Customer Reviews

The Variety Guide to Film Festivals

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I don't know when this fest guide came out, but it's a revelation. As an indie film producer and festgoer, I've waded through all of the hype and junk on festivals. They fall into two categories; either they're stodgy and dry or they're filled with crap about where to go dancing and/or be seen. Festivals cost a lot of money and time to attend and thank God the experts at Variety have cut through the nonsense and delivered a book that is timely, informed and concise. This festival guide cuts to the chase. Also, having been around the intl. fest scene, I know the names like Peter Cowie, David Stratton, Gerald Pratley, Derek Elley, et al. These people know their fests and they can't be bought off, which I suspect is the case with some of the nonsense I've read in books that supposedly help you "survive" fests.

I expected quite a bit more from the staff of Variety but this compilation of articles reprinted from the archives of Variety lacks focus. It is unclear who this books is for -- the filmmaker or the traveller? The thin content satisfies neither. In addition, there are glaring inaccuracies in the listings and appendix such as the phone number for the Sundance Film Festival, which is wrong. How could they get this number wrong?! Also, the book is only a paltry 197 pages, not the 288 pages mentioned in the book description. Buyer beware.

This has to be one of the most boring books I've ever read. Follow this book, and you'll end up waiting tables in no time. The film festival guide by Chris Gore is a much better, more informative read. Avoid this snoozefest!

Gaydos's guide is nicely-organized by date, which is helpful for film festival entrants,and the various indexes (country, genre,etc.)are excellent, but does it really include all-- or at least, all the major -- film festivals? If it doesn't, it's misleading to claim (from the back cover) that "you'll know all you need to know." One extremely important festival it doesn't mention is the New York Film Expo, which is the oldest venue for short independently-made films (narrative, documentary, animation, experimental) in the United States. The Expo began in 1966 or 1967 in Canton, New York,at St. Lawrence University and moved with its founder, Nick Manning, to various campuses across the country before settling in New York City.(It's now independently run.)Variety has run articles about it, as has the Village Voice and like publications. Danny De Vito, Spike Lee, and other filmmakers had among their first exposures (and some the first of many awards) at this festival. If this major festival was omitted from Gaydos otherwise well-done compendium, one has to wonder how many others have also been omitted

The book consists mainly of material reprinted from Variety and most of the content is out of date. 90% of the listings contain merely an address, phone number or fax number and the information is inconsistent and poorly arranged. How can a filmmaker make a decision about whether to enter their film in a festival with only a phone number to go by? For the traveller, this book is useless with no travel information whatsoever. The author wrote all of 10 pages (this is absolutely true) since most of the content is put together by contributors to Variety. A major disappointment and lightweight at less than 200 pages. Pass on this one.

Steven Gaydos has consolidated the best of all Film Festival Resources for filmmakers seeking to enter or sell their films. The glossary is more complete and easier than web-surfing yourself. Gaydos, Variety, and contributing writers have been most helpful in their effort to review some of the most important festivals - helpful to filmmakers who dream of their film debuting in the rarefied air of the Rocky Mountains for eg - but instead receive all-too-familiar rejections, boasting of how overwhelmed with over a thousand entrants the festival was. This guide helps narrow which festivals may be more receptive and save you $50 or more - The reviews explain that while a festival may seem idyllic, it may in fact leantoward retrospectives with sprinkles of films thathave already won something in other festivals ...vaild in their own right - but maybe not what you want - in other words save your money. (do the math: $50 x 1,000 entrants). This guide gratefully does a fair job of explaining that. Also to Gaydos credit is the organization - by date; what concept! Looking forward to the CD update point-n-click version where my computer beams me to a web page and downloads the entry form. Thanks for writing this helpful guide. Norman and Megan Gerard.

Also omitted is the Franco-Spanish Film Festival -- held in Miami last year, sponsored by the French and Spanish governments,a venue mostly for Latin American films co-financed by the French and Spanish. It has been going for at least two years. Another indication that this compendium of film festivals is neither all-encompassing nor up-to-date.