Film festivals

I am thinking of submitting a doc I am working on to film festivals and commercializing it. Should I wait until the film has been submitted and (hopefully) shown before I start submitting to tv and cable, or is it ok to do both at the same time? Does it actually help pitch the show to stations when it has been in these festivals? Are film festivals just a big waste of time? If they aren't, which ones are worth submitting to?

Also: I plan on getting the copyright as soon as I have finalized editing. I am concerned about the film being in people's hands and viewed before I actually try to commercialize it, I worry that it could be copied in some manner. Will the copyright be enough to protect the work if this happens?

> Should I wait until the film has been submitted and (hopefully) shown before I start
> submitting to tv and cable, or is it ok to do both at the same time?

You should research both at the same time, but usually festival exposure leads to broadcast opportunities. Also, many festivals demand a premiere of some sort (eg. first screening in California) in order to qualify at all. So usually festivals are privileged, and definitely leave the thing off the web until its festival life is over.

> Also: I plan on getting the copyright as soon as I have finalized editing. I am concerned about
> the film being in people's hands and viewed before I actually try to commercialize it, I worry
> that it could be copied in some manner. Will the copyright be enough to protect the work if
> this happens?

You already own the copyright; the thing left to do is to register it. Copyright law does not require that you register a work in order for you to be protected, but registration helps prove it. I wouldn't worry too much because films are very hard to rip off -- pretty difficult for another person to claim s/he shot your film when you have all the location contracts, talent agreements, money trail etc.

You should make sure your own chain of titles (eg. clearances for people's images, music, crew work-for-hire agreements) is solid. And keep track of how many screener copies are out there if possible. But I wouldn't worry very much about being pirated before your film has even been accepted into a festival.


www.derekmok.com

Where do I register the work? At the same copyright office?

In my experience, you have to copyright your film with the Library of Congress. You will need a clear chain of title linking you or your LLC to the name on the L of C copyright. You will also need to submit synch licenses for all of your music, SAG contracts for any SAG actors (if you have v/o or reenactments), the right to show each and every image in each and every frame; and you will be required to own E&O insurance (errors and omissions), depending on the network-- I know the IFC and Sundance have special E&O waivers, but otherwise you will need a distributor to provide it/obtain it for you. E&O insurance is expensive.

Delivering your film for broadcast may not be exclusive to festivals, but it will be exclusive of any internet distribution. If your film is available on the internet, you will not get any broadcast deal. At least, that is what I have been told, when I have sold my work.

Delivering a film for broadcast also takes a lot of time. If you start the process now, you'll have plenty of time for festivals before you actually get the film delivered. That is, if you can get somebody interested in your doc without any preexisting festival success.

Nobody is going to try to copy and sell your film for broadcast. It's your film. That's eminently demonstrable. However, if somebody posts it to the internet, you could be in trouble.

Only submit to film festivals that a) are in a city where you either want to network or travel; or b) have good parties. A festival without good parties is a waste of your time and money. You only meet people at parties. For instance, the Hamptons doesn't have a film industry per se, but the social events draw lots of industry people. Obviously, the same could be said for Sundance and Telluride. European festivals are all free to submit to, and if you get in, worth the airfare. Europeans generally make great audiences. That's been my experience, anyway.

That's my free advice to you.

You can, however, have up to, I think, two minutes of your film on the internet. That, at least, was the limit I ran into, if I recall correctly. It may be different with different networks. Obviously, the limits are intended to allow you to promote your work with a trailer or other sampling.