The 2014 American Film Market (AFM®) wrapped its 35th edition today after 7,946 attendees visited the Loews Hotel in Santa Monic

AFM Day 7 – Distribution Conference (November 11, 2014) Video on Demand Session

Closing this year’s AFM CONFERENCE SERIES, market attendees were invited to the Fairmont Hotel for a final session on Distribution. The first panel “Video on Demand: 2015” was moderated by UTA’s Global Distribution Strategist, Alex Fragen, with panellists, Paul Davidson, SVP, Film & TV, The Orchard, Nolan Gallagher, Founder & CEO, Gravitas Ventures, John Sloss, Founder, Cinetic Media, Doug Sylvester, President,&nb...

 

Closing sessions of the AFM Producer Forums

Nov 11 saw the last of this year’s Producer Forums, where the following topics were discussed with our industry elites. Jonathan Wolf attends the 2014 American Film Market (AFM) Producers Forum at the Le Merigot Hotel on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Invision for IFTA/AP Images) “Making Your Budget Work” ·         Speaker: Jenny Hinkey, Producer, “Veronica Mars&rdquo...

 

DIY Distribution: Finding Your Film’s Audience and Digital Niche Session Nov 11

The second of the two sessions addressed the topic of “DIY Distribution: Finding Your Film’s Audience and Digital Niche” with moderator Russell Schwartz, President, Domestic Marketing, Relativity Europa Distribution, and panellists, Richard Abramowitz, President, Abramorama, Nicolas Gonda, CEO, Tugg Inc, Adam Leipzig, CEO, Entertainment Media Partners, Sam Toles, VP, Content Acquisitions, Vimeo, Dylan Wiley, Ind...

Writer-Director Jeruvia's AFM Winning Pitch "Rain" Makes a Splash in China

Lucasfilm Ltd. Is Not Just About the ‘Star Wars’ Universe, Disney to release a new animated feature called Strange Magic

KIX to Air Top Pinoy MMA Promotion Pacific Xtreme Combat Across Asia

SEEDS OF HOPE: Special screening at United Nations hosted by the UN Representative office for Prevention of Sexual Violence

Schamus will make his directorial debut with his adaptation of Philip Roth’s best-selling novel “Indignation.”

Vimeo Original Series 'HIGH MAINTENANCE' Premieres Globally 11/11

AFI Fest Day 6 Nov 11

Alex Walton’s BLOOM Bolsters Strong Sales on ELVIS & NIXON Starring Michael Shannon and Kevin Spacey

AFM DAILIES - Filmfestivals.com Newsletter N°6

AFM DAILIES - Filmfestivals.com Newsletter N°5

AFM DAILIES - Filmfestivals.com Newsletter N°1

AFI Reality Movies: American Sniper, SELMA, Tales of The Grim Sleeper

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER15th, 2015

The MAIN ENTRY DEADLINE is January 15th, 2015

THE FINAL "BRICK-WALL" DEADLINE is: JANUARY 31st, 2015 - ENTRIES MUST REACH US BY THEN! We now accept PayPal for even greater payment security. The secure PayPal payment address is - entry@worldfest.org 

The 48th Annual WorldFest-Houston - April 10-19, 2015

Ten Great Days in April!

“FORGET SUNDANCE! …WorldFest is one of the best conceived festival productions on the planet!” ~ Craig Outhier, film critic, Phoenix press; Tempe Times.

MovieMaker Magazine picks WorldFest as one of the 50 Festivals Worldwide Worth The Entry Fee!

The 48th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival is now open for entries! All Winners are submitted to Seoul, Korea, Concorto, Italy & the USAFilmFestival, Dallas at no extra cost!

WorldFest does not get down with Without-A-Box. We remain fiercely independent!

