The 2009 List: 25 Festivals Worth the Fee

by MovieMaker Staff | Published April 17, 2009

Outdoors at the Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival

Every moviemaker has dreams of his or her film landing at Sundance or Cannes and instantly acquiring the enduring acclaim that fests of that caché can offer. There’s nothing wrong with striving for those rarified venues, but moviemakers need not get their celluoid in a bunch if it doesn’t happen, because now more than ever there are excellent alternatives—festivals that go the extra mile to make certain that a moviemaker’s efforts are well-compensated.

Whether the payoff comes in the form of a generous cash prize, the opportunity to hobknob with an industry titan, or just a fattening of one’s press kit and crew Rolodex, the festivals that are worth your fee and your time can make all the difference in your burgeoning career.

Now more than ever, with our country deep in a recession, coughing up the entry fees for a number of film festivals can be an unfeasible expense, so moviemakers need to choose wisely and target those fests that can offer a potential return on their investment.

But how can you choose where to submit? You already know many of the larger names, so to find worthy alternatives we searched the country (and our good neighbor to the north) to bring you a list of 25 of the finest, though perhaps lesser-known, festivals that are very much worth the fee. And maybe because of the recession, this year we paid special attention to festivals that emphasize shorts.

Here, then, in alphabetical order, is MM‘s 2009 list of 25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee:

• Action on Film International Film Festival
• Angelus Student Film Festival
• Ashland Independent Film Festival
• Austin Film Festival
• Bermuda International Film Festival
• Boxur Shorts Film Festival
• Calgary International Film Festival
• Dark Carnival Film Festival
• DC Shorts Film Festival
• Doorpost Film Project
• Elevate Film Festival
• L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival
• Mammoth Film Festival
• Marfa Film Festival
• Myrtle Beach International Film Festival
• Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival
• Ottawa International Animation Film Festival
• Oxford International Film Festival
• Palm Springs Shortfest
• Poppy Jasper Film Festival
• Red Rock Film Festival
• Screamfest Horror Film Festival
• SILVERDOCS
• Syracuse International Film Festival
• Whistler Film Festival

The Spring 2009 edition of MovieMaker Magazine can be purchased on newsstands everywhere. Single copies can be purchased for $5.95 online at MovieMaker.com/magazine/backissues/spring_2009 or sign up for a full year of MovieMaker at our special introductory price of just $6.00 (practically the cost of a single issue) at MovieMaker.com/subscribe/best_fests_2009.

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Comment by MIMI Glueck on 5/01/09 at 1:29 pm

OUR FILM FESTIVAL, NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL, IS A FABULOUS ONE! IT IS NOT ON YOUR LIST AND SHOULD BE. THEY have JUST FINISHED WITH A VERY SUCCESSFUL WEEK OF FILMS, AND THOUSANDS ATTENDED. MIMI GLUECK

Comment by Monika Moreno on 5/29/09 at 3:32 pm

Thank you MovieMaker for the fabulous honor :) Everyone at the Angelus Student Film Festival is thrilled and papering the walls with your magazine. After they read it cover to cover, of course. We are so grateful!

Comment by John on 5/29/09 at 4:12 pm

Yes, entry fees are important in such a list. Anyway grate selection!

Comment by denver criminal attorney on 5/31/09 at 9:06 pm

Film festivals go a long way in recognizing and promoting medium or low budget movies to a mass audience. I agree, every penny spent in them is worth the price, if chosen correctly, based on the budget.

Comment by Facial Toning on 6/03/09 at 10:17 pm

Austin, Tx film festival is on this month! totally rocked last year! ..Don’t just sit around watching movies all summer…MAKE YOUR OWN!

Comment by Joe Wilson on 6/28/09 at 12:43 pm

My short “The Swear Police” is an official selection in the 2009 AOF International Film Festival, which is charging filmmakers $150 per ticket for the awards show.

Moviemaker, it’s time to make a correction to this article and kiss a little ad revenue goodbye. Otherwise, you are legitimizing a scam.

THIS IS MY EMAIL TO THE 2009 AOF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: I didn’t realize you folks were running a bait and switch operation.

Charging filmmakers $150 per ticket to attend an awards show is criminal.

Please remove my short THE SWEAR POLICE from your competition/festival/ponzie scheme.

