ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

7 years, 4 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

Do you have a local arts centre, or cinema that you could contact?

Although you said "contest" I wonder if experience running a festival could help. Most successful film festivals have a good working relationship with the local arts community, and most arts centres (and independent cinemas and universities) at least attempt to stage a festival once in a while. They may want to set one up, but haven't yet bothered, and your pitch might get them to do something about it.

Also, you might want to ask museums, libraries, and other related services (These do hold film festivals and contests.)

Part of the question is, why hold a film contest? Are you looking for talent, or do you really have a passion for being a judge, do you merely want to encourage local talent, or is there some other reason? Whatever the answer, this purpose will help your sell to the local council, media, filmmakers or whatever.

Anyway, all the best, and I hope things work out for you.

7 years, 4 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Vasco has a good point here - attaching to a local event for mutual benefit is a great idea. You halve marketing costs, their event is bigger and better, and you get to met local talent.

7 years, 4 months ago - John Lubran

Good points from Vasco and Paddy; I'd just add re Matthew's local council; definitely liaise with them they will probably be helpful. Additionally, if a festival, is a gathering of paying public of any specific numbers, indoors, outdoors, on public or private property a licence from the council will be required. For the council the issues will include things like health, safety, fire, hazards etc. Insurance is a must too. Most festivals need a bar, for a which a licenced person is required as well as a temporary alcohol licence. Using an established premises that already has much of these things in place makes it easier. Because Matthew"s festival would be a "local festival for local people" It might be possible to gauge how many would be likely to attend. The required infrastructural scale is all about numbers. We hold 'Landed Festival' an annual event, here in Mid Wales for cross genre cultural and entertainment on an outdoor site that's licenced for up to 2,000 people. We have three people who work pretty much all year round organising what's only a three or four day event. We ran a film festival within Landed one year which was great but unless we find someone willing to manage just that narrowly specific thing we won't run it again this year.

So yes, get the council on board and anyone else who can help. Local business's can be invaluable where mutual interests and benifits are concerned. If this is your first effort, making a profitable business of it might be secondary to having happy participants and visitors without losing money! Definitely use social media and every other type of media. Send press releases out; put posters up. Are there any relavent local celebraties who might help?

Wishing you much success Matthew.

7 years, 4 months ago - Angela Peters

Hi Matthew, agreeing with all the good points made by the previous three gents, I definitely think it's really important to get the venue, volunteers, and the reason you want to do it clear in your mind first. I run the TweetFest, a festival of the organisation UK Actors Tweetup, and we are in our fourth year now. Like John explained, it's a huge job to host a live event, as well as manage the social media, tickets, film freeway submissions, judging panel and prizes.

However, it is also really rewarding to showcase British talent and support the industry so I love doing it. If you would like to go offline and discuss further, I would be more than happy to arrange a skype call with you and talk at length about ideas on how to get started. Trust me, I've learnt loads the last few years by making tonnes of mistakes.

Good luck!!

7 years, 4 months ago - Glyn Carter

Vasco, Paddy, John, Angela - you've mostly answered a different question, assuming that Matthew wants a festival.

If it's just a contest, you needn't worry about venues - the focus is on getting entrants.

For this, you'll need leaflets and posters, and coverage in local press, and online networks. Although it doesn't seem to be one of those 48-hour filmmaking challenge things, you can get hins from anyone who's run one of these, and there may be ideas online - try googling "running a filmmaking challenge" or similar.

The council arts officer can help, and/or try education or leisure departments, and youth services (depending on where you are). An arts officer may have a list of things like film/video clubs, schools and colleges, arts and community centres etc. These are the kinds of people who need to know the contest is on.

Be clear about dates, and formats (including whether can you view celluloid?; 8mm and/or 16mm? (or even - blimey! - 32mm?). Where are you - maybe some local Shooters can help, if they don't want to enter?

As Vasco asks - why do you want to do this? Also, why would someone want to enter? Apart from kudos, people want prizes. Can you get someone to sponsor attractive prizes? Think tickets to events or cinema, not just "stuff".

If I wanted to screen the winners and runners-up, I'd ask my local independent cinema first.

Good luck

7 years, 4 months ago - John Lubran

The only requirement to involve a local council is where certain, but not always, a physical gathering of people within the public domain, which can tempoarily include private property acting as a public venue, is concerned. One could operate entirely within the non public private domain and operate a contest or competition from ones own home. Law affects just about everything one way or another. Specific law relates to specific circumstances. What exactly do you have in mind Matthew?