Introduction

What makes a comedy film work for a festival, and how does a programmer decide what belongs in the room?Benedict Morrison, Artistic Director of the LOCO London Comedy Film Festival, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about choosing comedy films, supporting emerging filmmakers and running a not-for-profit festival. They discuss what LOCO looks for in submissions, why comedy can tackle difficult subjects, and the value of seeing funny films with an audience.LOCO is a London festival dedicated to comedy filmmaking. This conversation offers a candid look at the decisions behind its programme and what filmmakers should consider before submitting.CHAPTERS00:00 The birth of LOCO04:42 Balancing academia and comedy05:56 Running a not-for-profit festival08:12 Building a comedy filmmaking community09:10 Beyond film screenings10:43 BAFTA qualification and what it means27:34 What happens when a film is submitted30:56 Comedy’s darker side32:58 Shorts, sketches and storytelling35:28 How LOCO assesses submissions36:56 Choosing and shaping the programme44:04 Comedy that challenges expectations55:05 The future of comedy in a digital age01:03:07 Benedict’s advice for filmmakersLOCO LONDON COMEDY FILM FESTIVALWebsite: https://locofilmfestival.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/locolondonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/locofilmfestival/X: https://twitter.com/LOCOFilmFestFestival submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/LOCOFilmFestivalFESTFORGE PODCASTListen and watch: https://festforge.art/podcast-linksWebsite: https://festforge.art/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForgeHOSTSBrendan CleavesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/Website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/Johnny VivashInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/

Film Festivals by the Numbers: Stephen Follows on Fees, Selection and RejectionWhat does a festival submission fee actually pay for? How is a film chosen, and what should a filmmaker take from a rejection?Film industry researcher Stephen Follows joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to look past the assumptions surrounding the festival circuit. They discuss how festivals are changing, the pressures behind submission fees, what happens during selection, and why programming is about more than judging films in isolation.The conversation also asks what filmmakers should reasonably expect from festivals: clearer information, better communication and greater transparency. Stephen brings a researcher's perspective to questions of curation, inclusion and success, while reminding us that a festival decision is one response to a film, not the final word on its worth.CHAPTERS00:00 Navigating the film festival landscape10:03 How film festivals are changing20:07 Submission fees and festival funding32:41 What filmmakers expect when they submit34:34 Why transparency matters36:38 How the selection process works39:20 The role of curation41:27 Why a festival needs its own voice43:26 Diversity and inclusion45:36 Rejection and success48:36 The future of film festivalsLISTEN AND FOLLOW FESTFORGEAll podcast links: https://www.festforge.art/podcast-linksApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/festforge/id6795884061Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033XPu9dbrx6Zc0gJEyqkQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForgeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/Website: https://www.festforge.art/GUESTStephen Follows: https://stephenfollows.com/HOSTSBrendan Cleaves: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/Brendan’s website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/Johnny Vivash: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/Johnny’s IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/

What gets a feature into FrightFest, and what makes a programmer take a chance on a new filmmaker? Ian Rattray, FrightFest co-founder and co-director, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about building the festival, programming its First Blood strand and choosing films for an audience that knows its horror.Ian discusses how submissions are assessed, why originality and ambition matter, and why rushing an unfinished cut to meet a deadline can work against you. He also talks about balancing returning filmmakers with new voices, changing audience tastes and what he would tell someone submitting to FrightFest for the first time.Listen to the FestForge Podcast: https://festforge.art/podcast-linksCHAPTERS00:00 Technical difficulties03:36 Introduction04:49 Ian's journey into film07:01 The birth of FrightFest09:08 What defines a FrightFest film?10:09 Why First Blood exists10:18 The politics behind First Blood13:09 How Ian's taste has changed15:00 Selecting films for First Blood22:49 Loyalty and new voices24:25 Big names and studios25:21 Horror films at festivals26:03 The art of programming27:33 Difficult programming decisions28:06 Audience engagement and revenue30:16 Censorship and film selection32:29 Trends versus originality36:24 Has filmmaking improved?42:28 Submissions and selection50:22 The filmmaker's perspective51:19 Ian's festival survival guide53:11 Closing thoughtsFRIGHTFESTWebsite: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/Submit a film: https://frightfest.co.uk/submissions/Team FrightFest: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/FESTFORGEWebsite: https://www.festforge.art/Podcast and listening links: https://festforge.art/podcast-linksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForgeHOSTSBrendan Cleaves: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/Johnny Vivash: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/

