Chris Aitken’s Post

“DOC NYC touts itself as “America’s Largest Documentary Film Festival,” as its tagline states. But for some, bigger isn’t always better.” Read the full article by Anthony Kaufman on #DocumentaryMag.

Everyone’s talking about where the Sundance Film Festival will live in the future, but a more compelling question may be this: How do independent filmmakers plan to distribute their films and create real careers when even Sundance — wherever it may be based — is not enough? That’s not a knock on Sundance, or on any festival; it’s recognizance that the world has changed. Many films don’t sell, even at Sundance. The decline in theatergoing, the change in streamers’ strategies, the rise of arthouse events: No one knows what the new normal is, but today putting faith in selling a movie at its premiere and living happily ever is not even a fairy tale; it’s a toxic myth. #IndependentFilmmaking #FilmDistribution #SundanceFilmFestival

We usually don't brag, (although as a professional, I understand how important it is). However, in this case, it's about the new direction of activity for the ART SANS FRONTIERES - PONT DE LA PAIX association. In this association, I am not only the director of the BRIDGE OF PEACE film festival but also the head of the film project development and analysis department. This direction was opened just a few months ago at the request of screenwriters who really need help in realizing their accumulated ideas. Specifically, we prepare film projects for pitching, which means presenting them to investors and potential partners for co-production. Recently, we received such a pitch request from American filmmaker and actor Dan Morgan. He is the author and director of a whole series of short comedy films made for American TV, but this time his project is a feature-length comedy inspired by the film "Back to the Future." Yesterday, we sent Dan a 20-page pitch project, and here is his feedback: "Overall, the pitch looks amazing! Thank you very much." But our work is not yet finished. Ahead is the development of the design for the video presentation, preparation of slides for the hall presentation, inclusion of a brief version of the pitch in our catalog, which the ASFPP association will distribute at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September (where we will also organize an independent event - a pitching session for festival participants). We will then participate in the Classic Film Market in Lyon in October 2024. If you also have an unfinished film project, you still have time until August 1 to get on our train, so we can publish your project in the mentioned catalog and present it at film festivals in France and Spain. An online version of the catalog will also be available. Our nearest events are here: https://lnkd.in/ePsFDy6S More about pitching: https://lnkd.in/ejeUPVRs

Hey there, I just wanted to share the news that my sister and hostess to our show, Mumm&Dean Screenwriters Podcast, has won a "Selection" spot into the 2023 Chicago Horror Film Festival for her short script, "The Frightened". Lorna worked exceedingly hard on this screenplay and I'm proud that she is being shown off and recognized for her imaginative writing style and creativity. Congrats to all the other winners as well!!🌟🥳😻 (Below is the email delivering the exciting news...👇) Hi Sissy!! We won!!!!!! ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: FilmFreeway <[email protected]> Date: Sat, Sep 9, 2023, 3:43 PM Subject: Judging Status has changed for The Frightened To: <[email protected]> FilmFreeway Chicago Horror Film Festival Dear Lorna, My name is CJ Vecchio and I am the Director of the Chicago Horror Film Festival. I am honored to inform you that your film The Frightened has been declared an Official Selection of our 2023 event running October 21th & 22th at the Facets Theater in Chicago, IL! This is your official acceptance letter. Please watch for another very important email from me in the next couple of days with information regarding deliverables, laurels and how to obtain your 2 complimentary VIP Passes. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.ChicagoHorrorFest.com OFFICIAL FACEBOOK: https://lnkd.in/gg_RB3GC FB EVENT PAGE: https://lnkd.in/gupY6Wgq OFFICIAL TWITTER: https://lnkd.in/gF9eeHgN OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM: https://lnkd.in/g9GhpSEa PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #CHICAGOHORRORFEST & #CHICAGOHORRORFILMFESTIVAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA! COMP PASSES: I will be sending an email to each individual submitter with a discount code to use for complimentary VIP Passes. Please let us know if you plan to attend. We would like to share that with our festival fans to let them know who to expect. CONTACT: If you have any urgent questions, the fastest way to get a response is to send us a message via this festivals Facebook page: https://lnkd.in/g_iKZNXM https://lnkd.in/gAU-NMCs Vecchio Congrats again on your official selection!

