Cannes 2012...The Application Process

If you consider yourself “in” the industry, then attending the Cannes Film Festival, or Festival de Cannes, is a must. After, of course, attending The Valley Film Festival. Fortunately, the two are months apart.

Yes, we understand that your credit cards are maxed out from your last production, and that you’re between projects, and like most of the industry, you haven’t worked in months. Trust us, VFF gets it. We’re all volunteers with various stages of work and project commitments, or lack thereof. That being said, if your presence at work/home can be spared for one week, attending Festival de Cannes is a must to revitalize your artistic soul and renew your industry contacts.

Worried about the logistics? Don’t. VFF will tell you how to do Cannes on a budget that even an unemployed screenwriter can afford. Really! With almost a year to go until the next festival, you, too, can Cannes.

In this post, we’ll focus on the application process.

First, save the dates for the 65^th Festival de Cannes: May 9-20^th, 2012.

Next, follow the Festival de Cannes on Facebook, Twitter, or via the festival's RSS feed to know when the accreditation process opens. And, when it does, apply as early as possible. Oh, yeah, and it’s free. Yes, a full festival, professional badge to the most prestigious film festival in the world is FREE. You have nothing to lose by applying.

Navigating the badge system seems straight forward – the festival website offers accreditation in four different categories: Festival (film professionals), Press (media professionals), Marche du Film (professionals who buy or sell films) and Cannes Cinephiles (lovers of film) – but it’s really complex, with different levels of access and priorities.

Additionally, there are 1, 2, and 3-day passes, and Short Film Corner badges. 

Most likely, you'll apply for the Festival badge. This is the badge for film professionals and it grants you access to the Palais des Festival, Marche du Film, Village International, badge-only hotels such as the Majestic and Carlton, Short Film Corner, and Official Selection screenings.

Just a few years ago, one had to snail mail a CV and physical collateral supporting professional claims. Now that festival accreditation is online, it’s pretty simple. You’ll be asked to supply a link to your credits or attach a PDF. You should link to your IMDB page or an online CV that best showcases your artistic talents. If you’re a freelancer, you should have your own website (not a Facebook page) or, at the very least, a LinkedIn profile.

MMV Cannes-Mandelieu Resort

You’ll also be asked to indicate where you’ll be staying while in Cannes. This seems like a trick question, right? Who knows where they’re going to stay four months down the road? Don’t leave this section blank. It’s our belief that if the Office of Accreditation sees that you have accommodation lined up, they’ll know that you’re already committed to the festival. VFF uses the physical address of the MMV Cannes-Mandelieu Resort, because it’s an affordable hotel we’ve stayed at before, and it's our trusted back-up plan if nothing better comes along. And by better, we mean something closer to the Croisette or near the beach. The MMV Cannes-Mandelieu Resort is an all-suites hotel, about 4 miles from the Croisette, and it offers free shuttle service to and from the Palais des Festival. It’s an awesome hotel and can comfortably sleep 4 in a standard suite.

Finally, you’ll be asked to leave a comment. Again, don’t leave this section blank. If you don’t have a specific question to ask, say something nice about the festival (it’s not hard) or mention why you want to attend. By saying something, anything, you're letting the Office of Accreditation know that you respect their time and the festival.

It goes without saying, but if your primary email address is something along the lines of “PartyGirl55” or “NFLKid007” @, you should probably create a free Gmail account, use your work email (even if you’re not attending on your company’s behalf), or ask a really good industry friend, with their own domain, to create a temporary email account for you. 

Now, if you’re a filmmaker with a spare $100 USD to submit a recent short film to the Short Film Corner, do it! It’s so worth it. Submitting to the Short Film Corner is NOT the same thing as submitting a film to the Festival de Cannes. While organized by the festival, the Short Film Corner is a mini-market for short films, and has a slew of fantastic opportunities for filmmakers. Provided your film meets certain conditions, filmmakers are all but guaranteed inclusion in the Short Film Corner...which comes with two all-access festival badges. The Short Film Corner badge will get you into everything the professional “Festival” badge will get you into: Palais des Festival, Marche du Film, Village International, etc.  By the way, it’s free to submit a short film to Festival de Cannes, so you should do that too. Competition is fierce, but you have nothing to lose.

