Festival Fee Waiver Douchiness

"Am I a douche if I ask for a fee waiver from a film festival?"

This question was posed to a well-known blogger from a "respectable" independent film organization. Her answer was "Yes", you are a douche. Um. OK. I whole-heartedly disagree. And I couldn't sit idly by and read this without commenting and putting this into perspective for us filmmakers living in the real world.

First off, the answer is "No", you are not a douche if you ask for a fee waiver from a film festival. You're a douche if you ask in a douchey way and expect them to say "Yes". Now, the people running film festivals are big boys and can decide whether or not to grant you a fee waiver. Often they deny your request and then you have to decide whether or not you want to pay the fee. If you get indignant with the festival and act like an a-hole about it when they deny your fee waiver request then, yeah, that's pretty douchey. But, no, it's not douchey to ask for a fee waiver. I do it all the time. And more often than not, the fee is gladly waived. Now keep in mind that most of the waivers I ask for are from festivals that have previously screened my work and it is customary for festivals to waive fees in those instances. If you're just starting out, you should expect to pay a lot of entry fees. That's the unfortunate reality.

Now, there is the rare instance of a fee NOT getting waived by a festival that has previously shown your work. That is douchey. Beyond douchey. This has only happened to me twice (that I can remember) and I won't mention names, but one of the festivals was pretty BUFF and the other one just happens to take place where that giant hippy music festival happened in the 60s. Damned hippies.

Let's keep something in mind here: I'm not bashing festivals. I love festivals. Festivals have expenses. They have to rent a venue to show the films. They have to print programs. They have to print tickets. They have to pay a projectionist. They have to rent a projector. And these are just the bare minimum expenses that I know about - I'm sure there are many many many more, depending on the festival. And keep in mind that festivals are taking a HUGE risk when programming your work: They are literally banking on people attending screenings based on the quality of your film and your ability to draw a crowd. I love festivals and hope that they continue to make money and thrive and survive so that I have a venue to show my films in front of a live audience.

BUT

If a festival is relying on MY entry fee to run their festival, it's generally not a very well-run festival. The better festivals have sponsors and advertisers that cover the bulk of their costs. They don't rely solely on entry fees. And they are savvy enough to seek out and program films that will cater to their audiences. Audiences that they've built over the years by being well-run, well-programmed festivals. And, unless it's a festival that puts on free screenings, these festivals are generally charging regular movie ticket prices to show your films. So festivals have a few sources of revenue to draw from.

Sadly, CineVegas isn't happening in 2010 which is a real shame because they are one of the great film festivals. But they decided that they couldn't raise the funds to pull off the kind of quality festival that their audiences and filmmakers have become accustomed to. Now, did they put the burden on the filmmakers by raising entry fees or telling alumni filmmakers that they couldn't waive fees this year? No. They did the respectable thing and just postponed the festival for a year. This obviously isn't ideal, but I use it as an example of how a well-run festival doesn't rely on submission fees to pay for their festival.

In 2008 when DIRTY WORDS: The Letter C was doing the festival circuit most of the festival directors I talked to were disappointed because of the sad state of the economy which had diminished their sponsorship funds which forced them to scale back their operations. Not a single festival director told me they were forced to scale back because their submissions were down and they weren't making enough money from submission fees.

Catch my drift?

Festival entry fees average around $35 each. If you submit to 100 film festivals, that's $3500! At Dirty Little Shorts the average budget of our films is $200. At Misfit Films the average budget of our feature films is $5000. I'm glad the blogger I mentioned has lots of money to throw around at festivals--more power to her--but some of us could make another film for the money we would potentially be spending on entry fees.

And, by the way, entry fees are mostly a U.S. phenomenon. Most European and Asian film festivals don't charge an entry fee (with the exception of Great Britain). Granted, most of them are government subsidised, but most also offer prize money which is a big incentive to submit. Most U.S. film festivals don't offer prize money.

So I call shenanigans on the idea that asking for fee waivers is douchey.

A fellow filmmaker suggested this (which I thought was pretty brilliant): Ask festivals if they'd be willing to waive the fee contingent upon your acceptance into the festival. If your film is accepted into the festival, you'll pay the entry fee. It hasn't worked for me the few times I've proposed it, but apparently it's worked for her.

All they can do is say "No", right?

Having said that: Always be courteous and respectful. You're dealing with human beings here. Most of them are really nice, reasonable, intelligent human beings, too. No one wants to waive the fee for a douche. Let alone programming the film of a douchey filmmaker.

But I couldn't let some blogger accuse me of being a douche for asking for fee waivers without speaking up and letting y'all know the real deal from my own douchey perspective.

xo
-t.

And then there were 2...

Hey, "how come I haven't seen any postings to this blog in a while", you ask? Well, for a few reasons:

1. We're busy making movies.
2. All but 2 of our Misfits have "left the building" so-to-speak.
3. Realizing the importance of indie filmmakers needing a web presence, we're trying to figure out the most time-efficient way to link Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and our website (www.misfitFILMS.com) together and since we lost all of our interns, we old foggies are fumbling around in the dark like monkeys trying to fuck footballs.

So there you have it... But we will endeavor to persevere and continue posting to this blog on a semi-regular basis to keep you updated on what we're doing here at Misfit Films World Headquarters. Making movies. Fucking footballs.

The Results Are In...

Bake off Friday turned out to be awesome.  The catty attitudes of Amy and Norman filled every corner of Misfit Studios.  It started with Norman baking first.  To the table he brought the old fashion chocolate chip cookie.  The sweet smell of Norman and his delicious treats and his cookies were all we could smell all day.  The oven timer beeps and we start to inhale cookies.  We were swearing off Mrs. Fields with crumbs spitting from our faces.  Norman's cookies were sooo good it made T. drool.  My juices from my noise started leaking and I knew these cookies were going to be tough to beat.  