One WorldFest Entry Form per entry please. Complete the form below, then double-check it before submitting to WorldFest. After submitting your entry, you'll be given further instructions, and the option to submit another entry, or submit your payment. Once you've submitted all your entries, you can choose to pay once via Credit Card or PayPal, or send us a check / money order. If you're in the neighborhood, you can also come on into the office and pay with cash.

If you'd like to fill out the traditional paper entry form instead, you can download it here, and mail it in with your entry.

We can't wait to see your work!

The WorldFest 2014 Grand Remi Crystal Awards went to:

• BEST THEATRICAL FEATURE ~ Daydreaming (Sogni di Gloria), Patrizio Gioffredi directing, John Snellingberg Film Collective, Montale, Italy.

• BEST FILM & VIDEO ~ Honor Diaries, Dana Wilsey, Cherry Hill, NJ USA.

• BEST TV & CABLE PRODUCTION ~ Wild Thailand, Kanit Prukprakarn/Peter Ringgaard, GreenAsia/Peter Ringgaard, Denmark.

• BEST COMMERCIAL ~ Giving ~ TRUE MOVE H, Thanonchai Sornsriwichai, Ogilvy & Mather, Thailand.

• BEST NEW MEDIA ~ AXI: Web Series (Avengers of Xtreme Illusions), Shawn Welling ~AXI, Houston, TX, USA.

• BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM & VIDEO ~ Globe Trot, Mitchell Rose, Worthington, Ohio, USA.

• BEST SHORT SUBJECT, Haleema, Boris Schaarschmidt, Heavy B Production, Los Angeles, CA. USA.

• BEST STUDENT FILM, I Remember the Future, Klayton Aaron Stainer, Swinburne University, Preshrank, Victoria, Australia.

• BEST MUSIC VIDEO ~ Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone, Interactive -Vania Heymann, Director, Pulse Films, London, UK.

WorldFest Best Actor Remi Awards went to: Best Actress, Chella Ferrow for African Gothic, Gabriel Bologna, director, South Africa; Best Actor to Nix Xhelilaj for Jamil Dehlavi's Seven Lucky Gods, London, UK; Best Supporting Actress to Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales for The Legend of DarkHorse County, Shawn Welling, director, USA and Best Supporting Actor to Carlton Bluford in Stop Pepper Palmer, Lonzo Liggins director, USA                         

For more information on the 48th Annual 2014 WorldFest-Houston, send your name and address to:

Entry Team WorldFest - 2014
PO Box 56566, Houston, Texas 77256-6566 USA
or call toll free: 1-866-965-9955 (or 713-965-9955) or fax: 1-713-965-9960

or simply email us at: entry@worldfest.org

The complete Entry Kit with Entry Forms - is on our website: https://www.worldfest.org

WORLDFEST HISTORY

WorldFest was founded over 50 years ago as Cinema Arts, an International Film Society in August, 1961. WorldFest became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York. WorldFest is the oldest Independent Film & Video Festival in the World. It evolved into a competitive International Film Festival in April, 1968. It was founded by award-winning producer/director Hunter Todd to present a quality film festival for the Independent filmmakers. Hunter Todd has been honored with more than 115 international awards for creative excellence in film production, and he has been the producer, director, writer and/or cameraman on more than 300 motion picture and video productions. The mission/vision statement of WorldFest is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, to validate brilliant abilities and to promote cultural tourism for Houston, to develop film production in the region and to add to the rich cultural fabric of the city of Houston. All members of the WorldFest staff are filmmakers.

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (now it’s 48th year!) continues with its totally dedicated Independent Film screening format for the upcoming April 10- 19, 2015 unspooling at the flagship AMC Studio 30 Dunvale Theaters. WorldFest will screen just 55-60 feature film premieres, with a complete and absolute emphasis on the American and International Independent feature films and with a continuing annual spotlight on an individual country and its films. WorldFest also offers competition in TV Production, Documentary, Corporate & Business Films, Student & Experimental, TV Commercials, Film & Video Production, Music Videos, New Media (Interactive, Web Sites & 3D Productions), Screenplays, Print and Radio.