Ok, let’s suppose you don’t have a short film to submit to the Short Film Corner, and you just received a rejection letter for the professional “Festival” badge. Now what? Chances are, the Office of Accreditation will soften the blow and offer you a Cannes Cinephiles badge instead. If your main goal is to soak up the sun and perhaps catch a film or two, go ahead and accept it. The Cannes Cinephiles badge was originally designed as a “locals only” badge and will not allow you to access the Palais des Festival, Marche du Film, Village International, etc. It will only allow you access to select Cannes Cinephile screenings, in select screening rooms, somewhere in Cannes. We’ve never been able to track down this screening room, so it’s off the beaten path for sure.

If you want more out of the festival, thank the Office of Accreditation for their consideration and clearly indicate that you do not wish to accept the Cannes Cinephiles badge. Be gracious and respectful. 

Why refuse the Cannes Cinephiles badge, you ask? Great question. If you’re in the Festival de Cannes computer system as a Cannes Cinephiles badge holder, you will not be able to purchase a day pass.  There is some weird technicality that will not allow you to buy a temporary badge if you’ve already been assigned one.

You can purchase a 1, 2, or 3-day pass for about 20 euros a day. The days are consecutive and you can only make the request once. A day pass will give you access to all of the areas covered by the professional Festival badge. If you’re in town for a week, you should wait at least a day to acclimate yourself to the festival before buying your day pass. If you know someone at the festival with a Festival, Short Film Corner, or Marche du Film badge, ask them to accompany you to the day pass office. You don’t need to have a “sponsor” to purchase a day pass, but having someone vouching for your professional reasons to be inside the Marche is a plus.  This is not the time to flaunt your credits or pull rank. Instead, use this moment to say you’ve made an appointment with XYZ company or have been invited to a Short Film Corner screening.

Now that you’ve been granted a badge, or have decided to go without one, we’ll cover logistics, festival must-dos (with our without a badge), non-festival activities, and more. We want you to enjoy Festival de Cannes as much as we do!

“There are way worse jobs than sitting in front of a computer”: An Interview with Ester Brym

By James Latham

Recently, one of our alumni filmmakers, Ester Brym, posted something interesting on Facebook: “So the question is: Do I leave the TV business immediately or do I put up with it a little longer? Would washing dishes make more sense? Or what shall I do?”

Seeing this, and her film, I wanted to talk with Ester about this all-too-familiar situation as well as how her work is going, and her thoughts and experiences with social media.


James Latham: Your documentary film Butterflies, which won an award at last year’s VFF, profiles several online personalities as they become YouTube celebrities. How was your experience at the festival, and how has the film done since then?

Ester Brym: VFF was actually one of our favorite festivals. It was also the last festival we screened at since we started the festival circuit in early 2009. We have since gotten international distribution for the film via Journeyman Pictures and are working on our next project.

JL: Could you talk a little about how you got distribution, and some of the details about the deal itself—especially things that other filmmakers seeking distribution ought to be aware of?

EB: I think we were pretty lucky to get such great distribution by Journeyman Pictures, which has a great reputation in the documentary film field. I have not seen a bad film distributed by them and they were pretty fair and straightforward from the beginning. They told us exactly what to expect and what is not reasonable, so we decided to go with them over limited theatrical release, because this way we actually get to see some money. We had to deliver them both PAL and NTSC versions and cut the film down to 50 minutes so they could sell all over the world, and indeed they have so far sold Butterflies to Brazil, Poland, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and even Kenya and northern Europe.

JL: As your film shows, social media can be great in many ways, but what do you think are some of its biggest myths or problems—especially for people working in “old” media?

EB: I think sometimes social media is being given way too much credit in terms of bringing attention to art projects, movies, music, causes, etc. It is definitely a great platform to use for networking, but as it becomes more popular and therefore also more crowded, lots of important events / projects will just get lost in the mix. It can be a great tool for businesses / projects etc. if used correctly, but it can also be a big waste of time if one doesn’t get fully engaged, doesn’t use it for communication back and forth, or uses it mainly to “spam”.

JL: What are you doing now professionally, in both film and TV?

EB: We are currently working on our second documentary about Route 66, which we spent three weeks travelling on. I am also in pre-production for a film about the European band Chinaski.

In terms of TV work, it is, as you would call it, my “day job” even though I work mostly nights in order to get more time during the day for whatever work I want to accomplish on my own. I work in post-production.

JL: What do you like and dislike about your work in TV? Would washing dishes make more sense as a day job?

EB: I like that I don’t have to commit to one company or one project for too long. I freelance so I can always see the end in sight. I also like that I can very often meet creative people who later collaborate with us on our documentary films.

