You made a great film. Now give it a great run.
This is a great example of what I call “next-level” humor in short films. So many comedies make jokes that only play on the obvious and go in the expected directions. Trevor’s in Heaven lulls you into thinking you know what’s going to happen next and then slaps you around for a bit, always escalating the humor to the next level. Just watch.
For those of you on the outside of this particular in-joke, here’s the Wikipedia entry on the mumblecore “movement.”
Though most of you have likely torn through all four of these, I feel like parcelling them out one at a time here on the blog. Savor them. Promos by Mark Potts of Singletree Productions.
I think this strip pretty much sums up the indie film experience for many filmmakers, but you can read some recent strips to get the full flavor.
So this article’s a few years old but it made me smile and still contains a ton of great, relevant ideas. Sneaky, low-down, dirty ideas, but still: ideas.
Before Bikini Bandits was even accepted to premiere at the Philadelphia Film Festival, [director] Grasse and [producer]Alan took out full-page ads in The City Paper, the local alternative weekly, promoting their participation in the festival. This naturally pissed off festival brass, creating more press in the ensuing uproar. When the film officially became part of the festival, the Bikini Bandits team purchased every available seat at the premiere, creating a sold-out screening and generating more frenzied buzz. They then threw a big ol’ party, let 3,000 in to celebrate and left 2,000 cooling their heels on the sidewalk. Buzz, buzz, buzz.
I love this article from the Collegian, in which a random college student who took a ski vacation to Park City during Sundance reveals her hurt feelings about being shut out of Sundance screenings.
“I primarily went out there to ski and see some friends, but I wanted to get a feel for how Sundance was, so yeah, I was a little disappointed,” she said. “I thought it would be different. A lot of the stores were closed at like 6 or 7 at night for private parties and stuff. You would really have to know someone to get in.”
Bird said she thinks the Sundance cannot be considered truly independent anymore.
It reads a lot like a facetious article from The Onion — except that if it were in The Onion it would be even funnier.
Two things: if you can’t get into a screening in Park City during Sundance, you’re just not trying. Sure, most of the more anticipated flicks are sold out, but there are always smaller films or showings at odd times with tickets available. Then there are the satellite festivals — there are no fewer than four other festivals besides Sundance (Slamdance and the Park City Film Music Festival, just to name a couple) going on at the same time. You can see some great movies at those fests, too — particularly if “independent” (i.e. unknown low-budget) film is your thing. Parties are pretty much the same way — for every high-end soirée guarded by a surly bouncer there are a handful of open-to-pretty-much-anyone parties going on at nearby condos, bistros, and retail shops. You just have to talk to enough strangers around town and make enough new friends to get invited to them.
The other thing? It’s been a long time since Sundance pretended (if it ever did) to be anything but a festival for the very best independent movies out there. Sure, a lot of those independent films are well-funded efforts with full crews and big name stars, but Sundance prides itself on showing great pictures, not just the ones made by struggling and emerging artists. It all goes back to the question of “what is an independent film, anyway?” — something people are going to be arguing about for years to come, probably without any meaningful resoluton.
You spend your fifty bucks, wait for what feels like forever, and what do you get?
Hear it straight from the Bitter Man himself.
Can’t wait to hear him act out the complaints of other filmmakers.
Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent Filmmakers
Written especially for people trying to navigate the film festival circuit. Start reading now or buy a copy of your very own.