The late, great Chuck Jones, with his wife Marian, Kathleen Haney and Hunter Todd.

WorldFest is one of the oldest and largest film & video competitions in the world, with more than 4,500 category entries received from 37 countries in 2006. Actually WorldFest is 12 Major film & video competitions in one event, unlike Cannes, Sundance and Toronto, which are just 2 competitions for shorts and features only. Because of our 12 major competitions and the 200+ sub-categories, WorldFest does give a lot of awards, but they are both earned and deserved. No awards are given in any category unless the scores from the juries are high enough to place for honors. Overall only 15-20% of the total category entries actually win an award at WorldFest. However, everyone attending the Grand Awards Gala wins an award, as we only invite the actual winners, which makes for a delightful and enjoyable evening, since there are no disappointed “nominees” that do not win anything. Those that do not win an award are informed by email or letters prior to the festival.

WorldFest Artistic and Program Director Kathleen Haney stated, “We feel that it is impossible to properly emphasize individual films when the festival screening schedule is too large. We must consider both our festival audience and our independent filmmakers. A huge slate of 150-300 films cannot possibly do justice to each individual film. Further, it is impossible to see more than 50-60 films (with four shows a day) in a ten-day festival, so it is foolish to program more than that.” Haney continued, “We will concentrate on only the very best, selecting new American & Foreign Independent films that truly deserve a premiere at WorldFest. By doing so, we can concentrate on the films and their filmmakers and enable our faithful audience the opportunity to see each and every film!” All 35mm films and Digital entries are screened at the AMC Meyer Park Theatre, WorldFest – the Indie Film Festival for the New Millennium!

World Premiere of “Jericho” with stars (L-R) Leon Caffee, Kateri Walker and one of the many cowboy extras.

In addition to honoring a different country each year, WorldFest will continue with its annual Short Film Showcase, a special review of 100+ new short and student films…from the festival that discovered Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, John Lee Hancock, Randall Kleiser, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Robert Townsend, The Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone and David Lynch with their very first awards. WorldFest has emerged as the oldest film festival management in the world, with the same continuous director for 39 consecutive years. A few other festivals are older, but they have had as many as ten different directors. WorldFest is uniquely the only film festival in North America that is staffed and managed totally by filmmakers. All staff members have active film and video production experience, which gives them a very unique point of reference in relation to the entering filmmakers and their work. WorldFest, founded in 1961, is the oldest Independent film festival in the world, and the 3rd oldest film festival in North America.

Most USA Film Festivals today have emerged as no more than unpaid publicity agents for major studio distributors. WorldFest continues to move forward to present the true independent film and its filmmaker, offering a new venue for directors searching for an independent forum for their works. WorldFest will have a special emphasis on new, premiering films that are seeking a distributor. The Festival also screens DVD video via Wagner Media & Christie DLP Digital Projection, one of the major sponsors of the festival.

Director Lionel Chetwynd and wife, Actress Gloria Carlin, from Varian’s War, a special Showtime/Sundance Channel World Premiere.

By having a small, highly selective schedule of new Indie Short & Feature films, the festival can help the film gain reviews and a distributor, rather than merely act as a preview platform for an upcoming release from a large US distributor. Most of the so-called ‘Independent Films’ featured at Sundance are quite frequently fairly large-budget films produced by special “Indie” divisions of the major studios. In fact, the majority of films featured at Sundance and other “Indie” Festivals actually already have their distribution in place. The 120-page WorldFest program book is distributed free of charge to the public, all attending filmmakers, all studios and every major film festival in the world and to every known major film & video distributor in the world. The WorldFest program book has become an invaluable reference document for film acquisition and review.

