Filmocracy Podcast: Recent Episodes
Film Festival Mastery
A weekly podcast covering the Film Festival circuit, inside and out. These industry veterans share insider secrets on playing the festival circuit, from every angle. For filmmakers, festival makers and film buyers, Filmocracy, Film Festival Mastery and iGEMS come together to track the trends in the evolving festival landscape.
Hosts: Festival veteran Jon Fitzgerald Award winning filmmaker Justin Giddings, and Streaming guru Paul Jun
Tis the season to be spooky. Hosts Paul Jun and Jon Fitzgerald each countdown their top 5 scary movies. You may have seen some of them, but you will likely discover a few gems, and learn some fun facts about these personal picks.
And for more Halloween-themed movie collections, visit: igems.tv
Happy Halloween!
Tis the season to be spooky. Hosts Paul Jun and Jon Fitzgerald each countdown their top 5 scary movies. You may have seen some of them, but you will likely discover a few gems, and learn some fun facts about these personal picks.
And for more Halloween-themed movie collections, visit: igems.tv
Happy Halloween!
The fall festival circuit is in full swing, and we cover the highlights, from Venice to Telluride through Toronto.
Recently in the news, Sundance has a new Director, as Indiewire founder Eugene Hernandez takes the helm.
And we mourn the loss of one of the mavericks of the French New Wave, with Jean Luc Godard passing this week at the age of 91.
These stories and more today with Paul Jun and Jon Fitzgerald on the Filmocracy Podcast.
The fall festival circuit is in full swing, and we cover the highlights, from Venice to Telluride through Toronto.
Recently in the news, Sundance has a new Director, as Indiewire founder Eugene Hernandez takes the helm.
And we mourn the loss of one of the mavericks of the French New Wave, with Jean Luc Godard passing this week at the age of 91.
These stories and more today with Paul Jun and Jon Fitzgerald on the Filmocracy Podcast.
The most important film festival season kicks off later this month. From the oldest fest (Venice) to the industry darlings (Telluride and Toronto), smaller niche players, and hundreds of regional events, our hosts share the history and the current landscape of the fall film festival circuit.
The leading US Festival, Sundance kicks off their Call for Entries next week, and just announced the next round of Lab participants. We thought it would be fun to take a deeper dive into these programs.
And MovieMaker just presented their Annual 25 Coolest Film Festivals, so we pick 5 of our favorites to consider.
Enjoy!
With the Emmys just announced it’s a good time to talk TV. We spend much of our time at Filmocracy in the film world but now more than ever, we’re seeing crossover. TV Series have come a long way, and it's not just streaming platforms who care. Indie filmmakers, festivals, and event planners are all getting into the act.
Shows are celebrated at major fests, with many events devoting new sections to TV Series. Filmmakers are actively developing scripted and non-scripted shows, with dozens of industry players setting up shop to support the efforts. This and more on today's Filmocracy Podcast.
As the US celebrates 4th of July Weekend, we can't help but face the sad truth about the Roe vs Wade controversy. Freedom of Choice has been called into question. This is not what our founding fathers had in mind.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How major film and tv companies are supporting their employees' right to choose, reimbursing travel as needed.
- Movie collections on the subject of Roe vs Wade
- Indie and Hollywood fare, connected to Independence Day, along with a new iGEMS Collection with 4th of July picks
Yes, this week, summer officially arrives, right on the heels of the Top Gun blockbuster blazing a trail.
Summer can be good for independent cinema too. There is a history of counterprogramming against the big popcorn event pictures. Today, we share a few thoughts...
- Summer indies coming to theaters, and platforms
- Classic summer box office gems
- Film Fests during the summer season
- Filmocracy hosts a number of virtual fests
Enjoy our chat and the summer season ahead!
With Cannes 2022 still underway, we continue the conversation about how Festivals can influence the Distribution Process, with an emphasis on digital platforms.
In Cannes, two-time Oscar winner and former Un Certain Regard Jury President Guillermo del Toro kicked off a filmmaker symposium, exploring the future of cinema.
One question on the entire panel’s mind, has the streaming boom eroded the cultural significance of cinema?
How can virtual film festivals, membership programs and VOD models generate revenues for filmmakers?
How has the proliferation of streaming platforms affected the film economy?
How does this apply to indie filmmakers who seek streaming opportunities?
We discuss these topics and more this week on the Filmocracy Podcast.
With the Cannes Film Festival celebrating its 75th Anniversary, industry professionals and cinephiles flock back to the Croisette this week.
This will be the first time since 2019 that the Festival and Marche expect to be back to normal. But what is the new normal?
How many discoveries will be made? And will the market be as effective, with the growing virtual options?
Are film profits suffering due to the gap between acquisition and release?
A question many insiders are asking: Should festivals play a more active role in the distribution process?
Filmocracy CEO Paul Jun and iGEMS CEO Jon Fitzgerald explore these topics and more.
CinemaCon took place last week, with thousands of movie theater representatives on hand to express optimism, as we ease out of covid.
There was genuine excitement around the spike in box office returns, the upcoming tentpole movies, and the Top Gun sequel Maverick. The Tom Cruise title will make its way to Cannes later this month before hitting theaters nationwide.
Newfound powers fight mysterious dangers from the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All At Once, the underdog hit that premiered at South by Southwest this past spring.
Things are definitely looking up.