How does FrightFest choose the horror shorts that make it onto the big screen?James Taylor, FrightFest's Shorts Programmer, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about the selection process, how programmers build a varied line-up, and what filmmakers can do to give their work the best chance.They get into story versus budget, premiere status, audience experience, festival feedback, rejection, the path from shorts to features, and why the right screening can open real doors for a film.Chapters00:00 Technical Difficulties and Introductions02:04 Becoming Part of FrightFest03:11 The Selection Process04:00 Horror Genre and Film Submissions04:50 Curation and Programming05:49 Short Film Selection and Audience Experience06:54 Film Length and Audience Engagement07:59 Filmmaker Advice and Submission Considerations28:50 Film Submission Criteria30:27 The Impact of AI in Filmmaking36:14 The Community Experience at FrightFest43:42 The Power of Film Festivals46:57 The Role of Short Films in Festival Programming55:26 Film Submission and Festival Selection56:43 The Journey of a Film58:53 Premiere Status and Festival Strategy01:08:06 Rejection and Feedback01:18:06 The Impact of Venue and ScreeningABOUT FRIGHTFESTWebsite: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/Films and events: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/Team FrightFest: https://frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/Contact: https://frightfest.co.uk/contactus/HOSTSBrendan CleavesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/Website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/Johnny VivashInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/FESTFORGEWebsite: https://www.festforge.art/Podcast: https://www.festforge.art/podcastListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube: https://festforge.art/podcast-linksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForgeSubscribe for honest conversations about short films, festival submissions and the realities of the festival circuit.

How do you get a short film into a BIFA-qualifying festival?Kino London Short Film Festival’s Festival Director, Dustin Curtis Murphy, and Senior Programmer, Gillian Harker, join Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to discuss what makes a submission stand out, Kino’s budget-based categories, transparency, accreditation, programmer feedback and common festival-submission mistakes.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction01:00 Meet Dustin Curtis Murphy and Gillian Harker02:46 Kino London and the filmmaking journey07:10 Kino’s budget-based category system11:31 Does budget disclosure change filmmaking?18:52 Transparency around film budgets22:28 Guaranteed feedback for filmmakers26:52 The challenge of giving useful feedback31:18 Kino’s pre-selection process40:17 Transparency and filmmaker trust48:51 The BIFA-qualifying process50:06 Film festival accreditation53:10 The challenges of accreditation54:15 How accreditation affects programming57:28 Kino’s talent-focused approach01:03:26 Industry sessions and workshops01:16:41 Toxicity in the film industry01:19:27 Carving your own path01:26:26 The illusion of authority01:31:04 Common festival-submission mistakes01:33:43 Challenging the status quoListen to the FestForge Podcast:https://festforge.art/podcast-linksKINO LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVALWebsite: https://www.kinoshortfilm.com/klsffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinolondon/GUESTSDustin Curtis Murphy:http://www.instagram.com/dcmfilmmakerGillian Harker:https://www.instagram.com/gillian.harker/HOSTSBrendan Cleaves:https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/Johnny Vivash:https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/FESTFORGEhttps://www.festforge.art/https://www.youtube.com/@FestForgeSubscribe for candid conversations about short films, festival submissions and the reality of the festival circuit.