“Small is Beautiful” for the 40th Annual WorldFest, where simplicity is the byword, and a relaxed intimate atmosphere surrounds a special selection of superb new feature and short films. The opportunities for networking and contacts are exceptional. The detailed 120+ page program book & schedule features a special grid-guide for the film-buffs that will assist them in viewing all the films. Seminars include Cinematography, Casting, Distribution, Directing/Producing, Writing and more.

Remi Lifetime Achievement Award Winners (L-R) Herb Lightman, Editor Emeritus of American Cinematographer Magazine, Andrew Laszlo, Cinematographer, Hunter Todd (Capt, USCG, ret) Chairman & Founding Director ~ WorldFest

Among the remarkable number of WorldFest discoveries, we include just a few, listed in alphabetical order: John Alvidson, John Badham, Ralph Bakshi, Carroll Ballard, John Boorman, Marty Brest, Michael Cimino, The Coen Brothers, Bryan De Palma, Jonathan Demme, Michael Demme, Atom Egoyan, John Frankenheimer, Leslie Linka Glatter, Charles Guggenheim, John Lee Hancock, Hal Hartley, Randall Kleiser, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, George Lucas, David Lynch, Paul Mazursky, Steve Poster, Robert Rodriguez, John Sayles, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Robert Townsend, Will Vinton, Peter Weir, Hugh Wilson and hundreds more. The winners this year will be the Spielbergs of tomorrow and you can meet them before they are famous. WorldFest-Houston…”Fiercely Independent” WorldFest is one of the oldest film festivals in the world, founded in 1961 as a film society.

Throughout the five day festival we hold panel discussions that are aimed to further advance the careers of writer/director/producers. MEET THE FUNDERS: the objective of this panel is to the provide information necessary for filmmakers and producers to evolve their projects, steer them through the development phase, and ultimately get their pictures made through our public funding sector. MEET THE DISTRIBUTORS: The model of distribution is shifting and there are fewer traditional distribution companies in Canada. What are the options for independent women filmmakers? This panel will take place before the Directors Roundtable and provide a preview of the landscape that the Roundtable can then delve into deeper. MEET THE GUILDS AND AGENCIES: Industry delegates share their program objectives, mission and mandate, membership incentives and services, and other critical information that serves the local and National community of filmmakers, and writer/directors. THE DIRECTORS ROUND TABLE: Female Eye Directors Round Table brings together writer/directors and independent producers to facilitate networking/relationship building opportunities, and to brainstorm and strategize around business planning, project fundraising, distribution, and the general advancement of women as economic and creative contributors to the screen-based media industries. HONOURARY DIRECTOR TRIBUTE: Every year the FeFF selects a notable filmmaker and honours them buy opening or closing the festival with their production, or we present a retrospective of their work.

4 K Production Samples

BIFF 2015  SPC PROJECT

MISSION
BIFF Screenplay to Production Contest (BIFF SPC) offers an opportunity for under-represented screenwriters and filmmakers to produce a film entirely from Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production to a completed finished project on 4K Definition Format 
only. Selected Projects may be produced anywhere in the United States.

PROGRAM OUTLINE
BIFF SPC seeks feature-length narrative, short narrative and documentary film screenplays currently seeking funding for production and with a U.S.-based screenwriter(s).  Screenplays that do not have any director or producer attached are welcome. However, if screenwriter is a director or Producer it is also eligible to participate as co-
director or co-Producer. BIFF SPC staff will later on determine if the screenwriter can be the sole director for the project. BIFF SPC staff will assign a Producer for all accepted project to ensure smooth production achievement within the available budget and timing.

The foremost constituent of the BIFF SPC is a series of productions projects to get into pre-production and production between Summer and Fall of 2015 and edited by the end of winter season in 2015.

Budget range for each project will be under $500.000.00. However, applicants who can secure a percentage of the budget are welcome to apply. Therefore, if their projects 
are selected the budget may go over the estimated set up range.

We strongly encourage applicants to read the complete BIFF SPC overview Rules & Regulations before applying.