What you are doing is wrong. Period. And I will have nothing to do with it.

Comment by Ken Mora on 6/29/09 at 9:15 am

RE: Joe Wilson’s comment.
As someone who has gone throught the nightmare logistics of putting on a much smaller event than a film fest, I guarantee they’re not huge money makers (unless, maybe, they’re in the top 10% of international fests). So $150 for an awards ceremony, which is an OPTIONAL expense, really isn’t bad.
Not participating in the ceremony won’t hurt your chances of winning, and if you ask for the approx. awards time, you can usually wait in the wings and come up to accept your award anyway if you win - that’s been my experience, anyway.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 6/29/09 at 1:07 pm

RE: Ken Mora’s comment.

Let’s agree to disagree.

I don’t care about winning a film festival, I care about showing my film in a venue that promotes, not screws filmmakers.

I entered and won the LA Comedy Shorts Film Fest in my category (http://www.SwearPolice.com). See that up on the list?

The awards show was at Cinespace, hosted by Adam Corrolla, I was given two passes to it and paid for tickets for additional cast to attend. Those tickets cost NO WHERE NEAR $150 and I felt that was more than fair.

If you are running a film fest and can’t find a venue that doesn’t involve filmmakers paying to make and enter their work, and then paying another $150 per ticket to attend the awards show, then you need to do a tiny bit more brainstorming.

In this economy, we’re all hurting, so why not work together instead of baiting and switching an “official selection” for another opportunity to get filmmakers to cough up money to you?

It is wrong, period, and can easily be changed.

They charge for framed official selection awards, framed, $80. That’s optional, but attending the awards show, where filmmakers get to meet, greet and network, that’s another $150? That’s criminal.

Comment by GeeCee on 6/29/09 at 2:09 pm

Really? $150 to sit in the audience? Is there any food? Why don’t they just make it $300 to submit & give 2 tix?
I find that if the return on the entry fees isn’t the large majority of the prizes, it’s questionable.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 6/29/09 at 2:23 pm

My email to the masthead of Moviemaker Magazine:

Comment by Ken Mora on 6/29/09 at 2:39 pm

If it were “just to sit in the audience” it would be a total rip, no doubt about it, but if you’re a filmmaker, then sitting next to, say, a distributor can be a career-changing event.

Plus the schmoozing before and after, the red-carpet photo op, the chance to talk to the press, not to mention what you learn from your fellow filmmakers.

Don’t get me wrong, you need to be a go-getter so if you’re a wallflower (as I was for years) nothing’s going to happen even if they sit you on Speilberg’s lap.

Also I’ve never been to AOF, but I’ve been to several fests, so I can’t attest to the AOF particulars, but I’ll tell you afterwards whether it was worth it.

Now, consider the logistics.
1) There’s a gift bag (yes, they get all that stuff for free, but still it has some value). Let’s say $10.00 just to be cheap.
2) There’s a meal and drinks. Even if it’s “rubber chicken” like so many convention meals are, the wine and beer are usually top notch, let’s call that $40.00 (running total $50)
3) There’s the opportunity to promote yourself to an agent or manager that would never dream of attending your screening, but whom you’d gladly invite if they would - $10 each, lets say you schmooze as few as three who agree to take your screener ($80.00 running total).
4. There are longer shots, any one of which will pay for any and all expense at the fest and then some:
- you get representation (priceless)
- you get distribution (twice priceless)
- you get a directing, writing, editing, or consulting gig ($1 - 10K plus)
- you get a mention in any associated press release ($100 publicity - easily)
- you win something and get a print article interview ($1k easily)
- you use your expose to get you radio or podcast interviews (at least a few bucks worth of publicity, and an opportunity to recruit some fans)

And there’s more. Just remember it’s a business; when you factor in the costs, is it a worthy expenditure? That’s up to you to decide; all I’m saying is that the $150 you pay is not all “gravy” that pads the pocket of the fest, in fact if the entire AOF operation makes as much as $30,000 net for the promoters I’d be shocked (who can live on that?) - and there’s usually serval promoters.

ON THE CHEAP - I’ve never been to a fest event where there wasn’t a group of filmaker waiting outside who didn’t have the awards dinner money. But they wait in case they win an award. The promoters know we’re all mostly broke, and having someone come to accept an award who is sitting outside is much better for them than staring at the audience and repeating “Is Jane Schulb here? Is there someone to accept her award?”

