New Film Festival is Shaking Up the Festival Submission Process

NEW YORK - May 16, 2014 - PRLog -- "Film Festivals around the world have some changes to make. The current system just isn't fair to the filmmakers."

This according to Dan Bulger, founder of the newly announced MAKER International Film Festival (MAKER IFF), who has unleashed a new kind of submission process that promises to put a smile on independent filmmaker's faces.

"Filmmakers everywhere can't stand the way festivals handle their submissions. You pay up to $80 and what do you get? Usually a letter explaining that your film was great but unfortunately due to 'a large volume of submissions' your film didn't make the cut. Lots of them don't even watch many of the films."

MAKER IFF is doing things a little differently. Not only do they guarentee to watch every film that is sent to them, but they take things to an entire new level of transparency: The Chain of Custody.

"Submit to us and we will let you know exactly who watched your film, and we will let you know that right away. Everytime someone watches your film you will get an email. Right away. If it's watched by one screener and then passed up the chain you'll get an email telling you that too.

Mr. Bulger went on to explain that it doesn't stop with the screening process. Whenever MAKER IFF rejects a film from it's festival they send a rejection letter like everyone else, but, of course, they add a little more to it.

"Most rejection letters are boiler plate. You can't tell if they even watched your film, and you have no idea what they thought about it other than that is wasn't good enough for them. We send a rejection letter with feedback into our thought process. What we thought about the film, and why we couldn't accept it into the festival."

Any thing for filmmakers whose films do make it into the festival?

"MAKER IFF promises to share 10% of all profits from the festival with the filmmakers whose films are shown."

The 2015 festival is scheduled for May, 2015 and a venue is to be announced in July of 2014. MAKER International Film Festival is currently open for submissions at early entry rates.

For more information please visit www.makeriff.com