This year the Art House Convergence has seen a huge jump in attendance. Eleven years ago when Sundance initiated the Art House Convergence a small handful of arthouse theater owners were in attendance. Five years ago when I began coming, there were more exhibitors plus the distributors of art house cinema began to come to chat and discuss their offerings. The congenial mix of the two charmed me. It reminded me of the early days of Sundance in the late 80s when acquisitions execs all knew and liked each other and we were able to cover all the ground without stress.
This year there were so many more people - about 600 total - including vendors of everything an exhibitor must need plus a parallel event of the Film Festival Alliance, a great initiative of Ifp established in 2010 in which festivals get together to discuss mutual interests.
The confluence of the smaller regional festivals and the art house theaters is a natural fit since the festivals are held in the theaters and bring in the community, obviously a desired outcome of art house exhibitors. All that combined makes for a much larger event than ever before and points toward even greater growth for Ahc, something perhaps to be desired but also something which perhaps will not be quite so welcoming for newcomers as the earlier events.
The topics covered in the break out sessions are a large part about the logistics of U.S. art house operations from creating fan bases and membership. Another large part focuses on festival logistics from starting a film festival – and here I want to give a plug to Jon Gann, the founder of DC Shorts Film Festival for his new book, So, You Want to Start a Film Festival: Conversations with Top Festival Creators -- to the panel “Conversation with Sundance Senior Manager Adam Montgomery” in which Montgomery discussed Sundance’s process of accepting submissions, the work flow, planning, technology, usage tips and more.
Some awards by way of recognition to those who established indies as a going concern and are keeping it going through their hard work and devotion were Gary Meyer, founder of Landmark Theaters in 1975, Jan Klingenhofer and Chapin Cutter.
Niches and small business introducing themselves included the former Emerging Pictures executive Barry Rebo with his new startup CineConductor, along with his international partner Ymagis. The service for a $75 per month fee allows theaters to download unlimited DCPs (The Digital Cinema Package is a collection of digital files used to store and convey digital cinema (DC) audio, image, and data streams.) from all distributors – an easy and cheaper way for theaters to show more films at various times during the week.
Barry Rebo of CineConductor says, “We had a terrific Art House Convergence. We arrived with 51 high profile arthouse members and left with close to 65, maybe more once we re-connect with ones now tied up at the actual festival.
Current venues are both evangelizing our value to new venues and lobbying rights holders to deliver their booked film via the CineConductor service rather than hard drives. It not only save the venues money it makes their day-to-day operations ever more efficient.
We also have two high profile international film agencies we are servicing via the portal - UniFrance’s ongoing Young French Cinema 2 and Tiff & TeleFilm Canada’s upcoming See The North series.
More information about CineConductor: Click this link.
Considering we only debuted the system - really a 'soft opening' - at last year’s Ahc and connected the first batch of venues beginning in June of ‘15 getting to 51 quality sites by the end of the first indicates the service is being seen as being both highly cost effective (venues join on a Network Access Fee basis - no charge for equipment and only $75.00 per month for Unlimited Dcp deliveries of Specialty Film & Event Cinema programs offered by their rights holder via CineConductor.
Rights Holders (Rh) - traditional distribution companies; international film advocacy groups; international sales agents; the filmmakers themselves pay nothing today to post on the CineConductor portal. They pay only $50.00 per feature Dcp delivery Includes Kdm if requested) and $10.00 per Dcp trailer set (flat and scope) once they accept an engagement directly from a participating venue. It’s a great deal for both the exhibition and distribution sides of the arthouse field.
For the broader arthouse community - exhibitors, distributors and audiences - our decision to go this way was based on our belief that by offering a flat fee, more valuable content is made available on more screens. More onscreen diversity will drive a more diverse audience. I’m happy to report it’s already working as planned.
What we have created is truly and international platform. My investor/ parent company, Ymagis, is Paris-based and operates all across Europe. See www.ymagis.com "
Another endeavor of note is Benjamin Oberman’s (Film Festival Flix) mountain climbing film “Citadel” around which he can mobilize literally millions of outdoors sports folk through organizations he has formed alliances with in every region of the U.S. This type of specialized distribution is one excellent way into the future! Compared to his development of this last year, he has moved miles ahead.
Another to watch is Bobbi Thompson as she creates pop-up theaters in studio spaces with art exhibition for adults with learning disabilities and other handicaps.
An example of the new types of festivals is that of Gary Meyer, always a pioneer from his launching of Landmark theaters, of animation showcases, of Telluride Film Festival programming to his newest, Eat Drink Films. Based in a San Francisco his site discusses film and food and hosts recently Real Food Media also announced the launch of its third-annual contest with a call for submissions of super-short films on underreported issues, unique change-makers and creative solutions to foster a broad, public conversation about solving our global food system’s most intractable problems – from hunger to diet-related illnesses to environmental crises.
And Ahc has gone international. Last year a few folks from France, Europa Cinemas and the U.S. in Progress in Poland (American Film Festival’s Ula Sniegowska) and in France (Adeline Monzier of Unifrance) were here. This year they are here again and joined by Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm Canada with film packages available directly to theaters via Barry Rebo’s CineConductor, a model that German films and all other national film entities should emulate. Also attending this year is Europa International, a consortium of 40 European international sales agents from 13 European countries looking to find direct outlets to theaters without the distribution middleman. This will become increasingly important at Netflix swopes down on worldwide digital rights acquisitions. TrustNordisk’s head of sales, Susan Wendt from Denmark represented Europa International here.
