are errors of commission, not omission.

My favorite is the use of an enye (n with a tilde over it) for the word "in", which is particularly incomprehensible in a book with no spanish language content. My current theory is that the text was handwritten, then OCR'd into the computer and rushed to print.

I can't recommend it.

Insightful, organized and useful
The best of the bunch.Excellent online suppport for updates

Essential reference guide for confused indie filmmakers!
There are many upsides to this fest guide book, the contact information is first rate and the AMOUNT of international festivals blew me away! First of all as a low-budget filmmaker I had no idea there were that many festivalsout there for me! I also liked the articles from other filmmakers and I'mhoping the author will have more of that in the next edition. The guidecould do with a blast of color but really that's just minor. As a referenceguide, I've recommended it to my colleagues.

Essential for indie filmmakers to tackle the fest circuit!
I actually stumbled on this guide inadvertently and after scanning the others, selected this particular festival guide. The descriptions were clear without being cutesy and the comments section was very valuable. Ilike the extensive contact information and the indexing is very thorough.As an indie Canadian filmmaker I would like to thank Mr. Stolberg for hisefforts. ... Read more

Book Description
Almost every day of the year a film festival takes place somewhere in the world--from sub-Saharan Africa to the Land of the Midnight Sun. Sundance to Sarajevo is a tour of the world's film festivals by an insider whose familiarity with the personalities, places, and culture surrounding the cinema makes him uniquely suited to his role. Kenneth Turan, film critic for the Los Angeles Times, writes about the most unusual as well as the most important film festivals, and the cities in which they occur, with an eye toward the larger picture. His lively narrative emphasizes the cultural, political, and sociological aspects of each event as well as the human stories that influence the various and telling ways the film world and the real world intersect.
Of the festivals profiled in detail, Cannes and Sundance are obvious choices as the biggest, brashest, and most influential of the bunch. The others were selected for their ability to open a window onto a wider, more diverse world and cinema's place in it. Sometimes, as with Sarajevo and Havana, film is a vehicle for understanding the international political community's most vexing dilemmas. Sometimes, as with Burkina Faso's FESPACO and Pordenone's Giornate del Cinema Muto, it's a chance to examine the very nature of the cinematic experience. But always the stories in this book show us that film means more and touches deeper chords than anyone might have expected. No other book explores so many different festivals in such detail or provides a context beyond the merely cinematic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Travel writing as film history
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times and NPR film critic, has traveled the world to watch movies at film festivals so that the viewing public can learn about new, upcoming films and the stars and artists that make them. Along the way, he has seen it all, from the upstart come mega-festival Sundance to little known venues in war zones like Sarajevo, Bosnia and Burkina Faso in Africa.

Now, Turan has written a delightful travelogue of his experiences, focusing on 12 of the more than 400 film festivals each year. The festivals he spotlights are divided into four sections: Festivals with Business Agendas (Cannes, Sundance, ShoWest), Festivals with Geopolitical Agendas (Burkina Faso, Havana, Sarajevo, Midnight Sun), Festivals with Aesthetic Agendas (Pordenone, Lone Pine, Telluride), and some failures under the section of the Politics of Festivals.

From the food to the people to the landscape to the cities to the films, Turan feeds us the flavors of each festival; but, that is not all as we get all the juice and details from behind the scenes of these festivals, and we really learn how they tick.

If you are a successful filmmaker, you will enjoy the nostalgic ride; if you are an inspiring filmmaker, there is much to learn before you visit your first festival as an insider; and, if you are a film buff, then you will enjoy the ride with Turan as he visits the festivals in ways we can't. Come along and visit the place where big Hollywoodland meets the independent spirit of film. ... Read more

Product Description
Each year in May, over 200,000 people from across the globe descend on the small Riviera resort of Cannes to take part in all of the glitz and glamour that is the Cannes Film Festival. The mere mention of the city instantly conjures up images of red carpets, paparazzi camera flashes, and celebrity parties. However, for those in the movie business the festival is an essential calendar date for another reason: it's also the largest film market and industry get-together on the planet. "Cannes A Festival Virgin's Guide" is the leading handbook for filmmakers and film industry professionals looking to attend the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. Demystifying the event and providing practical advice for attending, Cannes A Festival Virgin's Guide is about helping you make the most of your visit to the world's most famous film festival. Features include: THE CITY getting there, getting around, places to stay, places to eat, and more; THE FESTIVAL its history, structure, how to attend and all about the screenings; THE BIZ an overview of the business side of the festival, for filmmakers looking to attend Cannes for networking or with a project in tow; THE LOWDOWN a series of interviews with Cannes veterans, offering their advice and tips; SIX APPENDICES containing a wealth of additional information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Much needed guide
I was a "festival virgin" at last year's event and this book was a life-saver. Cannes is expensive, but if you know where to go and what to avoid, it can be a much more enjoyable experience. The insight into a rather confusing festival structure was also incredibly useful. Lonely Planet for filmmakers! ... Read more

Book Description
Like a film festival on paper, this is the first book of its kind in English to showcase the best of in Latino filmmaking. A dazzling celebration in words and photos, it includes a tribute to the late, great Raul Julia and Gabriel Figueroa, a profile of the amazing Rita Moreno, and articles by the noteworthy Luis Valdez, Carlos Monsivais and Bel Hernandez. A much-needed resource in the rapidly evolving world of Latin-American movies and U.S. Latino films, shorts and documentaries, The 1998 Latino Film Festival Yearbook profiles 60 pivotal movies, documentaries and short films, including:
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Tango (USA)
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The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (USA)
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The Voice of the Heart (Venezuela)
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Saint Lucifer (Mexico)
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Obstinate Memory (Chile)
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Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health (Spain)
With an introduction by Edward James Olmos, this book is a must for anyone interested in film or Hispanic studies. It is a fascinating look at the "other half" of Hollywood. marketing
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Book is key part of the Latino International Film Festival, held annually in L.A. in October
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Edward James Olmos, who wrote the introduction, is the festival producer. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 1385 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Karlovy Vary: take 38.(Communiques)(Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
Author: Dennis West
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: 29Issue: 1Page: 88(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Video Age International, published by TV Trade Media, Inc. on May 1, 1993. The length of the article is 884 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: It's now all biz, mate! (Cannes Film Festival)
Publication: Video Age International (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 1993
Publisher: TV Trade Media, Inc.
Volume: v13Issue: n5Page: p24(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on June 22, 2002. The length of the article is 2605 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Istanbul international Film Festival. (Communique).
Author: Cynthia Lucia
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2002
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: 27Issue: 3Page: 49(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Film Comment, published by Film Society of Lincoln Center on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 810 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Family business: Sundance dramatic competition: minor pleasures amidst a rising tide of indie formulas.(festivals)
Author: Gavin Smith
Publication: Film Comment (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Film Society of Lincoln Center
Volume: 41Issue: 2Page: 68(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more