[.ca] The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 3rd Edition (ISBN 1580650570)

From Amazon.com:
The recent boom in independent filmmaking has been both a boon and an added challenge for aspiring directors. While the chic status of festivals like Sundance makes it easier for a few hot new directors to find major distributors, other worthy films risk being lost amid a sudden flood of contenders. Chris Gore, editor of Film Threat magazine, has written the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide to help the aspiring auteur rise above the tide. The book is chock-full of practical down-and-dirty advice. Every aspect of submitting to and attending film festivals is covered, from an exhaustive listing of festivals and their entry deadlines (the Turku, Finland, Lesbian and Gay Film Festival deadline is in July, so get cracking) to what to wear to the industry party you'll be crashing (big pants with big pockets, the better to stash giveaways and whip out business cards). You can even find a listing for the best bar in the Ukraine (Eric's in Kyiv) and a sidebar of handy tips that will keep you on your projectionist's good side. Perhaps most helpful is Gore's inclusion of interviews with actual filmmakers who have experienced wildly varying degrees of success; the directors are remarkably candid and very generously try to help others avoid their own mistakes. Those who are still struggling not only illustrate the ongoing process of learning to play industry games, they show an artist's remarkable ability to keep the spirit alive. Filmmaker Joal Ryan memorably describes taking inspiration from the career of Pauly Shore: "The world tells him he's not funny; he says he is--and keeps working." Whether you want to be a filmmaker or just party like one, The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide will help you operate like a true industry player. --Ali Davis

The book is invaluable!:
I use this book again and again. It is more useful than anything I can find online because I can obtain all the info I need in a short amount of time. Chris Gore's help, with this book and on his panels at film-related events, have aided me to no end. When I played my first short film at festivals, the book proved INVALUABLE to me. I post regularly on a messageboard for independent filmmakers and my response to MANY people's questions is usually "Buy the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide". One unique aspect of this book is that, in addition to interviewing filmmakers who got their films sold, he also features a woman who admittedly made a bad film and met alot of failure with it. Being able to see the other side of the story really helps you see what NOT to do with your film before, during, and after production when you are marketing it. In addition to buying Chris' book, you should also try to make it to a panel if he is going to be in your area. I saw him twice: once at a comic convention and another time at a film festival I was playing my short at. I was so happy to tell him personally how helpful his book had been. At one of his panels I learned of another filmmaker that was in between success and failure. He had succeeded in making a well reviewed film that played in several prestigious festivals, BUT no distributor would buy his film! So there are some hard lessons to be learned by these examples, but I digress... This is TRULY the best Film Festival related book out there for an independent filmmaker. If you want to succeed, attend one of Chris' panels to ask him personally what you need and BUY THIS BOOK. I swear by it!

Needs an update:
The first half of this book contains generic film-festival information (on applying to and attending festivals, a diary from the "Blair Witch" makers, etc.) which contains some good material. The meat of the Guide, though, is the series of entries about hundreds of specific festivals making up the second half. And here, the age of the book (published in 2001) becomes a problem. Putting it bluntly, if you bought this book as research material for submitting your own film to festivals, you'll find a lot of festivals listed here that simply don't exist anymore, as well as much out-of-date information about those festivals still in existence. Needless to say, it also lacks any mention of the many festivals that started after this book went to the printer. After three years, Gore really needs to update this or, better yet, make it an annual.

Invaluable!:
It seems as if everyone and their second cousin is running a film festival. This guide helps you wade through the b.s., saving you time, postage and VHS copies, by telling you what they're looking for, and your chances of getting in. I've found a number of new fests perfect for my short, The Pretty Girl. Another must-have bible for indie filmmakers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Learn the secrets of successfully marketing and selling your film at over 600 film festivals worldwide. Author Chris Gore reveals how to get a film accepted and what to do after acceptance, from putting together a press kit to putting on a great party to actually closing a deal. Gore includes new interviews as well as a new chapter that details a case study of the most successful independent film of all time, The Blair Witch Project. Easy to flip through, yet densely packed with information, this book will provide an insider perspective valuable to those who attend or enter festivals.

A Requirement For All Filmmakers:
If there is one SINGLE book that every filmmaker should have, it is this one! Chris Gore has done a community service to all indie filmmakers by putting together a book that comprehensively lists, almost, every single film festival out there, with tips on how to get accepted and how one's approach should be towards acceptance While the book isn't necessarily based upon financing and distribution (however, it has major tidbits upon that) it truly is a wonderful read upon the film festival/independent world and what it will take find success within it If you're an indie filmmaker like myself looking to enter your films (whether they be shorts or features, or docs) then GRAB THIS BOOK ---- if you're a film lover and a festival-goer, then I also recommend it, as I have yet to see a more comprehensive guide put together, regarding festivals A MUST READ FOR ALL FILMMAKERS AND LOVERS Thank you for reading and thank you for the time! Keep up the good work Chris Gore! Us Filmmakers OWE YOU BIG