Europa International’s panel presented European case studies on ways to attract new audiences in the era of social media with an eye toward directing young people towards “quality” cinema and fostering critical minds while forming partnership strategies included Justin Camileri of Euro Media Forum, Fatima Djoumer of Europa Cinemas, Matts Gillmor of Palladium, Elisa Giovannelli of Cineteca Bologna and Justyna Kociszewska of Kino Lab.
U.S. distributor Neil Friedman’s Menemsha Films is here with the Jonathan Pryce film “Dough” a funny and feel-good trans-cultural mix proving ‘you don’t have to be Jewish’ to love this film. Representing Menemsha at Ahc is former United King acquisitions executive from Israel, Oded Horowitz, who has now moved to California with his partner and their 6 year old twin girls. Diarah N’Daw-Spech of ArtMattan is here among now old friends managing to inject some diversity into a little too homogenous population of film lovers.
This place is full of 'our' people, that is, we-the-now-older generation who got this thing going in the 80s: those I mentioned above plus Paul Cohen, Ira Deutchman, Anne Thompson, Mj Pekos (Dada Films), Larry Greenberg (Momentum/ eOne), Richard Abramowitz (Abramarama), Cary Jones (IFC), Peter Baxter (Slamdance), Peter Becker (Janus) (who was a young one when we began but was there - and our sympathy to him for his father’s passing… whose colleague Jonathan Turrell whose father Saul in those days in print distribution at Janus Films was one of New York’s most colorful figures), Ron Diamond (Animation Show of Shows), Peter Belsito (SydneysBuzz), Mark Fishkin (California Film Institute), Christian Gaines (ArtPrize), Larry Kardish (Board member and former head of NY Film Society, Lincoln Center, now with Chatham Film Club), Greg Laemmle of Laemmle Theaters, Los Angeles’ preeminent indie arthouse started by his grandfather Carl Laemmle, former head of Universal (!), Richard Lorber (Kino Lorber), Scott Mansfield (monterey media), Mike Thomas (Theatre Properties) and Michael Donaldson (Donaldson & Callif).
After the panel “Why Critics Matter: A Conversation with Anne Thompson and Sam Adams” moderated by Ira Deutchman, a discussion of contemporary film criticism and its importance within the independent exhibition community created a flurry of comments on the Ahc newsletter which you can read along with other year round commentaries of importance by subscribing to Google Groups "Art House Convergence". Sam Adams himself writes,
“In a national survey covering 25 art house theaters and 20,000 patrons, Avenue Isr's Woody Smith said that reviews were the third-most important tool in drawing audiences to theaters, just behind recommendations from friends. (Most-effective, by a wide margin: trailers.) 41 percent of respondents listed print reviews among the most important factors, with online reviews at 35 percent, although the former number drops dramatically when limited to viewers 35 or younger.
Speaking anecdotally to me, many exhibitors told me that Rotten Tomatoes plays a huge role in what films audiences select. In one medium-sized market, the local paper, which no longer employs its own critics, uses the Tomatometer to decide which review to pull from the wire services: If it's "fresh," they run a positive review; if it's "rotten," they run a pan. By pretty much any measure, that's a huge dereliction of duty — not to mention incredibly lazy journalistic practice — but the good news is that same exhibitor sought me out later to tell me he going to start a criticism contest for local students, bringing back dialogue to a community that's lost an outlet for those voices.”
At Ahc with a new panel discussion, one most worthy of notice is Hollie Mahadeo, General Manager of Enzian Theater in Maitland Florida. Her initiative, Starting Young: Hooking Youth on Cinema, discussed cultivating the next generation of filmgoers and film lovers. Amy Averett of Alamo Drafthouse, Mats Gillmor of Palladium and Hollie Mahadeo of Enzian spoke of their successes in this crucial area.
Hollie has spent 17 years building a home for youth in cinema. Art houses do not generally think about kids because the ones working in them are usually young and single and the ones attending them are usually grandparents. As Hollie and her colleagues grew, they married and now have children and so are concerned with how cinema and their own children will interact. Six years ago their audience was all over 40 and so they began programming to get 20-somethings in.
Then they started courting the children with their Peanut Butter Matinees, programming films to appeal to the children and their parents, like “Neverending Story”. These monthly matinees work well for parents with children from five to ten years who would not ordinarily go to cinemas. The room seats 220 but is filled with tables and chairs so some play while others eat and others sit enraptured by the cinema. They have 1,200 screenings in a year and are a $3.5 million organization in all.
The Peanut Butter Matinee has a kid friendly menu, balloons to take away, raffles to take part in and the film, always projected digitally. It has grown to special holiday celebrations for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and the children have also grown. The events are free for children under 12; all others buy $8 tickets.
Amy of Alamo states that it is cheaper to bring kids to the movies than to hire a babysitter.
Enzion has also instituted a Filmmaking Camp, a summer day camp now in its seventh year. It began as a one-week camp for 10 kids but now has a four-week camp, Thirty-two kids go to a two-week session in Camp 1 and another 32 go to a second two-week session. They have temporary staff of two filmmakers who bring in the equipment and one head instructor, a teacher from a local film school and a counselor to help with the scheduling, meals, and other issues. There are volunteer filmmakers from college and a junior counselor program for kids too old to be campers but too young to be filmmakers (yet). The oldest graduate of the camp is now in high school and looking at film schools. The youngest camper is in the fifth grade. At the end of the camp there are at least two world premiers.