The conversation delves into discussion about the festival strategy, the impact of festival selections, the premiere strategy, and the festival experience, highlighting the importance of festival relationships and the value of festival laurels. The conversation covers the filmmaker's experience with festival opportunities, the Oscars, and the impact of winning awards. It also delves into the challenges of networking at festivals, the differences between European and American festivals, and the significance of casting in filmmaking. The conversation delves into the passion for filmmaking, the engagement with material, and the career benefits. It also explores the journey of a film, the festival circuit, financial rewards, and distribution platforms. Additionally, it discusses the craft of filmmaking, life experiences, handling rejection, and festival survival.TakeawaysImportance of festival relationships and laurels Festival opportunities open doors for filmmakersNetworking at festivals can be challengingEuropean and American festivals have different dynamicsCasting is crucial for the success of a film Passion drives actors and filmmakersEngaging with material is crucial for career benefitsChapters00:00 Navigating Film Funding03:09 The Festival Strategy09:32 The Impact of Festival Selections18:07 The Premiere Strategy23:44 The Festival Experience29:58 Festival Opportunities and the Oscars32:27 Festival Experience and Networking39:32 European vs. American Festivals53:14 Casting and Filmmaking Challenges01:00:41 The Passion for Acting and Filmmaking01:01:30 Engaging with Material and Career Benefits01:03:18 The Journey of a Film and Festival Circuit01:05:27 Financial Rewards and Distribution Platforms01:11:24 Craft of Filmmaking and Life Experiences01:21:12 Handling Rejection and Festival SurvivalLooking for the right festival strategy for your film?FestForge creates bespoke festival strategies and provides professional film hosting, helping you target the right festivals, avoid wasted submission fees and get more from your festival run.Build your custom strategy today at festforge.art.http://www.festforge.artFestForge linkshttps://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/Ben's linkshttps://www.instagram.com/ben_s_hyland/https://www.benshyland.com

The first episode of the Festival Podcast features an interview with Marko Men, the head programmer of the Grossman Fantastic Film Online Festival. The conversation covers the festival's history, unique aspects, film selection process, guest experiences, and survival guide for filmmakers. It also delves into the positioning of the festival in the context of the film festival circuit and its community-building activities. The conversation covers insights from Marco Metzen, the film 'The Ones Who Grieve', the affliction of the Black Veil, the Tesla Tower and electricity, revisited zombie and new wave zombie, period setting and cinematography, the filmmaking journey, handling rejection, festival advice, and the Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival experience.TakeawaysGrossman Festival's unique combination of film and wine sets it apartCommunity and networking play a significant role at Grossman Festival Insights into the filmmaking journeyImportance of perseverance and festival experienceChapters00:00 Introduction to Grossman Festival00:46 History of Grossman Festival01:17 Influence of Karl Brosman and Fritz Lang03:06 Positioning of Grossman Festival04:02 Unique Aspects of Grossman Festival05:29 Community and Networking at Grossman Festival06:53 Guests and Personal Experiences08:02 Securing Guests for the Festival09:45 Film Selection Process11:42 Film Programming and Scheduling24:16 Film Premieres and Selection Criteria25:13 Events and Activities at Grossman Festival27:33 Survival Guide for Filmmakers at Grossman28:32 Introduction to the Festival29:26 Insights from Marco Metzen31:48 Quarks and His Film32:32 The Ones Who Grieve33:25 The Black Veil Affliction34:18 The Tesla Tower and Electricity35:08 Revisited Zombie and New Wave Zombie35:28 Period Setting and Cinematography37:19 Pandemonium and Filmmaking Journey47:28 Handling Rejection and Festival Advice53:14 Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival Experiencehttp://www.festforge.art

The Fest Forge Podcast is introduced by Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash, who aim to provide insights and knowledge about the film festival experience. They discuss the purpose of the podcast, insider knowledge of festivals, the festival experience, the filmmaking journey, the Fest Forge platform, and the filmmaker's festival journey.TakeawaysInsights into the film festival experienceUnderstanding the importance of the festival journey for filmmakersChapters00:00 Introduction to Fest Forward Podcast00:33 The Purpose of the Podcast01:18 Insider Knowledge of Festivals02:26 The Festival Experience03:38 The Filmmaking Journey04:43 Fest Forge Platform06:06 Filmmaker's Festival Journeywww.festforge.arthttps://www.instagram.com/festforge.art