So you don’t want to pay the $150? Fine, don’t. But throw away an chance to have your film screen at a reputable fest???
Why would you throw that away, even if you never even go to your screening, let alone the dinner?

Comment by Joe Wilson on 6/29/09 at 2:48 pm

Ken, I’m sure the AOF appreciates an official selection filmmaker defending their decision to fist filmmakers for $.

This is from the article above:

Comment by Joe Wilson on 6/29/09 at 2:59 pm

Also, I’m not throwing away the opportunity to screen my film at a reputable film fest.

I am, however, more than happy to NOT participate in the AOF, which is using suspension of disbelief to get filmmakers to fall for their bullshit, some of which you listed above:

“Plus the schmoozing before and after, the red-carpet photo op, the chance to talk to the press, not to mention what you learn from your fellow filmmakers.”

I don’t need to schmooze that bad, ever.

It’s not just about the money, it’s about the AOF looking at filmmakers as revenue streams and not as filmmakers.

Comment by Ken Mora on 6/29/09 at 3:03 pm

I do see what you’re saying, and I don’t want to defend too vigorously until after the fest (hey, it could be a ripoff, we’ll see), I’m just sorry you won’t be screening there, but perhaps I’ll get to see you at another fest.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/06/09 at 12:40 pm

Here’s why I removed my “officially selected” film from the 2009 AOF International Film Festival, in audio form - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/5TOP/2009/06/30/Tuesdays

Warning, NSFW, lots of profanity.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/06/09 at 3:18 pm

I have been contacted by Jennifer M. Wood, Editor and Timothy E. Rhys, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of MovieMaker Magazine, who said that the AOF International Film Festival has got some ‘splainin to do about the $150 per ticket they’re charging filmmakers to attend the awards show. More information as this story develops.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/16/09 at 10:08 am

Apparently, Moviemaker Magazine thinks it’s okay to charge filmmakers $150 to attend a film festival awards show.

This was in the first email from Jennifer Wood, editor:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a magazine written by, for and about independent moviemakers, we certainly understand your frustration regarding this last-minute “hidden” cost, and it’s something we’re looking into further with the festival right now. As you can imagine by your own surprise regarding this fee, this information was not something that was disclosed or mentioned to us by any of the festival representatives or alumni we spoke with in our research for this piece. And while we do believe the festival offers some great networking opportunities, this additional piece of information certainly would have been weighed when tallying up our final list of 25 fests.

Especially in today’s economy, we know that every penny counts when it comes to choosing the right festival partners to screen your projects. It’s the reason why we created this list a few years back.

[, , ,]

Thanks again for your e-mail. It is because of readers like you sharing your real-life experiences that we have grown to become the world’s best-selling independent movie magazine. And I certainly hope that the information our magazine provides you with has helped you in your own cinematic endeavors.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was from Jennifer Wood’s last email:

------------------------------------------------------

As I noted in our last correspondence, we were unaware of the charge to moviemakers to attend the AOF Black Tie Dinner, and certainly would have considered that in tallying the final list of “25 festivals” included in our list. Would the fest have made the final cut if that were considered? It’s difficult to say.

-------------------------------------------------

Like I said, guess who buys ad space in the magazine and on the web site, not filmmakers, film festivals.

Guess who knows that? Moviemaker Magazine.

Charging filmmakers $150 to attend an awards show is a bait & switch.

The bait, your official selection, the switch - you paid to make it, you paid to enter it, you may have paid to fly to the fest, hotel room, food, BUT WE’D LIKE ANOTHER $150 PLEASE for you to attend our awards show.

In this economy or any economy, that’s wrong.

The laundry list of things the AOF festival does with your $150 award show ticket does not excuse the AOF festival for charging you, the “official selection” filmmaker, to attend their awards show.

I would encourage film festivals to find ways to include filmmakers in their festival, not exploit them for more money. Regardless of what the filmmaker gets for that money, it is the mindset of Nick Covington and Del Weston at the AOF that in order for them to put on this great festival, you filmmakers are going to have to pay for it because they couldn’t find a cheaper way of doing things, or another sponsor.

That’s like casting an actor in a film and charging them for craft service on set.