Now they also have youth acting Programs. For grades 2 through 12, classes are held after school twice a week.
All in all, the Ahc was full and fun. The cold was bitter and when we left to go down the road to Sundance, about half of us were nursing our first winter colds which made for an even more fun filled Sundance Film Festival…well for me at least, my low energy level was no match of the excitement of the festival this year.
This year there were so many more people - about 600 total - including vendors of everything an exhibitor must need plus a parallel event of the Film Festival Alliance, a great initiative of Ifp established in 2010 in which festivals get together to discuss mutual interests.
The confluence of the smaller regional festivals and the art house theaters is a natural fit since the festivals are held in the theaters and bring in the community, obviously a desired outcome of art house exhibitors. All that combined makes for a much larger event than ever before and points toward even greater growth for Ahc, something perhaps to be desired but also something which perhaps will not be quite so welcoming for newcomers as the earlier events.
The topics covered in the break out sessions are a large part about the logistics of U.S. art house operations from creating fan bases and membership. Another large part focuses on festival logistics from starting a film festival – and here I want to give a plug to Jon Gann, the founder of DC Shorts Film Festival for his new book, So, You Want to Start a Film Festival: Conversations with Top Festival Creators -- to the panel “Conversation with Sundance Senior Manager Adam Montgomery” in which Montgomery discussed Sundance’s process of accepting submissions, the work flow, planning, technology, usage tips and more.
Some awards by way of recognition to those who established indies as a going concern and are keeping it going through their hard work and devotion were Gary Meyer, founder of Landmark Theaters in 1975, Jan Klingenhofer and Chapin Cutter.
Niches and small business introducing themselves included the former Emerging Pictures executive Barry Rebo with his new startup CineConductor, along with his international partner Ymagis. The service for a $75 per month fee allows theaters to download unlimited DCPs (The Digital Cinema Package is a collection of digital files used to store and convey digital cinema (DC) audio, image, and data streams.) from all distributors – an easy and cheaper way for theaters to show more films at various times during the week.
Barry Rebo of CineConductor says, “We had a terrific Art House Convergence. We arrived with 51 high profile arthouse members and left with close to 65, maybe more once we re-connect with ones now tied up at the actual festival.
Current venues are both evangelizing our value to new venues and lobbying rights holders to deliver their booked film via the CineConductor service rather than hard drives. It not only save the venues money it makes their day-to-day operations ever more efficient.
We also have two high profile international film agencies we are servicing via the portal - UniFrance’s ongoing Young French Cinema 2 and Tiff & TeleFilm Canada’s upcoming See The North series.
More information about CineConductor: Click this link.
Considering we only debuted the system - really a 'soft opening' - at last year’s Ahc and connected the first batch of venues beginning in June of ‘15 getting to 51 quality sites by the end of the first indicates the service is being seen as being both highly cost effective (venues join on a Network Access Fee basis - no charge for equipment and only $75.00 per month for Unlimited Dcp deliveries of Specialty Film & Event Cinema programs offered by their rights holder via CineConductor.
Rights Holders (Rh) - traditional distribution companies; international film advocacy groups; international sales agents; the filmmakers themselves pay nothing today to post on the CineConductor portal. They pay only $50.00 per feature Dcp delivery Includes Kdm if requested) and $10.00 per Dcp trailer set (flat and scope) once they accept an engagement directly from a participating venue. It’s a great deal for both the exhibition and distribution sides of the arthouse field.
For the broader arthouse community - exhibitors, distributors and audiences - our decision to go this way was based on our belief that by offering a flat fee, more valuable content is made available on more screens. More onscreen diversity will drive a more diverse audience. I’m happy to report it’s already working as planned.
What we have created is truly and international platform. My investor/ parent company, Ymagis, is Paris-based and operates all across Europe. See www.ymagis.com "
Another endeavor of note is Benjamin Oberman’s (Film Festival Flix) mountain climbing film “Citadel” around which he can mobilize literally millions of outdoors sports folk through organizations he has formed alliances with in every region of the U.S. This type of specialized distribution is one excellent way into the future! Compared to his development of this last year, he has moved miles ahead.
Another to watch is Bobbi Thompson as she creates pop-up theaters in studio spaces with art exhibition for adults with learning disabilities and other handicaps.
An example of the new types of festivals is that of Gary Meyer, always a pioneer from his launching of Landmark theaters, of animation showcases, of Telluride Film Festival programming to his newest, Eat Drink Films. Based in a San Francisco his site discusses film and food and hosts recently Real Food Media also announced the launch of its third-annual contest with a call for submissions of super-short films on underreported issues, unique change-makers and creative solutions to foster a broad, public conversation about solving our global food system’s most intractable problems – from hunger to diet-related illnesses to environmental crises.
And Ahc has gone international. Last year a few folks from France, Europa Cinemas and the U.S. in Progress in Poland (American Film Festival’s Ula Sniegowska) and in France (Adeline Monzier of Unifrance) were here. This year they are here again and joined by Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm Canada with film packages available directly to theaters via Barry Rebo’s CineConductor, a model that German films and all other national film entities should emulate. Also attending this year is Europa International, a consortium of 40 European international sales agents from 13 European countries looking to find direct outlets to theaters without the distribution middleman. This will become increasingly important at Netflix swopes down on worldwide digital rights acquisitions. TrustNordisk’s head of sales, Susan Wendt from Denmark represented Europa International here.