I really dislike the way TV is going in the past few years and the amount of reality shows taking over our lives. I don’t see any redeeming value in these shows. It is not really creative work; it is just a form of voyeurism. The shots are not beautiful, the dialogue is lame, peoples’ attitudes are not always right and the production work hours and ethics can be ridiculous. I am not sure if washing dishes would make more sense, but sometimes I think working in a museum or in a park would. I guess the key is to have a day job that can be in some way inspiring. I don’t see reality TV as an inspiration, and no matter how hard I try to respect it, I always fail.

JL: Post-production in Reality TV may not be your preferred type of day job, but have you looked into leveraging your experience in both film and TV to make some kind of move within TV, as a day job that still may not be ideal but is helping you grow? Is it post- in Reality TV or nothing in TV?

EB: I think it would be pretty hard to do something very career oriented in TV and still manage to work on my documentaries. These are two such different fields (as much as they sometimes seem very similar to people) that I believe I can only do one well.

JL: How would you describe the response you got from your Facebook posting? What was the most useful feedback? Any surprises?

EB: I think the most useful advice was from people who have their 9-5 jobs and dislike it. They believe that one has to do something for money, and if it is not absolutely terrible (which, let’s be honest, there are way worse jobs than sitting in front of a computer), one should be able to get through it. I also realize that other jobs might not cover all my bills, so the actual idea of changing careers is not very reasonable.

JL: You are originally from the Czech Republic, studied filmmaking in New York, and then moved to Los Angeles. How has living and working here turned out differently than you had imagined, for better or worse?

EB: I don’t think I ever imagined living here or in NY so it turned out pretty good for me. I just kind of took one day at a time and things happened according to what I was interested in at that time. I am definitely very lucky to be able to live in some of the most wonderful cities in the world and I don’t take it for granted.

JL: In your film work, have you done much with professional organizations, such as the International Documentary Association?

EB: We used IDA a lot for marketing our film. We attended their networking events, met people, other filmmakers, got to see lots of films, asked questions... so yes.

JL: So, in the end, where do you plan to go, professionally?

EB: Professionally, I would just like to be able to do what I am doing now, and if possible with as little of reality TV in my life as I can. That means that I would like to keep making films, meeting people who are passionate about them, creative and willing to help just to be part of something great. Ideally, I would love to be able to travel and film all around the world as there are so many stories out there and I would love to learn about them and then put them into a film for others to see.

Remembering a Valley Icon...Marilyn Monroe

Photo: David Conover

On what would have been her 85th birthday, The Valley Film Festival would like to take a moment to remember Marilyn Monroe. Born June 1, 1926, Norma Jeane Baker is among The Valley's most famous residents, if not THE most famous, and VFF is thrilled that this cinematic legend called The Valley home sweet home

There are countless books and blogs dedicated to the minutiae that is Marilyn, so we thought we'd highlight just a few of her (818) stomping grounds.

Before graduating from Van Nuys High School, Marilyn attended Lankershim Elementary School...right around the corner from our old haunts, El Portal Theatre. 

Home addresses included:

6707 Odessa Avenue, Van Nuys, 91406 (cross streets: Vanowen and Hayvenhurst)

4524 Vista Del Monte St., Sherman Oaks, 91403 (cross streets: Moorpark and Hortense)

131 South Avon St., Burbank, 91505 (cross streets: Riverside and Warner Blvd.)

And, while her first husband, Jimmy was in the South Pacific during WWII, Norma Jeane rolled up her sleeves and worked on the Radio Plane munitions assembly line in Burbank (adjacent to Bob Hope Airport).  While there, she was photographed for Yank magazine and the rest is history.

If you want to remember Marilyn, we suggest you visit Netflix and stream Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, costarring valley goddess and Van Nuys High School grad, Jane Russell. 

Remembering a Valley Icon...Bob Hope

It's Memorial Day weekend! While you're sitting poolside, cocktail in hand, with the grill cooking, we wanted to remind you to take a moment to remember & thank the men and women of the U.S. Military.

This weekend we're also remembering Bob Hope, born May 29, 1903, and a Valley resident for than 60 years until his death in 2003. From WWI to the Persian Gulf War, and everything in between, Mr. Hope headlined 60 USO tours.

In 1999, U.S. Congress declared him the first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces for his humanitarian work with the USO, to which he replied, "I've been given many awards in my lifetime — but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most — is the greatest honor I have ever received."

If you don't have friends, family, or relatives in the military, take a moment to reflect on the day and then fire up Netflix and stream The Road to Bali or The Road to Hong Kong.