To Download the BIFF SPC entry form click here for a hard Copy of the application. https://www.withoutabox.com/login/3804

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
All Screenplay entries must be postmarked by January 23, 2015.

REQUIREMENTS
• Screenplays and documentary proposals must not have been produced already. BIFF SPC seeks new work from screenwriters who never had prior exposure with the screenplay submitted or documentary proposal within the film industry. Screenplays must be the original work of the author.
• Applicants must be residents of the United States or Puerto Rico.
• BIFF SPC is open to everyone: unknown, established and emerging filmmakers. All screenwriters are eligible regardless of professional status.
• Submitted screenplays must be in standard industry format and must be written in English. Foreign language parts of a screenplay must have English translations.
• Feature-length narrative and documentary screenplay must be between 45 to 160 pages
• Short narrative screenplay and documentary can be up to 45 pages
• The front cover page of the screenplay must have all the authors contact information.
• A one page outline or synopsis (Approximately 700 words) must be submitted along with the screenplay or printed on the back cover of the screenplay like that of a regular book cover.
• The primary representative of an invited project must be in attendance during the closing ceremony of the Boston International Film Festival event, on April 19, 2015. For 
projects with directors attached, the primary representative is the screenwriter(s), although potential co-producers are encouraged to attend as well.
• Multiple entries are accepted, but each entry must be accompanied by an entry form and fee.
• Screenplays must be registered with the WGA or copyright office
(see www.wga.org or www.copyright.gov/register/performing.html).

NOTIFICATION
All applicants will be notified, by email before April 9, 2015. 

JUDGING
Judging will be performed by several committees in 4 stages by industry professionals.
1- Evaluation of the script potential (Concept, story line, artistic and historical value, Impact, interest)
2- Evaluation of the screenplay physical transformation to a media format. (Script timing, locations, props, stunt, special effects, talents and legal rights licenses)
3- Approximate Budget requirements. (Above the line, below the line, post production, distribution)
4- Screenplay Selections (The number of selected projects will be base on production requirements and the capacity of production under available fund.)

A final selection committee will evaluate all applications and choose the participating projects. Selected projects (approximately 3 to 5) will be announced by June 1, 2015

ENTRY FEE
$75.00 Feature-length narrative and documentary screenplay. 45 to 160 pages
$55.00 Short narrative and documentary screenplay. up to 45 pages

APPLICATION MATERIALS
All required materials must be included with the application, and cannot be returned. We strongly encourage electronic submission through Withoutabox. Hardcopy screenplays must be double-sided, printed. All written materials should be typed in 10pt font or larger. 

o Completed and signed ENTRY FORM
o completed screenplay
o Synopsis (approx. 700 words)
o Screenwriter’s statement (approx. 200 words)
o Bio (headshot; optional) of screenwriter
o Signed Release Form
o Entry Fee

2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL: June 10-18

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Late Deadline:   January 30, 2015
Exclusive Deadline* - Film Independent Members Only:   February 10, 2015

WAIVED entry fees for Film Independent Filmmaker Pro Members.
Discounts for general Film Independent Members. ($10 off for feature-length films, $5 off for short films)

*PLEASE NOTE: After January 30, 2015, Film Independent Members can take advantage of their exclusive deadline by beginning the submission process at the Member Extended Submissions page.

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the Los Angeles Film Festival and our submission process.

SUBMISSION MATERIALS (ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE MADE THROUGH WITHOUTABOX.COM – SEE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE)

• Completed submission form, submitted electronically via Withoutabox.com.
• Preview DVDs (Region 0 or 1 and NTSC preferred) and/or online digital submission. For feature-length films (50 min. or more), submit two DVDs. Submitting an online screener is highly encouraged. For short films (under 50 min.) or music videos, submit one DVD.
• Entry fee payment.
• Do not submit a press kit. We will request press kits for films which have been accepted.
• Write your Withoutabox.com Submission ID number on your DVD(s) and envelope.
• If submitting your film at the discounted Film Independent Member rate, you must be an active Film Independent Member in good standing. Write your Member number on your DVD(s) and/or include a copy of your current Film Independent Membership card with your submission.