Europa International’s panel presented European case studies on ways to attract new audiences in the era of social media with an eye toward directing young people towards “quality” cinema and fostering critical minds while forming partnership strategies included Justin Camileri of Euro Media Forum, Fatima Djoumer of Europa Cinemas, Matts Gillmor of Palladium, Elisa Giovannelli of Cineteca Bologna and Justyna Kociszewska of Kino Lab.
U.S. distributor Neil Friedman’s Menemsha Films is here with the Jonathan Pryce film “Dough” a funny and feel-good trans-cultural mix proving ‘you don’t have to be Jewish’ to love this film. Representing Menemsha at Ahc is former United King acquisitions executive from Israel, Oded Horowitz, who has now moved to California with his partner and their 6 year old twin girls. Diarah N’Daw-Spech of ArtMattan is here among now old friends managing to inject some diversity into a little too homogenous population of film lovers.
This place is full of 'our' people, that is, we-the-now-older generation who got this thing going in the 80s: those I mentioned above plus Paul Cohen, Ira Deutchman, Anne Thompson, Mj Pekos (Dada Films), Larry Greenberg (Momentum/ eOne), Richard Abramowitz (Abramarama), Cary Jones (IFC), Peter Baxter (Slamdance), Peter Becker (Janus) (who was a young one when we began but was there - and our sympathy to him for his father’s passing… whose colleague Jonathan Turrell whose father Saul in those days in print distribution at Janus Films was one of New York’s most colorful figures), Ron Diamond (Animation Show of Shows), Peter Belsito (SydneysBuzz), Mark Fishkin (California Film Institute), Christian Gaines (ArtPrize), Larry Kardish (Board member and former head of NY Film Society, Lincoln Center, now with Chatham Film Club), Greg Laemmle of Laemmle Theaters, Los Angeles’ preeminent indie arthouse started by his grandfather Carl Laemmle, former head of Universal (!), Richard Lorber (Kino Lorber), Scott Mansfield (monterey media), Mike Thomas (Theatre Properties) and Michael Donaldson (Donaldson & Callif).
After the panel “Why Critics Matter: A Conversation with Anne Thompson and Sam Adams” moderated by Ira Deutchman, a discussion of contemporary film criticism and its importance within the independent exhibition community created a flurry of comments on the Ahc newsletter which you can read along with other year round commentaries of importance by subscribing to Google Groups "Art House Convergence". Sam Adams himself writes,
“In a national survey covering 25 art house theaters and 20,000 patrons, Avenue Isr's Woody Smith said that reviews were the third-most important tool in drawing audiences to theaters, just behind recommendations from friends. (Most-effective, by a wide margin: trailers.) 41 percent of respondents listed print reviews among the most important factors, with online reviews at 35 percent, although the former number drops dramatically when limited to viewers 35 or younger.
Speaking anecdotally to me, many exhibitors told me that Rotten Tomatoes plays a huge role in what films audiences select. In one medium-sized market, the local paper, which no longer employs its own critics, uses the Tomatometer to decide which review to pull from the wire services: If it's "fresh," they run a positive review; if it's "rotten," they run a pan. By pretty much any measure, that's a huge dereliction of duty — not to mention incredibly lazy journalistic practice — but the good news is that same exhibitor sought me out later to tell me he going to start a criticism contest for local students, bringing back dialogue to a community that's lost an outlet for those voices.”
At Ahc with a new panel discussion, one most worthy of notice is Hollie Mahadeo, General Manager of Enzian Theater in Maitland Florida. Her initiative, Starting Young: Hooking Youth on Cinema, discussed cultivating the next generation of filmgoers and film lovers. Amy Averett of Alamo Drafthouse, Mats Gillmor of Palladium and Hollie Mahadeo of Enzian spoke of their successes in this crucial area.
Hollie has spent 17 years building a home for youth in cinema. Art houses do not generally think about kids because the ones working in them are usually young and single and the ones attending them are usually grandparents. As Hollie and her colleagues grew, they married and now have children and so are concerned with how cinema and their own children will interact. Six years ago their audience was all over 40 and so they began programming to get 20-somethings in.
Then they started courting the children with their Peanut Butter Matinees, programming films to appeal to the children and their parents, like “Neverending Story”. These monthly matinees work well for parents with children from five to ten years who would not ordinarily go to cinemas. The room seats 220 but is filled with tables and chairs so some play while others eat and others sit enraptured by the cinema. They have 1,200 screenings in a year and are a $3.5 million organization in all.
The Peanut Butter Matinee has a kid friendly menu, balloons to take away, raffles to take part in and the film, always projected digitally. It has grown to special holiday celebrations for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and the children have also grown. The events are free for children under 12; all others buy $8 tickets.
Amy of Alamo states that it is cheaper to bring kids to the movies than to hire a babysitter.
Enzion has also instituted a Filmmaking Camp, a summer day camp now in its seventh year. It began as a one-week camp for 10 kids but now has a four-week camp, Thirty-two kids go to a two-week session in Camp 1 and another 32 go to a second two-week session. They have temporary staff of two filmmakers who bring in the equipment and one head instructor, a teacher from a local film school and a counselor to help with the scheduling, meals, and other issues. There are volunteer filmmakers from college and a junior counselor program for kids too old to be campers but too young to be filmmakers (yet). The oldest graduate of the camp is now in high school and looking at film schools. The youngest camper is in the fifth grade. At the end of the camp there are at least two world premiers.