Jules Dameron on Deaf Women in Film

Following up on our previous post about Alyssa Dole, we wanted to go into a bit more depth on the subject of deaf women working in film. So we contacted filmmaker Julia (Jules) Dameron, the founder of Deaf Women in Film. Here are some things she wanted us to know:

“How many deaf and hard of hearing people are actually out there? According to the National Association of the Deaf, about 17% of all people in the United States are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened or deaf-blind--in a simple word to summarize it all: deaf. That’s a lot of people, roughly 36 million people just in the U.S. Over four times the population of New York City. And roughly half of them are women, a community that itself has been historically marginalized and disempowered.

“Deaf Women in Film is not an official organization, but a gathering of people who need to be recognized for their unique circumstances in our society. The deaf and hard of hearing communities are very naturally close knit, sharing a wonderfully unique way of life and communicating, whether it be in the form of sign language, visual gestures, or the written word.

“Are there any deaf women in film? ‘Oh, wait! I know about Marlee Matlin. She won that Oscar for Children of a Lesser God in the 80s.’ That’s pretty much all the general public knows about us. Marlee Matlin is truly a fine actress and a wonderful representative for deaf people today. However, there are many more talents out there, and I want everyone to know it.

“Now, there’s no telling how many people work in the film industry, but the truth is, it’s becoming a larger industry nowadays, due to new and better technologies, globalization, and so many people interested in being media producers, distributors, or at least consumers. Filmmaking is sexy and spreading, no doubt about it, and it’s a big tent where all kinds of people can contribute.

“Film festivals are also helping, whether it’s the VFF or even several festivals around the world specifically devoted to films by or about deaf people. In the U.S., for example, there are the Maine Deaf Film Festival and the Deaf Rochester Film Festival.

“Still, deaf people are underrepresented in film, and yet they are also motivated. Working in film presents a lot of extra challenges, but the deaf often work (or at least aspire to work) in film for many reasons. Here are a few:

Film is a form of visual communication. For minds that are intimately trained to think visually, it’s only natural for deaf people to be drawn to forms of visual expression such as filmmaking. Not just interested, but really good at it—sort of like what they say about blind people having strong senses of smell, hearing, and touch; deaf people have the potential to use film and other visual media in more powerful, expressive ways than the average Joe.

Art springs from suffering. Well, that’s not always the case, but it happens often. Deaf people are doubly challenged, first by their condition and then by a society that is often clueless about how to respect or understand them. Even hearing parents of deaf children, who should know better, can be very insensitive. Deaf people have plenty of hard life experiences and frustrations that can help them to be powerful communicators.

Being unable to find work. Getting and keeping a job so often requires things like talking on the phone that it’s easy for deaf people to be intimidated and not even try to find “regular” work. They often end up working as American Sign Language teachers, teachers for the deaf, or in related government jobs, even though they would prefer more options and can bring a lot to the table. Deaf people also are often self-employed, creating their own businesses, or freelancing. In film, which is full of freelancers, many deaf people are filmmakers, actors, etc.

“Many deaf people are really motivated to work in film, and society benefits from their contributions. It’s important for all of us that deaf people—like women, like ethnic minorities, like gays and lesbians, like everyone—be able to portray themselves more accurately and honestly than what we usually see in the mainstream media.

“We’ve got to get away from the marginalization and stereotyping that, even today, we find in mainstream depictions of deaf people. For instance, deaf people being portrayed as victims in need of help, or as perfect lipreaders or completely mute. In fact, these are often not the case for individual people. There’s so much more diversity among deaf people than you would think.

“Deaf people already have done some great work, and not just Marlee Matlin. In the acting world of deaf talents there are Phyllis Frelich, Linda Bove, Deanne Bray, Shoshannah Stern, and Amber Zion, to name a few women. Among the men are Bernard Bragg, Troy Kotsur, Tyrone Giordano, Russell Harvard, Anthony Natale, and CJ Jones. Deaf filmmakers, aside from myself, include Wayne Betts, Jr., Mark Wood, Jade Bryan, Kamau Buchanan, Adrean Mangiardi. Each has such a unique and amazing voice to express on film.

“We have so many wonderful deaf women in the film industry eager to move forward in their careers. There are truly many talented actresses, filmmakers, cinematographers, editors, screenwriters, choreographers, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, and the list keeps getting longer. Deaf Women in Film is expanding, and the website has links to most of these deaf women who have joined up.

Photo by Erik Call
Edited by James Latham