Okay, I'm saying it out loud. I think most of us feel the same way. I wish I could afford to attend all film festivals. It would be great for networking and seeing many films that may never get traditional distribution. But I have to say, they are pricey!
I have two films on the festival circuit right now and keeping up with them has deflated my wallet substantially. I'm sure all of you can relate to this dilemma: you try your best to put festival costs in your budget and inevitably your post production eats it all up. And when your film is finally getting some attention, you can't even afford to revel in it. So sad.
And then the premiere festivals come around and you hope you have a windfall so you can attend but typically, you find it difficult to afford the few thousand that it takes to be there. Again, sad.
And between you and me, I'm not quite sure why the festivals will only cover accommodations and travel for the director. It's true that the film is the director's vision. But the film is also the producer's creation. I don't think most understand the tremendous weight of responsibility that rests on a producer's shoulders. Everyone, including the director, looks to the producer to make it ALL OKAY. Any hiccup is the producer's problem to fix. And trust me, there are usually a lot of hiccups. Gripe, gripe, gripe. There, I've said it. Now time to move on.
The great thing it is that I have worked with a wonderful group of directors who do honor what I do. So even though the festivals won't provide the same accolades to the lowly producer, all I have to do is look to my directors and they are there in my corner always - as I am in theirs. And that's really what counts. So whenever you are feeling neglected by the industry, just look to your team and they should be there for you. If they aren't then you need a new team. Keep looking, you will find them.
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