37th Cleveland International Film Festival Video

Here's a quick video of my time at the Cleveland International Film Festival.



Katie

The Cleveland International Film Festival

I just wrapped up a whirlwind weekend at the Cleveland International Film Festival. What a great experience! I can't recommend this festival enough. Not only where the theaters packed, but there were huge crowds waiting in standby lines to see films, the staff were all wonderful, the festival was well organized, and they treated filmmakers very well. I got to speak on a panel, see my movie beautifully projected on the big screen and do a Q&A with the audience after.

I met so many great filmmakers, like the very funny and charismatic Marvin Solomon from LA with a fantastic comedy short "Tug" in the same block as my film. The enigmatic Nic Balthazar from Belgium with 2 feature films at the festival (I got to see "Time of My Life" and was blown away by it, great writing, acting, everything, bring tissues if you get a chance to see it.) There was Valerie (international short film winner) and Fabrice from Paris who were both charming and easy-going. Mike "LJ" Littlejohn who was working at the festival and always made our evenings out even more entertaining, though he had been working all day and I'm sure he wasn't getting enough sleep. And so many more. I have made great connections at this festival. I cannot say enough good things about it. If you ever have the chance to go, do it! Stay tuned for the video.

Katie

P.S. - I've now heard back from all the festivals I submitted films to and Cleveland is the only one I got into.  I spoke to a filmmaker who suggested I submit to more LGBT fests and he would give me a list.  So I might do that now.  As always, I'll keep you posted.

Making a Film Festival Run

Film Festivals are tricky business.  As an independent filmmaker with short films, there aren't that many more venues out there to get work seen.  With that in mind, I sent my movie, "Second Parent" out to 6 major film festivals:

South by Southwest

Cleveland International

Atlanta International

The Florida Film Festival

Aspen Shorts Fest

and Nashville Film Festival

In addition, I also sent it out to two smaller fests: the Seattle True Independent Film Festival and Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival.  Most of the festivals I've had my shorts play at in the past have been smaller, niche festivals where my work stood a better chance of being accepted.  So just getting in to one of these six major festivals is a huge honor!

So far I've been rejected from South by Southwest....but I made it into the Cleveland International Film Festival! http://www.clevelandfilm.org   I'll let you know if my movie makes it into any others.

Katie