By Nick Smith
It’s part of the Hollywood dream: a brand-new filmmaker gets his or her little independent movie in a festival. Some big-shot director or studio exec is attending, catches a late-night screening and snaps up the newbie. Fame and fortune follow.
That’s one reason why film festivals exist but it’s not the only reason. These events, which happen all over the world, live or online, celebrate the excitement and creativity of film. They bring communities together, producers and fans who love movies gathering for a weekend or more. They’re an excuse to hear stories, tell stories, learn from the experience of others. They’re a chance for some unashamed star-spotting. A good festival is all these things and they keep me coming back as a film festival organizer and an attendee.
This year I’m trying something different, a one-night screening in Northwest Florida that focuses on the incredible talent in this area. The MovieMakers International Film Festival is accepting submissions, and here are my top three rules for interested parties:
Keep it short
One of the best aspects of film festivals is the variety of movies to mull over. But if one film drags and takes too long to tell its story, the audience will get restless. At one minute 39 seconds, “Bambi Meets Godzilla” is very short but still talked about (Bambi doesn’t stand a chance). It’s hard to place a film that is longer than 10 minutes. Most festivals prefer submissions that are tight and to-the-point, and so do the viewers.
Be memorable
In the 2008 short film “The Black Hole,” directed by Phil and Olly, a bored office worker (Napoleon Ryan) finds a black circle printed on a piece of paper. When he reaches into the circle, his hand disappears then reappears when he pulls it out. Instead of pushing pencils, he can put the circle against a vending machine and reach through to get a free snack. When he decides to use the print-out to crack the office safe, his greed gets the better of him.
After all this time I remember this film, not because of the circle gag as seen on Looney Tunes, but because the main character is not a traditional ‘good guy’ and uses the hole for selfish gain. The short, which has been watched by millions of YouTubers, is dark, clever and simple. Which leads me to…
Keep it simple
“The Black Hole” is under three minutes long and it only has one character. There isn’t time to develop the office worker’s backstory and the film would be less effective if there was a crowd involved. The moral: keep your movie simple, without jumping around to too many locations. It’s tough to establish scenes and three dimensional characters in a handful of minutes. Don’t throw too much in. Save other ideas for your future movies!
Short films can take many shapes and forms. One of the main purposes of MovieMakers is to show that variety. I look forward to seeing all the entries and sharing them at the festival!
For information on attending, sponsoring or submitting to MovieMakers, please email: [email protected].
