[Filmfestivalresearch] Film Festival Research - Call for researchparticipation

[Sumanta Barua]

Dear Tyrone

 

Although my research in not on fraudulent activity by film festivals, yet it has appeared often during my interviews to understand filmmakers' experiences at film festivals. I will share some of them with you to keep this email brief.

 

During my interviews in UK, Ireland and India in the last yew years, I was told that there are number of festivals that charge hefty fees and their marketing literature promises a lot, but fails to deliver. Data analysis has shown that younger or early career filmmakers tends to end up visiting such festivals more than others, and the underlying reasons include desperation to kick start their career, they feel valued during pre-festival correspondences with the organisers etc. Mid career to established filmmakers often use selective criteria to visit festivals, including, their own experience and industry knowledge, segmentation, word-of-mouth etc.

 

Interestingly, the word ‘fraudulent’ has also been used by some filmmakers to define some genuine film festivals as the festival failed to communicate clearly its aims and objectives. For example, in 2010 I interviewed an Iranian filmmaker who went to an Indian film festival, this filmmaker was very disappointed to see that there were fewer films by non-Indian filmmakers although it marketed itself as international film festival. He thought the organisers were frauds (although the festival was free to participate at that time). During the interviews, organisers mentioned that they called their festival international because it had films (Indian) that were shown at international film festivals as well as few films made by foreign filmmakers, but their priority was to offer platform to early stage Indian filmmakers.

 

Other findings during my data collection on audiences (who visit film festivals regularly) as well as filmmakers include a trend where increasingly early career filmmakers and audiences are relying on word-of-mouth advice from friends and family to avoid fraudulent festivals. And online public forums and social media are facilitating such recommendations too.

 

If you have any question or if you would like to know more about the research, please feel free to ask.

  

Best wishes

 

Sumanta Barua



On 5 Jan 2013, at 14:13, Classic Media Entertainment <info at cmefilms.co.uk> wrote:

> 
> Dear all
> We run the Universal Film and Festival Organization, we are aware of the research done by many of the members of this group in the area of film festivals.
>  
> We would like to ask if anyone is doing or has done any research in the area of fraudulent activity by film festivals . We have covered this in the Universal film Magazine in almost every issue.
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> It seems that is is a subject that no one is very interested in exploring, however it is a very important issue and the education of filmmakers and film festivals about this activity is imperative.
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> We would like to hear from anyone who is exploring this or who is concerned by this
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> Regards
>  
> Tyrone D Murphy
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> Founder/CEO - Universal Film & Festival Organization www.uffo.org
> Editor - Universal Film Magazine www.ufmag.biz
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> -------Original Message-------
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> From: Sumanta Barua
> Date: 05/01/2013 13:56:07
> To: filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org
> Cc: Finola Kerrigan
> Subject: [Filmfestivalresearch] Film Festival Research - Call for researchparticipation
>  
> Dear friends and colleagues
>  
>  
>  
> I am PhD candidate at King’s College London researching on Film Festivals and Filmmakers. This is my final stage of data collection and I am interviewing producers and directors. This research is expected to not only contribute to the organisation of more viable and efficient film festivals but also to the encouragement of better financial opportunities for the filmmakers, small production houses and other stakeholders in the film industry. I have attached a brief information sheet about my research with this email.
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> If you are a producer or director of any types of film I will really appreciate your participation in my research. Filmmakers at all stages in their career and from any country are welcome to participate.  The interview should not take long and can be done on Skype.
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> I will also be thankful if you are able to forward this email to any organisation or filmmakers who might be interested to participate in my research. Finally, I welcome any collaboration from any organisation in return for access to this research. I expect to submit my thesis by the end of this year, which means the findings should be available by early next year. This research is particularly relevant for those organisations (public, private and not-for-profit) that funds and/or organises film festivals, or has interest in the wider development of the film industry.
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> Kind regards
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> Sumanta Barua
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> sumanta.barua at kcl.ac.uk
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> +44 7590650626
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