Working With First-Time to Fortieth-Time Filmmakers

by Meredith Finch, Founder & Director of Nevertheless Film Festival

A few years ago, while working at Tribeca Film Festival, I was the main contact for all the filmmakers in a section called “Spotlight,” which is made up of primarily first- and second-time feature filmmakers. One afternoon a few weeks before the festival, I received an email from a producer: “Hey Meredith, we got an email from the Print Traffic manager asking where our DCP is…What exactly is a DCP?”

A DCP, or Digital Cinema Package, is essentially a digital version of a film print, and it is the preferred method for film exhibition at film festivals and commercial cinemas around the globe. A single DCP costs upwards of $1,000 to create. And at many film festivals, a DCP is not just the preferred projection format, it is required of filmmakers.

I explained to the producer what a DCP is, that yes, it is required, and here is the name of a company providing a discount to Tribeca filmmakers, and you should reach out to them today because it will take at least one week to make. Her response came back: “We don’t have the money for this.”

Meanwhile, across the desk, my coworker was on the phone with a producer insisting that his entire cast and crew receive first class flights to New York.

As a staffer at festivals that run the gamut in terms of what is offered to filmmakers, I have heard everything from “Well at European festivals, we’re provided private cars to screenings…” to “I don’t have to sit through the other films in my shorts block, right?”

In the way that no two festivals are alike, no two filmmakers participating in your festival will be alike. Knowing this ahead of time, and preparing to work with filmmakers of varying levels of experience and expectations, is key. It can mean the difference between a festival full of stress and confusion and a festival at which everyone has a firm grasp on expectations of all sizes.

Filmmakers attending your festival may have already attended a dozen festivals with the film you’ve programmed. At one festival, they may have received airfare and hotel; at another, they may have received a daily stipend; at another, they may have received a screening fee; and at another, they may have received nothing (but the honor of screening their work, of course).

Several things are crucial for the people liaising with filmmakers attending your festival: having patience, understanding, and managing expectations from the start by way of clear communication.

Shedding light on information that pertains specifically to a filmmaker’s experience at your festival is where you can really cement your place as a festival that cares about its filmmakers. Whether you call it “Festival 101” or “FAQs” or the grammatically frustrating, yet beloved “How To Fest,” an email outlining what your festival provides should be sent as soon after your official acceptance messages as possible. Does every filmmaker receive complimentary tickets to screenings of their own film? Does the number differ between short and feature filmmakers? Who receives travel benefits? Do shorts need to be DCPs, or are .MOV files okay? Don’t wait until a filmmaker asks to parse out information.

Being consistent with your policies is just as important as having policies in the first place. While exceptions to rules exist, it should be your festival’s policy to keep its policies as unwavering as possible, because for one, the filmmaking community is small. If your festival provides two nights in a hotel to all filmmakers, but you extend that to four nights for Filmmaker A, who works in the same coworking space as Filmmaker B…you will have to face the difficult conversation of telling Filmmaker B why she isn’t “worthy” of receiving double the travel benefits, like Filmmaker A has. Secondly, having firm and consistent policies allows for a line of defense if (when) a filmmaker asks for something you can’t — under any circumstances — provide.

You know that blank look people sometimes get when they ask a question and your answer is simply, “No”? It’s one plenty of festival organizers are likely familiar with. A director insists on first class flights when you only offer economy. An actor wants free tickets for his friends, parents, manager, and dog walker. A publicist demands that the green room clears out so her client can take a nap.

No, no, and…no!

As the festival organizer, you have every right to say no. And the reactions of festival participants will certainly vary in response to this two-letter sentence. When a filmmaker whose experiences lead to over-the-top expectations refuses to hear “no,” there is a good chance they will continue to ask until you say…Yes (or, Fine).

Denying the request of a filmmaker whose work you’ve programmed can be challenging. You want all of your filmmakers to have a positive experience at your festival. But putting your foot down when it’s needed is absolutely necessary. Telling a filmmaker no will not destroy your festival. Saying yes when you should be saying no is what will destroy your festival (and your sanity and your budget).

If a filmmaker pushes for something because it’s what they’ve experienced at other festivals, I suggest you politely but firmly say something along the lines of, “We aren’t able to provide that for you this year, but thank you so much for the feedback! We will think about this for future iterations of our event.”

The festival-filmmaker relationship is multifaceted. Acknowledging the variety of experience among filmmakers whose work you’ve programmed and managing questions and expectations early on is the best way to ensure a positive time is had by all.

Festivals program films that they think will add value to their audiences’ lives. Filmmakers participate in festivals in order to share their work with the world. Embrace the filmmakers who have never been to a film festival before, and embrace those who expect more than you can offer, because ultimately, we can all learn a lot from each other in the process.

Meredith Finch is the founder and festival director of Nevertheless Film Festival, which elevates the work of women in various leadership roles behind the camera. She’s worked in film production on documentaries including The Diplomat (2015), The Eagle Huntress (2016), and It’s A Hard Truth, Ain’t It (2018), but her true passion lies in film festival operations. Meredith has worked in various capacities for festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, San Francisco International, and DOC NYC.