Now they also have youth acting Programs. For grades 2 through 12, classes are held after school twice a week.
All in all, the Ahc was full and fun. The cold was bitter and when we left to go down the road to Sundance, about half of us were nursing our first winter colds which made for an even more fun filled Sundance Film Festival…well for me at least, my low energy level was no match of the excitement of the festival this year.
- 2/2/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
We're back with with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror new sent our way. Today's feature includes artwork from Blood & Gourd, release details for The Vatican Exorcisms, and news of a Sledge Blu-ray release:
Blood & Gourd Details and Artwork: "It's Devil's Night in Olympia, Wa - and out at Henderson Farms, the festivities are reaching a crescendo. Young and old have gathered to pick their own pumpkin, drink hot apple cider, and partake in the usual pumpkin farm fare. However, something has awakened from deep within the fertile soil. After years of abuse and humiliation, the pumpkins… are ready to pick us. You can beg! You can plead! You can scream! But these Hell's lanterns are lit only with the burning desire to watch you die."
For more information on this comic, and its creators, visit: http://www.bloodandgourd.com
---------
The Vatican Exorcisms DVD...
Blood & Gourd Details and Artwork: "It's Devil's Night in Olympia, Wa - and out at Henderson Farms, the festivities are reaching a crescendo. Young and old have gathered to pick their own pumpkin, drink hot apple cider, and partake in the usual pumpkin farm fare. However, something has awakened from deep within the fertile soil. After years of abuse and humiliation, the pumpkins… are ready to pick us. You can beg! You can plead! You can scream! But these Hell's lanterns are lit only with the burning desire to watch you die."
For more information on this comic, and its creators, visit: http://www.bloodandgourd.com
---------
The Vatican Exorcisms DVD...
- 5/10/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Film Festival Flix will host the first annual Halloween Horror Fest over an unprecedented 31 days during the month of October, it was announced today by the company’s CEO Benjamin Oberman. “We celebrate great genre movies and filmmakers from around the world and provide opportunities for films and audiences to connect through the internet,” said Oberman.
The online festival, which celebrates 31 days of world class horror films and the filmmakers who terrify, disgust, and disturb us, is led by Oberman and boasts a series of events along with traditional Filmmaker Q&A’s, Expert Panels, and Twitter Chats; all online. (Watch what you want | When you want | Where you want).
Thirteen competition categories will be awarded cash and sponsored prizes with additional recognition through media partners and the festival’s expert Jury. Winners will receive distribution offers on Film Festival Flix, affiliate networks and branded distribution channels as well as all major cable, internet and home video platforms. The Grand Prize winner will receive a cash prize of $4,000, a guaranteed distribution offer on the Film Festival Flix platform, an L.A. Premiere, Lunch with a top Hollywood Acquisitions Executive, Critique from a Horror Film Legend, a featured article in a Hollywood Media Trade and a number of sponsor prizes tba. Additional categories include the “Skin Crawler Award,” “Best Blood & Gore,” “Best Psychological Thriller,” “Best Vampire,” “Best Werewolf,” “Best Zombie,” “Best Monster,” “Best Slasher,” “Best Ghost & Haunted,” “Best Comedy Horror,” “Best Found Footage” and “Best Short.”
“I’ve traveled to festivals around the globe for many years and see amazing films that most people will never get to see,” says Oberman. “Hosting the festival online guarantees genre audiences opportunity to watch as much as they want, when they want, in the comfort of their own home, And offers the ability to interact with filmmakers as much as they’d like.”
Halloween Horror Fest provides audiences with easy and unlimited access to films from great genre festivals around the world for one low price. (Like a Netflix subscription, but much better!)
A call for entry is now open through June 15th. Late submission runs June 16th - July 15th. Official Selections will be announced August 15th. Winners will be announced November 10th and presented at an exclusive live event in Los Angeles. For more information and to submit a film: http://HalloweenHorrorFest.com
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
The online festival, which celebrates 31 days of world class horror films and the filmmakers who terrify, disgust, and disturb us, is led by Oberman and boasts a series of events along with traditional Filmmaker Q&A’s, Expert Panels, and Twitter Chats; all online. (Watch what you want | When you want | Where you want).
Thirteen competition categories will be awarded cash and sponsored prizes with additional recognition through media partners and the festival’s expert Jury. Winners will receive distribution offers on Film Festival Flix, affiliate networks and branded distribution channels as well as all major cable, internet and home video platforms. The Grand Prize winner will receive a cash prize of $4,000, a guaranteed distribution offer on the Film Festival Flix platform, an L.A. Premiere, Lunch with a top Hollywood Acquisitions Executive, Critique from a Horror Film Legend, a featured article in a Hollywood Media Trade and a number of sponsor prizes tba. Additional categories include the “Skin Crawler Award,” “Best Blood & Gore,” “Best Psychological Thriller,” “Best Vampire,” “Best Werewolf,” “Best Zombie,” “Best Monster,” “Best Slasher,” “Best Ghost & Haunted,” “Best Comedy Horror,” “Best Found Footage” and “Best Short.”
“I’ve traveled to festivals around the globe for many years and see amazing films that most people will never get to see,” says Oberman. “Hosting the festival online guarantees genre audiences opportunity to watch as much as they want, when they want, in the comfort of their own home, And offers the ability to interact with filmmakers as much as they’d like.”
Halloween Horror Fest provides audiences with easy and unlimited access to films from great genre festivals around the world for one low price. (Like a Netflix subscription, but much better!)
