Waves '98 Wins Palme d'Or for Short Film at Cannes Film Festival

Waves '98, a mixed media 14 minute film (animation and archival footage) took home the prestigious Palm d'Or, Short Film Category, at the 68th Annual Cannes Film Festival. 

Written and Directed by Lebanese filmmaker, Ely Dagher, Waves '98 follows Omar, a teenager growing up in Beirut, sometime between post-war 1990's and today's uncertain future. A dreamer at heart, an unexpected discovery leads Omar to explore outside of his reality. 

Congrats to Ely and to the other eight short filmmakers who were talented enough to be programmed in competition. 

Top 4 Takeaways from VFF15's Crowdfunding Panel

A very warm VFF "Thank You" to our crowdfunding panelists, our hosts, Aaron Kaiser, Rick Shaw and Secret Rose Theatre, and all who attended. This was a very popular topic and there's no doubt we'll be hosting another soon. In the meantime, here's some key takeaways to get help get your project funded:

• Believe in the project. No matter what, you have to have passion (commercial or artistic) for the project that you’re asking others to support

Mindset is the first module – Alexia Anastasio

• It’s important to build a team and support for the campaign before it goes live.Thunderclap is a great tool to pool your resources (and it won’t cost your friends a penny)

Pre-launch campaign with an offline presence. Host a house party or a reading with the cast – Justin Zagri

• While it may seem like everyone is asking for money, they aren’t. It just feels that way because, well, we’re in L.A. and in the entertainment industry. The world is big and donors are everywhere. We all know the big players in the U.S. ( GoFundMe, IndieGoGo and KickStarter) but consider Europe, Asia, and Middle East

People will always support awesome projects – Lysandra Petersson

• Just because you’ve raised 25% of your goal, with three days to go, don’t think you’ve failed. And if you do fail, that’s OK, because you’ll learn what not to do the next time around

The last 2-3 days is when 50-75% of funding comes in – David Raiklen

Crowdfunding... a Free Industry Panel Hosted by Aaron Kaiser

Over the last several years, crowdfunding has opened up new avenues for indie filmmakers to raise the production budgets for their projects. With high-profile successes, such as Rob Thomas' Veronica Mars and Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here, the door appears wide open to use audience participation to green light. To further expand the playing field, the SEC has recently released regulations for equity crowdfunding and the JOBS Act. 

Join The Valley Film Festival and filmmaker Aaron Matthew Kaiser for a panel discussion about crowdfunding + the JOBS Act. We will discuss:

- What you should consider when planning a crowdfunding campaign.
- What to look for in a crowdfunding platform and what type of campaign is right for your project.
- What are the common mistakes filmmakers run into in crowdfunding campaigns and how to avoid them.
- What equity crowdfunding is and whether it should be an option for your project.

Our panelists include:

- ALEXIA ANASTASIO, VFF alumnae, actress and filmmaker who has crowdfunded three projects since 2010

- JUSTIN ZAGRI, VFF alumnus, makes his living freelancing in the entertainment industry and has recently succeeded in raising $24,000 through Kickstarter for his short film "Severus Snape and the Marauders"

- LYSANDRA PETERSSON is a Screenwriter, Director, Editor, and the co-founder of the production company Deep Structure Productions

- DAVID RAIKLEN is a Producer-Composer-Crowdfunder who has raised thousands of dollars online for projects around the world

Saturday, April 25, 2015

1:30pm - Doors Open

2pm-3:30pm - Panel

3:30pm-Networking

Secret Rose Theatre

11246 Magnolia Blvd. 

North Hollywood, CA 91601

Love Movies? Join The Valley Film Festival's Screening Committee

Love watching movies? The 15th Annual Valley Film Festival is looking for volunteers to join its Screening Committee to view and rate short & feature films, including music videos and trailers. 

Our awesome team has been working hard, since February, to get through 800+ submissions, but we need more help to meet our programming deadline of August 31.

If you can bring an objective approach to viewing films, have a strong internet connection, and a few hours to spare, please consider joining us from anywhere in the world. 

There is no minimum or maximum limit and you may go at your own pace. Interested? Please email info @ valleyfilmfest.com or sign up through VolunteerMatch.org

VFF15 will run October 21-25, 2015 at Laemmle NoHo7in the NoHo Arts District.


Pssst - we have a lot of fun! 

The Valley Film Festival 2015 Call For Entries

North Hollywood, CA (February 9, 2015) – The Valley Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its fifteenth annual season of independent films from around the Valley and the world.  The initial period is “pay what you can.”  The final deadline is August 15, 2015.

We have begun accepting short and feature-length submissions for our 2015 season.  We are seeking quality narrative / fiction films, documentaries, animation, and music videos that were produced independently anywhere in the world.  The films or filmmakers may have some connection to the San Fernando Valley area, but this is not required. 

We are accepting entries from now through August 15, with a total of five submission periods.  For each period, the application fee is the same for any film, whether short or feature-length.  Here is the schedule of dates and fees (US dollars) per film:   

February 1 - 28, 2015 -- pay what you can

March 1 - April 25, 2015  -- $25

April 26 - June 20, 2015 -- $50

June 21 - July 31, 2015 -- $75

August 1 - August 15, 2015 -- $100

The initial submission period (February 1 to February 28) is “pay what you can.”  During this time, applicants may pay whatever they like, including nothing.  If they pay little or nothing, we request that they do something additional of their own choosing that helps promote the festival. This could include, for example, “liking” the festival on Facebook, or perhaps distributing some useful information or praise via Twitter.  After this initial period, the per film entry fee then gradually increases until the final deadline in August. 

The tentative festival dates are October 28 - November 1, 2015, to be held at the Laemmle NoHo 7, located in the NoHo Arts District.  For further details, see http://www.ValleyFilmFest.com.

Founded in 2000, The Valley Film Festival, a project of Community Partners®, is the first and longest continually running film festival in the San Fernando Valley.  With a mission to join established filmmakers and emerging talent with adventurous audiences in Los Angeles, the VFF has screened a total of nearly 500 shorts, features, documentaries, animated films, and music videos from all over the world.  While emphasizing independent film, the festival also has occasionally shown studio productions, including Boogie Nights, Chinatown, Encino Man, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Magnolia, Terminator 2, Valley Girl, and World Trade Center. 

In addition to screenings, the festival provides educational panels, social events, and awards.  The juried "Ten Degrees Hotter" award is for one short and one feature from a competitive section.  Additionally, there is an award for short films, in the non-competitive section, as chosen by the audience.

For more information, visit the festival website www.ValleyFilmFest.com

Or send an email to Info@ValleyFilmFest.com

And follow us on:

Twitter (@ValleyFilmFest)

Facebook (“The Valley Film Festival”)

Our blog (http://www.ValleyFilmFest.blogspot.com)