It’s disappointing to see Moviemaker magazine approve of, and encourage Nick Covington and Del Weston at the AOF, and now other film fests, that this kind of fiscal structure is okay. It’s also demonstrative of what this magazine is really about, the bottom line - ad revenue.

I don’t encourage filmmakers getting screwed over, which is why I took my film out of the AOF, told Nick Covington and Del Weston that they are wrong, and posted here, to let other filmmakers know. I hoped Moviemaker Magazine would make a correction to the list above, removing any film festival that charges filmmakers anything other than an entry fee.

So much for suspension of disbelief. This is a business, I understand.

I don’t trust that list up there and I don’t trust Moviemaker Magazine to tell the truth. If the criteria for that list can include being on it and charging filmmakers to attend the awards show, then that list is worthless.

Dear Filmmakers,

You are not alone.

-Joe Wilson

Comment by Monika Moreno on 7/16/09 at 11:00 am

As director of a festival listed above, (and other years not listed) I can assure everyone Moviemaker thoroughly interviews and scrutinizes fests before giving them that designation. They also interviewed past winners and filmmakers. They requested materials and investigated all aspects. And took a long time to decide!

As with other lists and articles throughout the years in their pub, we can more than trust MM’s integrity and professionalism. Can things get by them? Probably—they are human. Things get by all of us.

However, I will say, that I agree with Joe that a film fest (or screenwriting competition, etc) should not be charging anyone to attend the dinners or pay for awards.(unless it is a requested 2nd award or requested extra tickets for dinner, beyond the winner & guest.) We are a non-profit fest ourselves and rely on donations and a small budget and understand the difficulties of putting on a fest. However, the filmmakers (and their films) are the “honorees”—not us—and they should be treated as honored guests. Our philisophy, anyway. We have been blessed with meeting wonderful young filmmakers in our 14 years who have all been thankful and grateful for everything. The industry donates prizes (software, etc) and I can only hope we can continue to offer all the perks we can (in this economy) to these deserving talented folk.

So don’t be so hard on MM… they work as hard as you do, as we all do—to create work, recognize burgeoning talent and get the word out. But you did us a tremendous service as well—I hope all filmmakers do the research you did (or read this) and find out what exactly each fest offers and does not offer. How else can you make an informed decision? Best… and back to the screening room. Monika

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/16/09 at 11:38 am

Monika,

Thanks for weighing in!

I was an official selection at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival and a winner in my category and I LOVED that festival. Jeannie, Gary and Ryan are filmmakers and they put together a festival that supports and does not exploit filmmakers.

So, yeah, all the fests on the list are not suspect.

Jennifer Wood stated that they did not know that AOF charged $150 a ticket for the awards show.

I told Moviemaker Magazine that AOF charges $150 a ticket for the awards show, which, as Wood stated, was not told to their reporters.

My email from today to Jennifer Wood, editor:

-----

On 7/16/09 11:38 AM, “Joe Wilson” wrote:

Will there be a retraction of AOF from the list or will they remain on the list?

Jennifer Wood’s response:

AOF will remain on the list.

---------

Being hard on a publication that admitted to missing an important determining factor in being included on the list above is appropriate.

Having that publication respond to additional information provided to them and then sticking by their evaluation of AOF, declining to comment or make any correction to that list makes the publication suspect.

And, again, because filmmakers don’t buy ad space, film fests do, MovieMaker sees where their bread is buttered and chose to NOT stand by filmmakers, but to let things stand as they are, with AOF on the list.

That’s wrong.

-Joe Wilson

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/16/09 at 12:43 pm

If you need a handy URL for posting links to this page, here ya go - http://tinyurl.com/cen8kg.

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/16/09 at 3:29 pm

And from the too little, too late department, email from Moviemaker Magazine Editor, Jennifer Wood:

Joe:

Again, that information was not included in our original calculations, and would have been considered in making our final decision. Our attitude is that an awards show should be open to all attendees, but we can’t deny the many other benefits that this festival offers. But additional costs to the filmmaker be it awards show tickets, travel to the fest or something else entirely are certainly something that will be probed further and calculated in the future.

Sincerely,
Jennifer

--------------

Here’s what I’m reading in this reponse: We totally screwed up putting AOF on the list, we won’t make any correction to the story, but we will try to do better in the future.