A call for entry is now open through June 15th. Late submission runs June 16th - July 15th. Official Selections will be announced August 15th. Winners will be announced November 10th and presented at an exclusive live event in Los Angeles. For more information and to submit a film: http://HalloweenHorrorFest.com
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
- 5/9/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Benjamin Oberman, CEO of Film Festival Flix announces 25% of proceeds from festival pass sales to the Online Mountain and Adventure Film Festival will be donated to nine participating non-profit organizations. The benefiting organizations include: The Access Fund, Big City Mountaineers, National Parks Conservation Association, Yosemite Conservancy, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Adventure Gap Scholarship Fund, Paradox Sports, and the American Alpine Club.
The Festival went live on February 1st with 44 films available for viewing online in a Netflix subscription style. Beginning February 9th, the festival will offer interactive Panel Discussions and Q&A’s with representatives of participating organizations, filmmakers, and athletes. “We want to support those organizations who advocate for the places and activities we love” says Oberman. Leveraging internet technologies to connect the festival with everyone interested, the Panels and Q&A’s will make use of Google Hangouts and Twitter Chats.
“Supporting these organizations isn’t just about sending a check. We want to provide a platform where they can share their mission, their 2015 initiatives, and invite viewers to get involved in supporting missions that speak to them” says Oberman. All videos and chats will be available following the interactive discussion on the festival website, social media channels, and through the festival media partners, Climbing Magazine and The Joy Trip Project.
For a schedule of discussions go to www.FilmFestivalFlix.com/Mountain-Film/
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
The Festival went live on February 1st with 44 films available for viewing online in a Netflix subscription style. Beginning February 9th, the festival will offer interactive Panel Discussions and Q&A’s with representatives of participating organizations, filmmakers, and athletes. “We want to support those organizations who advocate for the places and activities we love” says Oberman. Leveraging internet technologies to connect the festival with everyone interested, the Panels and Q&A’s will make use of Google Hangouts and Twitter Chats.
“Supporting these organizations isn’t just about sending a check. We want to provide a platform where they can share their mission, their 2015 initiatives, and invite viewers to get involved in supporting missions that speak to them” says Oberman. All videos and chats will be available following the interactive discussion on the festival website, social media channels, and through the festival media partners, Climbing Magazine and The Joy Trip Project.
For a schedule of discussions go to www.FilmFestivalFlix.com/Mountain-Film/
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
- 2/16/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Benjamin Oberman is the President & CEO of MouseTrap Films, a Los Angeles-based distribution company dedicated to bringing quality independent, art house, and foreign films to North American audiences. MouseTrap’s primary acquisition focus is directed to Film Festival Flix, which uses theatrical openings and a monthly nationwide theatrical premiere series to drive audiences to its virtual studio and distribution channels.
The Film Festival Flix platform is available online, on cable, in hotels, in libraries and growing. Its distribution channels places its films on all major Cable VOD, Internet VOD, and home video platforms. Learn more here.
In the video interview below, Oberman shares his background and talks about MouseTrap Films and Film Festival Flix. He also shares some very essential tips for filmmakers who are just starting to think about how to get their films distributed (see second video below) — an essential distribution 101 for any filmmaker who wants to be successful and savvy when it comes to sharing his or her film with the world.
Benjamin Oberman talks about what every filmmaker should know about distribution, from the very beginning of the filmmaking process:...
The Film Festival Flix platform is available online, on cable, in hotels, in libraries and growing. Its distribution channels places its films on all major Cable VOD, Internet VOD, and home video platforms. Learn more here.
In the video interview below, Oberman shares his background and talks about MouseTrap Films and Film Festival Flix. He also shares some very essential tips for filmmakers who are just starting to think about how to get their films distributed (see second video below) — an essential distribution 101 for any filmmaker who wants to be successful and savvy when it comes to sharing his or her film with the world.
Benjamin Oberman talks about what every filmmaker should know about distribution, from the very beginning of the filmmaking process:...
- 1/30/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Benjamin Oberman, CEO of Film Festival Flix announces the lineup for its maiden voyage of the Online Mountain and Adventure Film Festival. Oberman, along with Joni Cooper, (former Director, Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival), James Edward Mills (Journalist / The Joy Trip Project), and Nasa Koski (Adventure Film School), will host the first annual Film Festival Flix Mountain & Adventure Film Festival over an unprecedented 28 days during the month of February.
The online festival, which will celebrate world class athletes, explorers, filmmakers, adventures and awe-inspiring locations from the most remote corners of the planet, boasts a series of interactive Athlete & Filmmaker Q&A’s, Expert Panels, and Twitter Chats; all online.
Seven competition categories will be awarded a total of $12,000 in cash prizes with additional recognition through sponsored awards. Winners will receive distribution on Film Festival Flix, affiliate networks and branded distribution channels.
In its mission to celebrate great mountain and adventure films and cultures from around the world, the festival will provide greater opportunity for films and audiences to connect through the internet. Oberman’s experience as an avid climber, kayaker, skier, and hang-glide pilot, attracted him to the adventure genre of film. With the success of his distribution company, Film Festival Flix, he is able to provide a landscape to combine both worlds. “Mountain and adventure films embody the Film Festival Flix ‘Think Independently’ mantra,” says Oberman. “They smash traditional molds and push common boundaries revealing living life on one’s own terms, and capturing moments few of us will ever experience.”
