From: S B (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Jun 08 2009 - 08:04:41 PDT
Caryn and Frameworkers,
Sorry I'm coming a bit late to this thread, have enjoyed catching up on it.
Images continues to communicate with all who submit to us [altho as Patrick mentioned, occassionally a few fall thru the cracks due to data entry and/or new email addresses, etc.] and offer feedback when requested.
We received over 1000 submissions for 2009, so we can't send personal notes to everyone but we do try for those who have shown before at Images.
On our submission forms we state that notifications will be sent by a certain date and we don't mind it when makers check in with us in hopes of avoiding those handful of missed communiques.
We pay everyone who presents work a screening fee above the CARFAC/IMAA scale and really do our best to put the artists first. After all, the festival would not exist without the filmmakers.
I should add: we show 8mm/S8, 16mm, 35mm, all video formats, filmstrips, slide shows, 'expanded cinema' and installation art of all sizes, shapes and genres.
When we switched over from mailing letters to email notifications a few years ago we started receiving numerous "hate mail" responses -- its part of the rejection process, but one that I'm sad to report continues apace. The hardest part of what we do is telling people their film didn't get in. We don't want to contribute to a culture of raised expectations + disappointment, but it is a part of organizing a festival. If someone has a better idea or system, we're all ears.
That goes for the festival overall -- if you ever have ideas, suggestions, critiques, issues, please be in touch with us, we strive for the highest but also need your input to continue to grow.
We have an audience survey online [below] , or feel free to send Pablo or I an email.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=5S_2bFsdcpiqmR8i_2fs5RWhWQ_3d_3d
All best,
Scott
I get rejected from festivals more than I get accepted, jeje, and I understand that there are tons of reasons for not getting in. But most of the festivals don't send a note saying it didn't get in. I know it is time consuming but a simple yes or no will do it. It's not for the filmmaker to feel bad about it, there are millions of reasons for getting in or not. I sometimes get a letter saying that they are sorry they are so late, but the festival is still deciding. But after that letter, nothing. Not long ago I had a film shown in a screening in Vienna (I live in Mexico) and I needed to know if the film was to get in elsewhere to have the people at Vienna send the film. It kind of complicated things because I never knew until I myself took a look at the program (of course, I hadn't made it).
Yes/No is enough. I don't like those letters that say how good the work is but it couldn't get in because of the amount of high quality work they got from everyone else. It's the same as saying that your work is good but someone else's is better, jeje. Oh, and for the tone used, you know it's a no from the first word you read!! So just something like: Your work didn't make it, try it again next year, we are happy you considered us. That's fine with me.
Saludos,
Jorge L.
Caryn,
My festival does send out acceptance and rejection emails to each one of our filmmakers, but there are rare instances where things fall through the cracks and an address is left off our list or our message ends up shuffled into their spam folder. We do our best to notify everyone, though we do occasionally here from the angry filmmaker who wasn't told of his or her rejection.
Of course, I would love if we could make the process even more transparent. I would love if we could give rejected films some of the comments and notes we make in screening committee to give them an idea of why we rejected their film, but given that we received over 700 submissions last year alone, it would be a time-consuming effort to say the least.
Best,
Bryan
-- Scott Miller Berry, Executive Director THE IMAGES FESTIVAL 448-401 Richmond Street West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 CANADA +1 416 971 8405 telephone +1 416 971 7412 facsimile http://www.imagesfestival.com 23rd EDITION >>> 1-10 April 2010 >>> *ifpod: artist projects for viewing online or download: http://www.imagesfestival.com/ifpod "Gorgeous, startling and sometimes baffling...Toronto's annual festival of experimental media art & cross disciplinary live events remains so stimulating after 21 years of existence." -- Jason Anderson, EYE WEEKLY __________________________________________________________________ For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.