DO OVER Fall Festival Run

I'll be the first to admit: My short film had a quiet summer. After winning Best Comedy at the Iowa Film Festival, we did not hear much until late in the summer. Let me clarify - we did not hear much in the way of positive news. I'm not going to pretend we haven't had our share of rejections, and I'll even go so far as to say I was a little worried we may not screen anywhere after Iowa. The rest of the year would have this cloud of disappointment despite our award and previous screenings.

Just as soon as I was getting down on myself, good news rolled in. Before I knew it September, October, and November started filling up with "Do Over" screenings. Is it too revealing to admit that I'm as relieved as I am grateful and excited to be screening at these festivals (three of which have past as of this posting):

September

Cinesol - 9/8 - 9/9: Even though I have ties to the Rio Grande Valley, I was unable to attend this screening due to scheduling conflicts. I wish I could have. I'd like to make inroads in the film community in south Texas. But word got back to me that the film played well and was well received.

Atlanta Shortsfest - 9/15: Again, I was unable to attend this festival. Short films just don't have the kind of travel budget I wish they could. Heck, most indie features don't have much of a travel budget. While The Goat Farm Arts Center doesn't sound sexy on paper, the photos on their web site make that a fest look like a wild party. I'd love to attend with another project in the future.

LA Shortsfest - 9/12: This festival I did attend. Of the fests to travel to long distance, I could not turn down the chance to network in the heart of the industry. I also have a handful of close friends there and also managed to catch The Master in 70MM at the Arclight the night before I left. Totally worth it.

Dallas Video Fest - 9/30: I will be attending this screening at the end of the month. "Do Over" screens as part of the Texas Show program which is lovingly curated with the best in short filmmaking coming out of Texas in 2012.

October

Austin Film Festival - 10/18 - 10/19: Obviously, I'm very excited for this screening for myself and the rest of my cast and crew. There is nothing like finding appreciation in your hometown and to be able to share your work with your peers. We screen in front of a feature in the Comedy Vanguard section - Missed Connections - which will hopefully expose us to a different audience than if we were in a shorts program.

The Flatland Film Festival - 10/20: This will be the second time I have a short screen at the Flatland Film Festival in Lubbock. It will also be the second time I cannot attend. The first time, back in 2005, my short "Test Day" screened there and won both the Grand Prize and the Audience Award. I think the festival may have been a little miffed I wasn't there for the first year of their fest. I was living in Los Angeles at the time, just starting out in the industry and I couldn't afford to fly out to Lubbock. This time, Flatland is scheduled against the Austin Film Festival. As much as I'd love to visit this festival in northwest Texas, I can't pass up the hometown screening for "Do Over."

The Rumschpringe International Short Film Festival - 10/27 7PM - That's a tough one to fit onto our poster, lemme tell ya. But we're excited to be screening at this great little festival in Lancaster, PA. In German, Rumschpringe means "to jump around." To learn more about RISFF, go here. Our schedule can be found here.

November

The Brownfish Short Film Festival - 11/1 - 11/3: I'm very excited to be screening in New York City! That will mean we were able to screen in both major markets for the industry and cover quite a bit of ground between all these festivals. I won't be able to attend Brownfish, but maybe some of my recently re-located crew will be able to.

The Rockport Film Festival - 11/1-11/3: Whoa, we're in two festivals at once? What kind of magic is that. Ah, yes, that' right: We're living in the digital age. Very pleased to be covering so much ground in my home state. Wish I could attend this one, but I got some personal matters to attend to that weekend. "Do Over" screens Friday, November 2nd at 1 PM.

There are other fests I'm waiting to announce until they go public on their web sites. So maybe I'll come back to this post and update it as I make those announcements. I can say that we'll have, as of this writing, at least three more festivals to brag about. I'm just happy to be getting my work as a writer and director seen. I've worked hard as an editor on other people's projects. I feel like the next step for me as a filmmaker is to be considered a director just as much as I'm seen as an experienced editor. 

As John Cassevettes said: There are no geniuses. It's just a lot of... hard work and trying to get it.