Watch and interact online with filmmakers and journey to the most remote locations on planet Earth ... all on your Smart TV, computer or mobile device. All prizes are determined completely by audience vote. Winners will be announced March 10, 2015 and presented theatrically in select Us cities.
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
Film Lineup
(Note: some films may be in competition in multiple categories)
Feature
An American Ascent (Director, Andrew Adkins & George Potter)
The Asgard Project (Director, Alastair Lee)
Damnation (Director, Ben Knight)
Grit Flick (Director, Alastair Lee)
The Holy Land of Tyrol (Director, Philipp J Pamer)
Into the Mind (Director, Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop)
Psyche (Director, Alastair Lee)
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (Director, Lydia Smith)
Short
14.c (Director, George Knowles)
35 (Director, Nasa Koski)
The American Prairie Reserve (Director, Erik Goldstein)
Brave Little Toaster (Director, Andrew Beam)
Boy (Director, Alastair Lee)
Delta Dawn (Director, Pete McBride)
Education (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Force (Director, Fitz Cahall & Aiden Haley)
Fuse (Director, Dave Whortley)
The Gimp Monkeys (Director, Fitz Cahall & Mikey Schaefer)
In Search of Grande (Director, Adam Feuerman)
iPaddle (Director, Alastair Lee)
Joy of Air (Director, Bryan Smith)
Legacy of Intent: Protecting the Arctic Refuge (Director, Micah Baird)
Love in the Tetons (Director, Amy Marquis)
Prevail (Director, Kevin Ziechmann)
Project Mina (Director, Jen Randall)
Silence (Director, Austin Siadak)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Sport (Non-Climbing)
Brave Little Toaster (Director, Andrew Beam)
All My Own Stunts (Director, Alastair Lee)
iPaddle (Director, Alastair Lee)
Wainwright Record Attempt (Director, Alastair Lee)
Fuse (Director, Alastair Lee)
Joy of Air (Director, Bryan Smith)
Silence (Director, Austin Siadak)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Climbing (Rock, Ice, Mountaineering, Alpine)
14.c (Director, George Knowles)
35 (Director, Nasa Koski)
An American Ascent (Director, Andrew Adkins & George Potter)
The Asgard Proejct (Director, Alastair Lee)
The Disciples of Gill (Director, Pat Ament)
The Gimp Monkeys (Director, Fitz Cahall & Mikey Schaefer)
Grit Flick (Director, Alastair Lee)
John Gill Across Time (Director, Pat Ament)
Moonflower (Director, Alastair Lee)
Moving Over Stone: 25th Anniversary (Director, Doug Robinson)
On Sight (Director, Alastair Lee)
Prevail (Director, Kevin Ziechmann)
Project Mina (Director, Jen Randall)
The Prophet (Psyche (Director, Alastair Lee)
Set in Stone (Director, Alastair Lee & David Halsted)
Stone Free (Director, Alastair Lee)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Sufferfest 2 (Director, Cedar Wright)
Environment
Damnation (Director, Ben Knight)
The American Prairie Reserve (Director, Erik Goldstein)
Notes on Ice (Director, Mark Whatmore)
Legacy of Intent: Protecting the Arctic Refuge (Director, Micah Baird)
Adventure
Autana (Director, Alastair Lee)
Delta Dawn (Director, Pete McBride)
Drawn (Director, Jeremy Collins)
Education (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Go Wild: Outside Las Vegas (Director, Doug Robinson)
In Search of Grande (Director, Adam Feuerman)
Into the Mind (Director, Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop)
North of the Sun (Director, Inge Wegge & Jorn Ranum)
Road From Karakol (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (Director, Lydia Smith)...
The online festival, which will celebrate world class athletes, explorers, filmmakers, adventures and awe-inspiring locations from the most remote corners of the planet, boasts a series of interactive Athlete & Filmmaker Q&A’s, Expert Panels, and Twitter Chats; all online.
Seven competition categories will be awarded a total of $12,000 in cash prizes with additional recognition through sponsored awards. Winners will receive distribution on Film Festival Flix, affiliate networks and branded distribution channels.
In its mission to celebrate great mountain and adventure films and cultures from around the world, the festival will provide greater opportunity for films and audiences to connect through the internet. Oberman’s experience as an avid climber, kayaker, skier, and hang-glide pilot, attracted him to the adventure genre of film. With the success of his distribution company, Film Festival Flix, he is able to provide a landscape to combine both worlds. “Mountain and adventure films embody the Film Festival Flix ‘Think Independently’ mantra,” says Oberman. “They smash traditional molds and push common boundaries revealing living life on one’s own terms, and capturing moments few of us will ever experience.”
Watch and interact online with filmmakers and journey to the most remote locations on planet Earth ... all on your Smart TV, computer or mobile device. All prizes are determined completely by audience vote. Winners will be announced March 10, 2015 and presented theatrically in select Us cities.
Film Festival Flix offers the film-loving community quality movies from around the world through programming of international film festival gems, online film festivals, theatrical openings and a monthly theatrical premiere series.
