After the Dust Settles

Well,

It has now been two weeks since Sundance screened its' last film for Fest '07. And I have been home for almost two weeks, having time to reflect, time to catch up with life, and time to gear up for things to come... a priority being the '07 SouthSide Film Festival, June 19-23.

I attended Sundance as a rep for SouthSide Film Festival. The Festival uses grants to pay for my festival travels, allowing me an opportunity to introduce myself and our Film Fest to the many Industry people in attendance at these big Festivals. The grant money affords us an opportunity to attract a portion of the market that would not normally be made aware of a small Film Festival such as our SouthSide Film Fest.

So I go into these trips with high hopes and high energy. I make every attempt to meet with most filmmakers after their screenings which I attend. Sometimes I am forced to rush off for a shuttle to the next screening or to stand in a wait list line at yet another location. The push and pull of the Festival energy can at times be overwhelming, and sometimes you find yourself surfing with the masses. But it's all good and you make every attempt to cram in that one more screening each day, take one last shot at finding a ticket at the Box Office, and sometimes you just say "enough".

Yes, after the many screenings, often running back to back to back, the early rises and the late night blogging sessions, the parties, and the daily trips through Emigration Canyon and onward to Park City... one's body can begin to scream for rest. And though I did keep to task and screen more than 20 film programs again here at Sundance, I also found some "down" time on a few sunny afternoons. I cherish my down time as much as the next guy, and rejuvenation is the key to an extended trip with many days with long hours in dark theaters.

Bottom line, I saw quite a few great films, some of which I am now attempting to lure to my Film Festival. Yeah, my work at Sundance doesn't really end the day after Sundance. Upon my return from Sundance, I take all my gathered business cards, contact info, film info, and worn out program, and begin to contact my list of "desired" films for invitation to SouthSide Film Festival. It is usually a long, drawn-out process, as I am begging for screenings at a small unknown Festival while most films at Sundance begin the real "dance", entertaining distribution and studio deals. The last thing most of them are ready to deal with is a no-name looking for freebies. But I still try, and have been successful in the past, and I would imagine I will again bring in some good quality "Invitationals" to screen alongside our film submissions accepted through our screening committee process. It's about gaining an audience for alot of these otherwise unseen films. It''s about bringing the more established professional alongside the up and coming young filmmaker. It's about FILM, whether it's an award winning feature from Sundance or a student short from the local film program.

Adding these selections from Sundance is a great feather in our hat, especially as we struggle for press coverage. The Sundance supplements add credibility to our growing SouthSide Film Festival, and improve exposure for our community. We don't want to become a Sundance, but certainly strive for some respect in the Festival circuit. 3 years at Sundance and four years at Tribeca have proven fruitful, and have helped to establish a dialog with Industry "players". I look ahead to stronger bonds with other fests and closer contact with those in the Industry. I would love to have stories about our festival make it into the Industry rags, I would love to see a photo from our fest in the "trades". In the meantime, we at SouthSide will continue to do the best we can with the resources at hand. We believe in Independent Filmmaking, we believe in our community, and we believe in our future.

But for now, my Sundance journal must end. I enjoyed my time at the Festival, I enjoyed meeting filmmakers and cast and crew, I enjoyed my time with Mel and Deb, I enjoyed my time with other friends while enjoying more Sundance screenings, and I certainly enjoyed the final days at Sundance, when I was able to share the experience with my wife. I look forward to my next Sundance visit and my visits to other Film Fests. Join us June 19-23 when I can share my festival "Invitationals" with our audiences at SouthSide Film Festival, here in Bethelehem, PA. Check out our website as details materialize:

I'll touch base from time to time to give you Festival updates, and will be back on a day to day as we approach our June Festival. Until then... butter up that popcorn, turn down the lights, and crank up that projector.


Lights are low at the Tower in SLC as the end nears for Sundance '07

For now, I'll turn out the lights... jeff