Amy steps into the ring, well actually, the kitchen.  She had her competitive face on and didn't even break a sweat.  She pops in the cookies with a confident smile and glares over at Norman.  

"Fuck you Norman."  Her language appalls us.  She is a feisty little one. 

Her cookies made us fly like magical ponies.  One bite into them and hints of orange grind exploded into our palettes.  Amy was a tough contender, but in the end, Norman takes the cake.  I'm sorry that was gay... but so is Norman so I guess gay is okay.

Norman, Misfit salutes you.  You are the cookie queen of this studio.  

AMY VS Intern #2

First off, I would just Like to say to those who missed last nights meeting missed the best smack down of the century. Amy VS Me, intern #2. Of course I won the epic smack down. But to give you guys a taste of what you missed, here a snippet of what wen down!

Amy: So what do you think of my cookies that I made from SCRATCH! Norman.

Norman: Personally amy, there a little dry and they kinda taste of shit. I can do way better.

Amy: Bitch no you didn't. Don't come up in MY HOUSE, and tell ME how to make a fucking cookie!

Norman: Bitch please, from the way you bake, there is absolutely  no one in this world who can tell you how to make a cookie. Since flour = dirt in your cook book.

Amy: Your face looks like dirt blacky.

Norman: Nigga please! you better step off, Or i'll cut you with your own hard jagged ass cookie. These things should be illegal. 

Amy: Fuck you! Your cookies are so bad when your momma ate one she realized that hey, cancer isn't so bad after all.

Norman:  Oh no HO! Your cookies are so bad that santa had to lick Rudolph's ass to get the taste of your nasty ass cookies out of his mouth!

Amy: Nigga Your cookies are so bad, the keebler elves had to put a hit out on you for giving cookies a bad name! 

Norman: Cracka! YOUR Cookies are so bad, jesus took them as a signal to start the rapture! Thus bringing about the apocalypse! You destroyed the WORLD BITCH!

And the smack down went on for hours. Eventually T and Jim

 had to hold us back and sedate us. So Amy and i decided to have a cookie battle, held next friday, JIMS PLACE! BE THERE! Also T's making peanut butter ice cream. HE PROMISED!

JIM

On another note, Amy and I decided to put our differences aside and tackle a project that eclipsed our cookie issue. JIMS CLOSET! For those of you who haven't seen it Please look at the picture above. By the time we found oscar beneath all the clothes, he was already dead. Been dead for a while. The look of utter fear that was on his face was, just to much to bare... So if you could, please bend your head down and spare a moment for Oscar... All he wanted was a friend you know. He thought he saw it in Jim's eyes but, no. Just pain. Pain and suffering. For shame Jim, for shame.

Jim, if you don't want me to shame you again then keep your room clean!

Anyways, its relatively clean now. And so is the hallway closet near the front door. Took me hours. The office closet is my next project. And to tell you the truth, I'm a little scared. But I know, that with truth and justice, I will prevail. 

So in closing Kyle and Jessica Rice can go shove it, i revoke your intern Numbers. Aaaaand Here is a picture of Lana & Erik Estrada,working together at last.

P.S. they are both mexican.

This is what you get for slacking off and not show up for meetings Lana. SHAAAAAME! 

 

Misfitting Su su Secretsss!

Jim was born in pieces and delivered in the mail over the span of 9 months. His heart was replaced with the heart of a pig because the delivery of his original heart was shipped overseas and detained in customs. His mum panicked and picked up a pig heart from craigslist and seconds after the final surgery, his original heart was delivered. The whereabouts of his original heart is not known, but some only hypothesize that he keeps it in his sock drawer.

T has OCD. When he sneezes, he has to clap for himself until he feels the germs exiting his body have all been captured and absorbed in his hands, as to not risk the loss of any creative bugs...

These are 2 correct statements.

Where are my titles?

Dear lana,

I read your post about me, or should i say YOU read your post to me? Well let me just tell you, Yes, I don't like boobs and I'm an awesome editor. Which you did state already.

But here is an update! Last friday I helped film the second round of commentary with Jim and T. And let me tell you, apparently everyone loves NUTS! Not just one type of nut, but all kinds of nuts, I mean, everyone could not keep those salty nuts out of there mouths. It was truly a sight to see. And yes i did get it on tape. The only person whose lips barely touched the skin of those salty nuts was T! But thats because he's married.

Lana Bear!

If you look on the screen above, you will see a pic of the great screen actress Lana in her oscar worthy role in the short, "Dearest Brother". Of course it wasn't done in time to be submitted to the oscars because the titles aren't done! Sorry Lana, you'll never get that golden man if you keep procrastinating and eating like you are in this picture that you can see to your right.

Where are my titles Lana, Where are they?

Love intern #2

Meet Intern #2- The Intern We Love To Hate

This intern is our favorite intern to hate... intern number 2. Norman Trotter the Fourth. Don't let his cute little canary scarf fool you folks. He is vicious. Vicious like a pirate, but mushy inside. Mushy like sweet fields of bon bons in your mouth... Oh that Norman. Trust me, when something goes wrong, 10 out of 10, it was that Norman Trotter...

However, he does happen to have skills that no other intern possess. He can dance like a queen, but that's not his best feature... He is amazing at editing here at Misfit. My god! What a magician. He has been recently working on a project called Boobs. Tee Hee. Boobs. Norman, you don't like boobs. IRONY!