FestForge

What gets a feature into FrightFest, and what makes a programmer take a chance on a new filmmaker? Ian Rattray, FrightFest co-founder and co-director, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about building the festival, programming its First Blood strand and choosing films for an audience that knows its horror.Ian discusses how submissions are assessed, why originality and ambition matter, and why rushing an unfinished cut to meet a deadline can work against you. He also talks about

How does FrightFest choose the horror shorts that make it onto the big screen?James Taylor, FrightFest's Shorts Programmer, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about the selection process, how programmers build a varied line-up, and what filmmakers can do to give their work the best chance.They get into story versus budget, premiere status, audience experience, festival feedback, rejection, the path from shorts to features, and why the right screening can open real doors for a

How do you get a short film into a BIFA-qualifying festival?Kino London Short Film Festival’s Festival Director, Dustin Curtis Murphy, and Senior Programmer, Gillian Harker, join Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to discuss what makes a submission stand out, Kino’s budget-based categories, transparency, accreditation, programmer feedback and common festival-submission mistakes.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction01:00 Meet Dustin Curtis Murphy and Gillian Harker02:46 Kino London and the filmmaking

The conversation delves into discussion about the festival strategy, the impact of festival selections, the premiere strategy, and the festival experience, highlighting the importance of festival relationships and the value of festival laurels. The conversation covers the filmmaker's experience with festival opportunities, the Oscars, and the impact of winning awards. It also delves into the challenges of networking at festivals, the differences between European and American festivals, and the

The first episode of the Festival Podcast features an interview with Marko Men, the head programmer of the Grossman Fantastic Film Online Festival. The conversation covers the festival's history, unique aspects, film selection process, guest experiences, and survival guide for filmmakers. It also delves into the positioning of the festival in the context of the film festival circuit and its community-building activities. The conversation covers insights from Marco Metzen, the film 'The Ones Who

The Fest Forge Podcast is introduced by Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash, who aim to provide insights and knowledge about the film festival experience. They discuss the purpose of the podcast, insider knowledge of festivals, the festival experience, the filmmaking journey, the Fest Forge platform, and the filmmaker's festival journey.TakeawaysInsights into the film festival experienceUnderstanding the importance of the festival journey for filmmakersChapters00:00 Introduction to Fest Forward