Film Lineup
(Note: some films may be in competition in multiple categories)
Feature
An American Ascent (Director, Andrew Adkins & George Potter)
The Asgard Project (Director, Alastair Lee)
Damnation (Director, Ben Knight)
Grit Flick (Director, Alastair Lee)
The Holy Land of Tyrol (Director, Philipp J Pamer)
Into the Mind (Director, Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop)
Psyche (Director, Alastair Lee)
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (Director, Lydia Smith)
Short
14.c (Director, George Knowles)
35 (Director, Nasa Koski)
The American Prairie Reserve (Director, Erik Goldstein)
Brave Little Toaster (Director, Andrew Beam)
Boy (Director, Alastair Lee)
Delta Dawn (Director, Pete McBride)
Education (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Force (Director, Fitz Cahall & Aiden Haley)
Fuse (Director, Dave Whortley)
The Gimp Monkeys (Director, Fitz Cahall & Mikey Schaefer)
In Search of Grande (Director, Adam Feuerman)
iPaddle (Director, Alastair Lee)
Joy of Air (Director, Bryan Smith)
Legacy of Intent: Protecting the Arctic Refuge (Director, Micah Baird)
Love in the Tetons (Director, Amy Marquis)
Prevail (Director, Kevin Ziechmann)
Project Mina (Director, Jen Randall)
Silence (Director, Austin Siadak)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Sport (Non-Climbing)
Brave Little Toaster (Director, Andrew Beam)
All My Own Stunts (Director, Alastair Lee)
iPaddle (Director, Alastair Lee)
Wainwright Record Attempt (Director, Alastair Lee)
Fuse (Director, Alastair Lee)
Joy of Air (Director, Bryan Smith)
Silence (Director, Austin Siadak)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Climbing (Rock, Ice, Mountaineering, Alpine)
14.c (Director, George Knowles)
35 (Director, Nasa Koski)
An American Ascent (Director, Andrew Adkins & George Potter)
The Asgard Proejct (Director, Alastair Lee)
The Disciples of Gill (Director, Pat Ament)
The Gimp Monkeys (Director, Fitz Cahall & Mikey Schaefer)
Grit Flick (Director, Alastair Lee)
John Gill Across Time (Director, Pat Ament)
Moonflower (Director, Alastair Lee)
Moving Over Stone: 25th Anniversary (Director, Doug Robinson)
On Sight (Director, Alastair Lee)
Prevail (Director, Kevin Ziechmann)
Project Mina (Director, Jen Randall)
The Prophet (Psyche (Director, Alastair Lee)
Set in Stone (Director, Alastair Lee & David Halsted)
Stone Free (Director, Alastair Lee)
Strong (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Sufferfest 2 (Director, Cedar Wright)
Environment
Damnation (Director, Ben Knight)
The American Prairie Reserve (Director, Erik Goldstein)
Notes on Ice (Director, Mark Whatmore)
Legacy of Intent: Protecting the Arctic Refuge (Director, Micah Baird)
Adventure
Autana (Director, Alastair Lee)
Delta Dawn (Director, Pete McBride)
Drawn (Director, Jeremy Collins)
Education (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Go Wild: Outside Las Vegas (Director, Doug Robinson)
In Search of Grande (Director, Adam Feuerman)
Into the Mind (Director, Eric Crosland & Dave Mossop)
North of the Sun (Director, Inge Wegge & Jorn Ranum)
Road From Karakol (Director, Fitz Cahall)
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (Director, Lydia Smith)...
- 1/29/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Film Festival Flix has picked up North American rights to a three films led by Mary Queen Of Scots.
Mary Queen of Scots stars Camille Rutherford and Thomas Imbach directed the historical drama. President and CEO Benjamin Oberman brokered the deal with Picture Tree International.
Katherine Randolph’s Adulthood and James Huang’s Starting From Scratch round out the shopping spree.
Adulthood is a coming-of-age ensemble about of a group of friends entering their thirties. Film Festival Flix negotiated with Markwood Films.
Starting From Scratch stars Huang, who also wrote the script about a separated couple brought back together by a tax audit. Elizabeth Sandy also stars.
The new titles will be used as part of Mousetrap Films’ distribution platform Film Festival Flix.
Film Festival Flix is also launching a monthly online short film competition with $5,000 in cash prizes.
In November, the 10 finallists will screen together in select theatres across the Us. The winner...
Mary Queen of Scots stars Camille Rutherford and Thomas Imbach directed the historical drama. President and CEO Benjamin Oberman brokered the deal with Picture Tree International.
Katherine Randolph’s Adulthood and James Huang’s Starting From Scratch round out the shopping spree.
Adulthood is a coming-of-age ensemble about of a group of friends entering their thirties. Film Festival Flix negotiated with Markwood Films.
Starting From Scratch stars Huang, who also wrote the script about a separated couple brought back together by a tax audit. Elizabeth Sandy also stars.
The new titles will be used as part of Mousetrap Films’ distribution platform Film Festival Flix.
Film Festival Flix is also launching a monthly online short film competition with $5,000 in cash prizes.
In November, the 10 finallists will screen together in select theatres across the Us. The winner...
- 2/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Each month, Film Festival Flix brings award winning films from film festivals all over the world to audiences at their local theaters. Today the company announced its next project for bringing films to local audiences. Film Festival Flix is partnering with Drafthouse Films, the distribution branch of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and will allow all Drafthouse titles to be available for download and streaming purchase on its own dedicated channel. The deal will "provide Film Festival Flix viewers with award-winning curated content from the Drafthouse Films label and help viewers find these films in a single location," says Fff CEO Benjamin Oberman. The new partnership is beginning in July with Film Festival Flix presenting the film "I Declare War" for a final series of festival screenings. Directed by Jason Lapeyre and Robert Wilson, the film follows a group of boys in the spirit of "Lord of the Flies" whose summer games turn deadly serious.
- 6/26/2013
- by Julia Selinger
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.