New York Film and Video Festival - The Only Place Left For Real Independent Filmmakers to Go

If you have simply triumph over the hurdles of making your first impartial film, the revel in of locating gala's and distribution on your project may be incredibly daunting.  The A-List festivals frequented through Hollywood's Who's Who are typically the first picks for an independent filmmaker. Unfortunately, they're additionally the maximum difficult ones for small independent films to be popular into due to the excessive standards and politics that they appoint in their choice methods. Most of the movies that win awards and display screen on the elite fairs are made either via so-known as "uniqueness" divisions of the principal studios, i.E. Warner Bros., Disney, 20th Century Fox, and so forth. Or are represented by high strength income organization corporations who focus on getting their initiatives into said events to facilitate sales on them. Moreover, the important studios themselves are increasingly more the usage of movie pageant premieres to promote their personal tasks so as to garner fine exposure and platform their theatrical release.

So in the past thirty years, a device that turned into designed to sell films produced in competition to the studios has been nearly totally co-opted by means of them, leaving the beginners and real independents out inside the bloodless. Every 12 months, one hundred twenty movies are decided on for exhibition at one precise famous person-studded pageant. These films are chosen from more than 8000 dramatic, documentary and short movie submissions. However, most indie directors and manufacturers starting out probable are not going to have get admission to to a Angelina Jolie or Johnny Depp proper off the bat and seeing as how almost all excessive-profile festival initiatives are movie star-pushed, the chances for an exciting film with a no-name solid will become even slimmer. Many first time filmmakers are eager to get observed with their breakout film that turned into often accomplished on a small finances with financial savings or mortgaging their residence.  They locate it more difficult to attract superstar energy and it will become an not possible assignment to stand out towards the movies that have tens of millions invested in them and celebrity attachment.

Just ask director Dan Frank who applied to all the major festivals along with his movies Little Bruno and Devils Highway. Frank says, "After identifying that my impartial low-finances films were being omitted due to the fact that they had no foremost stars in them, I realized nobody at movie fairs were even searching at them and I was losing my cash sending out access costs. So I entered my films into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival ( NYIIFVF)  and my life has changed for the higher. I go to the Cannes Film Festival and Marche du Film each 12 months with them and I'm sincerely making a residing in the movie business."  Since the coming into the NYIIFVF, Frank's films have sold to several global territories which include: Russia, Thailand and Germany, thru the competition's distribution employer ITN Distribution.  He's made a TV cooking series known as "Bikini Kitchen" with Stormy Daniels that has customers fascinated round the sector and produced and directed the documentary Medicinal which has screened in 16 cities and Medicinal 101 and is screening 43 instances. "Since my screenings on the NYIIFVF in New York, LA and on the Cannes/Marche du Film. I've discovered greater about the movie enterprise that I ever did in movie faculty " says Mr Frank. His agency URD ( Upward Rising Development) is theatrically re freeing Steve Soderbergh epic film "Che" starring Benicio De Toro in Los Angeles.

The NYIIFVF showcases impartial movies in actual impartial theaters in NYC and LA and serves as a completely unique platform for rising filmmakers to benefit a voice and community amongst vendors. No resort ballrooms or bingo halls are used, unlike different festivals. The festival is referred to as "the voice for impartial movie" and gets sizable insurance in media stores. A cross-phase of media stores that have protected the pageant are: Hollywood Reporter, Fox 5, CNN, New York Observer, New York Times, Newsday, LA Times, LA Weekly, Time Out NY, E News, NY Daily News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Movie Maker, Star Magazine, Screentalk Magazine, and many others.  The Wall St. Journal has even referred to as The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival "The impartial filmmakers opportunity to the grand New York Film Festival." Indie guru Abel Ferrara said in an interview with MovieMaker Magazine, "This competition is the real deal: Everybody else just talks approximately doing it, these men simply do it!"

The pageant was based in 1993 by using entrepreneur Stuart Alson and is cited for promoting impartial films which you'd in no way get get right of entry to to in multiplexes across the united states, whether or not it be thru the pageant circuit or everyday theatrical distribution. Alson himself turned into formerly a stand-up comic and produced a hit stay shows in New York earlier than making his own feature length independent film. However, after the movie's of completion he started input it into the pageant circuit and commenced to apprehend the politics that ruled it in addition to now. Alson noted, "I was a businessman and did not have time to attend occasions and schmooze competition directors. I created my very own pageant due to the fact I changed into bored with entering a lottery that become rigged. When over 2000 filmmakers have been sending in their $50 submission costs and all that was occurring turned into their exams have been being cashed and they are purchasing the one hundred movies that do have stars in them, I realized the handiest manner to develop a real independent movie competition is to present unbiased filmmakers a threat to virtually show their paintings-not just give them a rejection letter."