That’s kind of journalistic integrity you can find at TMZ.

Why doesn’t Moviemaker Magazine grow a pair and admit they made a mistake, in print, on this web site, and in the service of filmmakers, who they claim to be?

Comment by mixx jones on 7/17/09 at 4:12 pm

Guys for info, the Cinema city Int’l film fest (last year movie maker 25 festivals wthef) is charging filmmakers 250$ for the award gala… But it’s a charity event

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/21/09 at 11:07 am

Mixx,

I see you’re doing a benefit, but if the cost is prohibitive to filmmakers to attend, then who does the benefit, benefit?

Having been part of a non-profit arts organization, it always seemed to me that the creators were the people who had the least amount of money. By charging them, granted to raise money for a cause, that would appear to be an obstable to participation in the event.

So, you are doing a good thing, a charity event, but your audience might not have the cash to go.

Who does that best serve?

Non-profits raising money is great, but filmmakers who have already paid to make their work, enter, fly, hotel, food and then ANOTHER $250 to attend the award gala.

Sounds spendy. No?

-Joe Wilson

Comment by Joe Wilson on 7/21/09 at 11:12 am

Why would I be involved in forced philanthropy when I’m already losing money just trying to make my work?

Comment by mixx jones on 7/24/09 at 2:33 am

I totally agree with you Joe

Comment by Intervideo on 7/30/09 at 10:46 am

Thanks for the information. Is there a list, which shows film festivals without any fees and gives information about if its worth submit films?

Comment by Biotech on 8/19/09 at 12:11 am

Thanks for the great list, it is new for me.......

Comment by Babies on 8/19/09 at 12:30 am

I always like the film festival. Many thanks for the list........

Comment by Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita on 8/25/09 at 8:20 am

Can you post some information regarding possible hotel accommodations near the area? I really want to attend the festival. Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita

Comment by Black on 9/16/09 at 7:22 am

Thanks for the great list!
Grate selection!

Comment by thecritic2010 on 3/15/10 at 4:35 pm

Once again, I’ve submitted films to various festivals who will not tell you yes/no in the timeframe posted. BUT you will receive massive emails for their pre-festival hype. Meantime, you don’t know if you should book the cheap hotels, etc.

The awards shows? $150 for the privelege of sitting in a room with a celebrity? Either give the finalists a ticket or discount the ticket significantly.

Like everything Hollywood, you’re only treated with respect, IF you’re a big producer, distributor or celebrity.

Most of the festival directors are too star struck and focus on the celebrities. Meantime, the small independent filmmakers who fork up the money to enter their work are the ones that are actually supporting these full time schmoozers.

Maybe Movie Maker should have a Report Card for filmmakers to rate the festivals. The MM has ad revenues that are going to influence their list. But filmmakers are the ones seeing it through a filmmaker lens....not an ad exec or MM staff member.

Comment by Fragman on 6/10/10 at 6:38 pm

Good job! THANKS! You guys do a great blog

Comment by Lace Demi Bra on 7/17/10 at 1:01 am

Film festivals go a long way in recognizing and promoting medium or low budget movies to a mass audience. Thanks for sharing.

Comment by kalorientabelle on 7/20/10 at 4:43 pm

Festivals that go the extra mile to make certain that a moviemaker’s efforts are well-compensated. Thanks.

Comment by reproductor dvd coche on 7/20/10 at 4:45 pm

The additional costs to the filmmaker be it awards show tickets, travel to the fest or something else entirely are certainly something that will be probed further and calculated in the future. Thanks for sharing.

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Comment by firmalar on 11/25/10 at 6:31 am

I’ll get to see you at another fest.

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I will have to try and see if any of these will help me with the design and layout that I am wanting to do for a new movie making website. I am excited to get in and i think soon you will see it online with these different apps!

Tommy Jamess
special Education Lecturer
642-446 | 642-873
Oxford College
USA

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Comment by subtitling and captioning on 7/25/11 at 4:32 am

Thanks for the wonder list! I was looking around for tips on subtitling and captioning and stumbled upon your site, which turned out to be a great resource for aspiring film makers (like myself)! With all the feedback that your readers post on the articles, it is truly an interactive place to hang out at digitally!

Comment by sniper2 on 9/26/11 at 3:15 pm