April is Earth Awareness Month, and we celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd. It's a good time to celebrate the growth of the documentary genre. And David Attenborough's Planet Earth.
These non-fiction features have had quite an impact, educating and inspiring action. Netflix shares in the credit for increasing awareness of such projects, though they have started a downwards slide. Losing billions in market share this week, and over 200,000 subscribers, Netflix has great challenges ahead.
Movies all start with the script, and many filmmaking careers start with film festival play. Today’s podcast focuses on how the role of the screenwriter intersects with the film festival community.
Subjects include:
- How screenwriters can network to maximize participation in film festivals.
- The range of Script Competitions, and how to find the right fit.
- When winning Awards & Competitions can break down barriers of entry.
- The importance of writing what you know.
- How to write and shape a project to maintain control of your project.
- Getting involved in creative writing and reading collaborations.
In celebration of Women's History Month, the podcast explores the amazing impact have had on the film industry.
Categories include:
- Female driven Film Festivals
- Filmocracy Fellowship launches with "female centric" fests
- Past Female Oscar winners and upcoming nominees
- Facts and Figures on female roles in the entertainment industry
- Celebrating Women Film Collection with 22 films on iGEMS.tv
After making plans to have in person screenings in 2022, thanks to COVID, Sundance moved back to a virtual program. All panels, film presentations and networking took place online. Yes, there were plenty of acquisitions, along with reports of dwindling Theatrical box office returns the past few years for previous Sundance titles. What can this mean?
Slamdance adjusted their dates, moved back online AND added a monthly membership model. Another subscription fee?
Films at the Berlinale will only play in person, with no movies available online. Yet, their sister European Film Market will only play films online, with no in person screenings. Huh?
And SXSW will play films in theaters, then present online streaming options. You need a full pass, to see even 1 movie?
All of these winter players tinker with their models. We explore this and more, as we make some of our own adjustments to the podcast.
Enjoy!
We head back to Cannes to recap the event and talk about indie filmmakers who rise above the noise to generate attention there.
We profile Sean Baker, who was one of the first to make an entire feature on an iPhone (Tangerine). He's back this year with another indie (Red Rocket), which was just acquired by A24. We play a clip from the film and talk about how execs looks for filmmakers with "brand" recognition.
Our hosts are joined by indie filmmaker Nathan Buck, who is in Cannes to promote his latest feature film, Before el Fina.
We hear his take on the current state of the world's top Festival, while learning more about how to maximize the opportunity to be in Cannes.
Network. Research. Pitch. It's all part of the game.
Join us for a lively discussion on the current festival landscape, as we talk with Festival veteran Craig Prater.
Craig is currently the President of Heartland Film, overseeing both the Heartland International Film Festival, and their more recent offspring, Indy Shorts.
This festival has grown from a four day event with fewer than 20 films to what is now an 11-day celebration that typically showcases 300+ feature film screenings and 200+ filmmakers.
They also happen to give more cash prizes than any other film festival in the United States!
As film festivals continue to compete for audiences and filmmakers, many have turned to virtual experiences to differentiate.
Filmocracy CEO Paul Jun shares some new insights on this expanding digital universe.
With the pandemic affecting film festivals and markets in 2020, the evolution continues in 2021. Berlin was a digital enterprise, and Cannes Marche will be divided into two parts.
How will other "market" festivals fare in 2021, and how will the overall buying and selling find stable ground.
Our hosts cover this and more this week on Film Festival Mastery.
In order to have the been chance to succeed on the Festival circuit, filmmakers need to have the right Tools and assemble the best Team.
In this episode, our hosts discuss the necessary Tools, from EPKs and thumbnails, to websites and trailers. They also cover members of the team, from publicists to producers reps.
Visit igems.tv for more episodes and resources for indie filmmakers.
As film festivals look forward to bringing live events back into their programs, how will the evolving virtual strategy shape the future of fests? What at the keys for filmmakers to keep in mind as they navigate the balance of 2021 and look towards 2022? * Are fests doing virtual Q&As? * What is the audience engagement? * What are fests doing to create virtual networking? * How does the buying activity change for industry players? * What could data sharing do for filmmakers?
These questions and more candid conversation, this week on Film Festival Mastery. If you would like to join us live for the next podcast, click here to join event, Thursdays from 1-2p pst.
This week, our hosts share insights on how to get on radar of film festival programmers. With many film fests receiving thousands of entries, what can filmmakers do to be sure they are given proper consideration?
These questions and more, this week on Film Festival Mastery.
This week, our hosts cover the hot topic of film festival membership. These community programs have been part of the festival landscape for some time; but the model is changing. Since the move to virtual cinema events, festivals have recognized the opportunity to enhance their year round programming.
This practice is raising a lot of questions:
Are Festivals increasing their membership dues?
Are festivals working with filmmakers on new rev share models?
How will these new programs affect a film's distribution prospects?
These questions and more, this week on Film Festival Mastery.
The team shares the overview of this new podcast, which will cover the Film Festival Circuit, inside and out.
In this first episode, they discuss the State of the Circuit, knowing the landscape has changed. When the pandemic hit, fests had to pivot to virtual options. Some closed. Some survived and others thrived.
How do filmmakers address their goals in light of these new practices? What is this paradigm shift? And how can filmmakers generate income with new revenue sharing models?
All this and more, in episode 1!