Alson then skilled the problems of distribution whilst he traveled to diverse movie markets to sell his film and realized that distributors failed to want to pay unbiased filmmakers for his or her paintings. Alson stated, "This made no sense to me whilst the distributors kept the cash they offered the movie for and informed filmmakers it become below 'costs'. I then created my own distribution business enterprise that without a doubt pays filmmakers." As a end result of that enjoy, Alson formed the festival's distribution wing, ITN Distribution, which travels to essential film and tv markets in which it has effectively obtained and licensed high-quality product in all essential territories. ITN Distribution has quickly installed itself as a chief player within the global of distribution and focuses on negotiating the first-rate deal viable for worldwide and domestic filmmakers and buyers. ITN's objective is to emerge as a pinnacle source for attracting, obtaining, understanding and selling product; their worldwide presence at Cannes/Marche du Film, NATPE and AFM has formed a realistic technique to promoting, programming and ultimate offers with customers worldwide.

"The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is an integral part of each filmmakers journey to reap greatness inside the artwork of film making," says New York based totally actor and director Matt Jade. He has appeared in over a dozen films inside the festival seeing that 2001 and has made many valuable contacts to move his career ahead due to the festival. Jade is a running actor on TV suggests and foremost movement pictures and his impartial movies The Gleam and Searching for Bobby D have acquired distribution and are to be had in Hollywood Video, Netflix and Blockbuster. Each year fulfillment stories from alumni from the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival emerge. For instance, Australian Director Greg McLean's first movie ICQ screened on the 2001 competition where it received Best Director. He then moved on to write down and direct the global field office hit Wolf Creek. Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber's (The Butterfly Effect) first function film Blunt received an award for Best Comedy on the 1998 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. More lately, New York director Lana Pashina's documentary Svetlana About Svetlana premiered at the 2007 NYIIFVF and for the reason that then, has scored US/Canada distribution with First Run/Icarus Films as well as airing in Russia and Europe.

Her New York and LA premieres at the NYIIFVF attracted worldwide press from Europe. Pashina says, "The competition changed into a car to ultimately get distribution for my documentary and it opened the doorways for brand new possibilities. The PR advertising and marketing of the festival was great and such true publicity." Pashina is now in pre-manufacturing in LA for her first characteristic Reflections with Das Films. Holistic practitioner and former geologist grew to become screenwriter Dr. Andrea Levinson is proving she has the goods to come to be simply as a hit in the film enterprise. Recently Levinson finished the competition circuit of her first film Death, Taxes... And Chocolate! In Los Angeles, Cannes and New York. "Getting into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is the first-rate component that ever took place to me. And it wasn't constant, it's the real deal," says Levinson.

She maintains, "Since being in the film enterprise, I experience like I'm in a shark-like environment. However, I felt I could definitely consider the NYIIFVF. The pageant has passed my expectations. I had a splendid experience and vendors are calling me and I don't want to call them. I like that the pageant has academic seminars for filmmakers. One time, I had a bad experience at one film competition that was fixed, but on the NYIFVF, we received Best Comedy and Best Screenplay with out understanding a single character and having 'connections.'" Dr Levinson's movie Death, Taxes...Chocolate! Is a comedy primarily based on a real story about a group of child boomers who take price in their lives and destiny. Levinson has begun to paintings on the sequel. She has two distributors interested in DVD rights and it iss being considered for theatrical launch. Due to her publicity at NYIFVF, a number of South American and Iranian movie festivals have invited her to screen as nicely.

Ultimately, The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival cares approximately filmmakers. They are passionate about exposing the films and documentaries that everyday people make without subjecting them to the internal politics that the majority of many other festivals are ruled through. They are happy with their filmmakers and have an extended list of competition pals, delegates and repeat customers. It may be very vital that you choose the proper film gala's to enter your movie into if you want to realistically growth your chances of receiving business distribution and winning awards. Of direction, it'd be excellent to win an award at an A-listing film pageant and feature a bidding conflict over your film. However, you need to be realistic and find a competition this is friendly to small impartial filmmakers and their initiatives.

The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival will at the least supply your movie a first-rate screening in a advanced, as well as proper, theatrical screening in either New York and Los Angeles. They really recognize the needs of actual independent filmmakers and are the professionals in terms of running with small budgets and big ideas. The festival represents a brand new wave of impartial filmmakers seeking to get their voices heard and movies seen and gives a completely unique opportunity for individuals of the film industry in addition to delegates and attendees without the pretentiousness. According to famous Micro Cinema Magazine's editor Dave Sardella, "For any aspiring musicians, manufacturers or administrators, the NYIIFVF is the vicinity to have your initiatives visible and reviewed through the fine of the fine. This world renowned festival can be the launching pad to a a hit career."