Complete your online submission form before submitting your materials. Submission materials must be delivered together in one package. Preview DVDs and other submission materials will not be returned and will be recycled through a secure facility.

ENTRY FEES

Payment in US dollars may be made by check, money order, American Express, Visa, or Mastercard. Checks or money orders (from a US bank, in US Dollars only) payable to “Film Independent”. Film title must be clearly printed on all checks/money orders. Do not send cash.

WAIVED entry fees for Film Independent Filmmaker Pro Members.
*Discounts for general Film Independent Members. ($10 off for feature-length films, $5 off for short films)

To be eligible for the discounted Film Independent Member submission rate and the exclusive deadline, you must be an active Film Independent Member in good standing. You must write your Member number on your DVD(s) and/or include a copy of your current Film Independent Membership card with your submission. If you submit at the Member rate and do not include your Film Independent Member number, your submission will not be considered. Visitwww.filmindependent.org/membership to become a Member today.

LABELING

For all submissions, include the English language title and the running time on the DVD itself. Indicate the region-coding of the disc. If the DVD is in PAL format, print “PAL” on the disc. If submitting a work-in-progress, indicate the elements that are incomplete on the DVD.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES

You may submit more than one film, but each one must be on a separate DVD and must be accompanied by its own completed submission form and entry fee.

SHIPPING

All costs for shipping submission materials are the responsibility of the sender. We recommend shipping your DVD in a protective bubble-pack envelope. Fiber-pack envelopes can damage DVDs and DVD players. The Festival is not responsible for damage to submitted materials incurred during shipping.

INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES

All entries from outside the US should be sent Air Mail Registered or by a parcel or express service. We cannot accept entries shipped via air-freight if customs and delivery fees have not been paid.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Feature films must have been completed after January 1, 2014.
• Premiere status is a significant factor when evaluating a film’s eligibility for the Festival. Feature-length films must be a US, North American or World Premiere to be selected for the juried competitions. Films that have already played in the US are only considered for other sections of the Festival.
• Feature films must not have had any public or festival screenings in Southern California; including Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties.
• Feature films must not have had any commercial theatrical, television, or internet play in the US.
• All films, videos and online content in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for Festival presentation.
• Please observe the following running time frames for your submission:
  • Feature-length fiction and documentary films  |  more than 51 minutes
  • Short films  |  less than 26 minutes
  • Mid-length short films  |  between 26 and 50 minutes
  • Music videos  |  less than 10 minutes
  • High school shorts  |  less than 20 minutes
  • Alternative online content  |  less than 10 minutes
  • Web series  |  less than 12 minutes

• Films that have been submitted for consideration in previous years are eligible for re-submission.
• For submission purposes, preview DVDs may be works-in-progress, films with temporary soundtracks or digital outputs.
• Filmmakers must deliver final format (as indicated in the Screening Requirements section below) for Festival screenings. No exceptions will be permitted.
• High school shorts must be works shot, directed and produced by high school or secondary (pre-college) students. Adult supervision must be limited to an advisory capacity.

SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

If selected for the Los Angeles Film Festival, we will require:

• < >For feature-length and short films: DCP (must be DCI compliant) or HDCam (not HDCam SR).For music videos, high school shorts, alternative online content and web series:  Quicktime Files (Native Resolution, using Pro-Res 422 Codec) on DVD Data Disc or Hard Drive.Digital press kits with photo stills (color and black/white).
• Headshots of Director(s) and Writer(s).
• Biographies of Director(s) and Writer(s).
• 1 sentence publicity synopsis of the film; 150-word synopsis of the film.
• Trailers, clip reels, posters, postcards and EPKs, if available, to maximize exposure for your film.