The thing most people don’t say about indie filmmaking and film festivals, is that if you’re the all-in-one kind of force that is a writer/director/producer/media manager/publicist it’s a pretty solemn and lonely ride to get the film to the festivals, a lot of rejections and a lot of upkeep. For anyone looking to take their film to these judges and panels, have a team, a real team that is gonna bug you to write up copy for each festival, take it off your hands, fill out online profiles for the festivals, make digital posters for social media. It’s not bitter work, it’s simple, just not easy especially when you don’t know how many festivals you would keep your hopes up for. All that being said, it’s a proud moment to have even one festival show our film, and boy-o, if there’s anyone looking to take me on, I’ll race you there! #filmmaker #director #independentfilmmaking

📽️✨ Aspiring filmmakers, have you considered Florida? From stunning locations to generous tax incentives, Florida offers a wealth of opportunities for those looking to break into the film industry. Dive into our latest article to see why this sunny state could be your next big move. #Filmmakers #FilmIndustry #FloridaFilm #ProHUBblog

Six key developments in the international film industry:

As we traveled to film festivals over the past four years, there is one discussion I had with a young film maker that is burned into my memory. His movie was rejected from most all faith based film festivals because his movie dealt with drugs and had violence in it. He made the movie for almost zero dollars with high school friends. It was truly worthy of recognition. The keynote speaker just spent an hour talking about how "We have a seat at Hollywood's Table now!" He looked at me and said "But I don't have a seat at the table here." I knew then that we had to change things. We needed to do two things. 1. Recognize legitimate talent regardless of age. 2. Create a way to build audiences and marketplaces for newer content shunned by older faith based generations. Young talent. Young audiences. New Genres. Science Fiction. Adult Animation. Comedy. Action/Adventure. That's the secret. So we started the work on Fridge Magnet and today we're opening up the opportunity for all filmmakers who want to change the world, young or old to get their project noticed, published and streaming to an audience. As the name implies, Fridge Magnet's are used to highlight new artists and their work. And we are excited to have a continual showcase for new and upcoming talent who are bold risk takers and story tellers. Think of Fridge Magnet as the film festival that never ends. Tell the world.

(CONT.) Recent film industry-related regulatory reforms and other noteworthy developments in key African regions. #Malawi: - Inaugural Malawi Film Festival: The Malawi Film Festival was launched in 2022, and organized by the Film Association of Malawi (FAMA). The festival is part of FAMA's strategy to provide a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and celebrate the artistry of Malawian cinema. The aim is to highlight the potential of the film industry in contributing to the country's socio-economic development. - Training: As part of the festival's activities, film training workshops focusing on film production and acting, will train hundreds of filmmakers. Women are particularly encouraged to participate in these training sessions. - Government Support: The Malawian government pledged ongoing support to the creative industry, including film, to contribute effectively to the country's development. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture, Owen Chomanika, as part of the country's Malawi 2063 (MW2063) initiative, which seeks to transform Malawi into a wealthy, self-reliant, industrialized middle-income country. - Challenges and Calls for Support: Despite these positive developments, FAMA's President, Gift Sukali, has cited a lack of funds as a major setback to the industry. He emphasized the need for more government-sponsored programs to support filmmakers. These developments demonstrate the Malawian government's awareness of the film industry's potential for cultural representation and economic growth, although challenges remain to be fully addressed.

It was great to talk with Carlos A. Gutiérrez, co-founding director of Cinema Tropical, about transparency and validation in filmmaking, and how filmmakers can redefine what success means to them in an industry obsessed with commercialization. I recommend reading Carlos' insight to anybody who works in film and who is an independent artist or creator. You can read the full interview at The Creative Independent #filmmaking #filmmakers #independentfilm #independentartist #creativity #interview