FILMMAKERS

MISSION STATEMENT

FESTIVUS Film Festival was created to support and encourage independent film and filmmakers. We strive to provide the best possible platform for filmmakers to present their work to the public. Add to that: healthy screening attendance, plenty of networking opportunities, and parties you will tell your children about. This is the film festival event that you do not want to miss.

It is our goal to treat each and every filmmaker (both through the submission process and after) with the respect and professionalism they deserve. To ensure this we have created a list of “promises” that we have made to hold ourselves accountable.

OUR PROMISES TO YOU, THE FILMMAKER

1. We WILL respond to your emails and phone calls, promptly.
2. We WILL answer any question you may have about the festival.
3. We WILL notify everyone that submitted a film of the selection panel’s decisions, not just those that were accepted.
4. We WILL notify you on the listed notification date, not 2 weeks later.
5. We WILL contact you as soon as your submission arrives.
6. We WILL stand by and honor these promises.

TESTIMONIALS

Festivus was an amazing experience from the moment I got accepted via email until the end. They picked me up at the airport and gave my local friends passes and were available to drive us wherever we needed to go . everything was so organized. truly impressed. and… I won for Best Narrative short so I cant complain. I will definately recommend to my friends and will be submitting my next one for sure!!!
-Pamela Green, Compact Only

Our film “Railed” also screened at this year’s Festivus Film Festival… and we couldn’t be any more proud to be a part of the Festivus Family. Like stated many times above, first and foremost they treat the filmmakers like gods!! This is something I truely hope they carry on in the following years when they are the 500 pound gorilla of the festival circuit. Festivus was a blast.. We enjoyed everything about it… If you’re looking to submit to any festivals next year and are reading this.. we STRONGLY recommend this festival. It’s worth the submission fee!! Thanks again to all the staff and crew of Festivus and making it such a great experience for us.
-Ryan Fox, RAILED

We couldn’t have had a better time at Festivus 08. I can say that everything the festival was building up to be, was that, and even more. The Festivus crew kept the weekend flowing through screenings, filmmaker events (yes we played paintball! Sorry about those welts Tim, but war is war.) and after parties.

Audience attendance was great. They had clearly done their part in notifying the community about the event from the various media presence and folks walking around with weekend passes. So to everyone who was there I say it was great to meet you, for everyone who had their film in the lineup I say congratulations and for anyone thinking about submitting next year do it, and go if you get in!
-Steve Gatlin, Beauty 24

First off, the reason we entered this festival was its mission statement. Their goal is to support and encourage ‘awesomely badass, truly independent films, the guy that pawned his car to make a film.’ After meeting most of the filmmakers and watching their films, this festival totally surpassed its goal. Great films, with great stories behind the making. It was AMAZING!!! I have been to 8th and 9th year festivals that haven’t got it as together as this festival. My advice to everyone: NEXT YEAR, ENTER! And if you are lucky enough to get in, GO!
-Mark and Christine Bonn, In Times of War

Had a GREAT time at Festivus – didn’t make the paintball event (to quote Murphy – Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!), but saw some great films and met some cool filmmakers. The Cabbie screening was well-attended. The Festivus staff really went out of their way to make everything happen to the best of their ability, and it showed. The friends I had who attended were really impressed, and like other “civilians” I’ve invited out to a festival screening, they want to attend more in the future.
-Steve Gelder, Cabbie

Well, I have to say that FESTIVUS launched with all the fan fare that was promised! We too, had a really fabulous time. It was so great to meet so many filmmakers, and to finally spend some time with some of my WAB buddies in person. You all more than lived up to my expectations! We loved The Curtis Hotel. It was “trendy”, retro-hip and very comfortable! I don’t think they could have made a better choice for a host hotel. The Festivus staff was cheerful, helpful, and genuinely interested in making sure we felt welcome and appreciated.
-Stacy Brenner-Schroeder, Revolver

Me and Greg Lobb from Life with Fiona were also blown away by pretty much everything about the inaugural Festivus FF, and we look forward to them being around a long time and getting to say we were in the first one!

They put many much more established ones to shame, and part of the reason is that they not only ARE filmmakers themselves but that they actively solicited and considered advice from their peers – the best way to learn your way around quickly, if you get lucky.
-Brendan Davis, Life With Fiona

Just wanted to chime in and say the guys at Festivus did an amazing job. It was a fun festival, and the programming was top notch. Congrats to all the filmmakers and event staff. If only all festivals could be run this well. Thanks to Johnathan and Tim for the hospitality and letting me screen “The Dead Beat.” I’m looking forward to next years fest.
-Xavier Watkins, The Dead Beat

A belated quick thank you for a great weekend of film. You should be very proud of yourselves for staging such an interesting event, and for laying a very solid foundation for years to come. The selection of films was bold, brave and innovative. The festival is truly independent in sprit, and freshly devoid of the sycophantic star-worship of so many so called ‘indie’ and ‘international’ film festivals. I saw some great films, met with some great people –  other filmmakers and audience members alike, and made some great contacts and friends. The most important achievement was creating a positive, nurturing and celebratory environment for emerging film makers, and gifting audiences the chance to experience films they may otherwise not get to see. I, as were all the film makers who attended, was looked after in ways so thoughtful and so far above any expectations, and treated with respect and encouragement. I would recommend any film maker, no matter how experienced/inexperienced, working at whatever level, to submit their film to Festivus.
-Gareth Roberts, Kill Kill Faster Faster

Gentlemen,
Just wanted to write you a quick note praising you once again for a great experience. Your stated goal of making a Festival for Filmmakers was a huge success. And the fact that we won an award was gravy on the cake (yum, cake and gravy.) It only cost me an extra 15 minutes at the airport, too, as the TSA people stared at the monitor and eventually asked me if I had a “very special comb” in my bag. So once again, thanks to all of you and congrats. Hopefully it’s the start of something that keeps on going, because we sure need more like it.
-Matthew Kohnen, Wasting Away