Target Festivals

Dates: Sept. 18-27 Location: Long Beach, California

Established in 2011, the Catalina Film Festival has seen close to 10 years of rapid success and even in light of the covid situation have pivoted to offer films virtually for its viewing public. They have a track record of favoring Chapman films, so this seems like a safe bet, especially considering the depth of ‘Forget Me Not.’ A local venue also takes away from having to worry about travel expenses for the crew.

The festival takes both long features as well as shorts that are up to 20 minutes I length, so we fit right in. Submissions are currently closed, but usually require a film poster, trailer, and copy of the film. The Catalina Film Festival also has a grant application for filmmakers ranging in prizes between $1,000 to $20,000 to 10 proposed projects, which is worth taking a look at.

Dates: Nov. 12-22 Location: Los Angeles, California

Launched in 1997 by Sylvia Minassian, a prominent figure in the local Armenian community, the festival has long established itself as a place dedicated to cultivating cultural understanding and global empathy by creating a dynamic forum for international cinema. In 2015 they interviewed a Chapman University filmmaker whose film revolved around the Armenian genocide, so there is a track record of Chapman submissions.

This is an opportunity for ‘Forget Me Not,’ because of the Armenian theme of the film, but also because the film aligns with the values of the film festival in looking educate the public from a cultural perspective. Submission requirements include film poster, trailer link, print material and a copy of the film.

Target Festivals

Dates: Sept. 17 – Oct. 4 Location: Breckenridge, Colorado

Established in 1981, the Breckenridge Film Festival has evolved its approach from a small weekend celebration of film to connecting filmmakers with audiences year-round, thus rebranding to a shorter name ‘Breck Film Fest’. The festival offers a wide range of film genres ranging from documentaries to premiers. USA Today ranks them in the top 20 film festivals in the country and Filmfreeway ranks them in the top 100 reviewed fests. Breck Film target personas includes millennials, families and the retired. Their primary geographic range is regional with 79% of attendees in the state of CO.

In 2019 Chapman University had one filmmaker (Matthew Suppes) in attendance with their film, “A Lonely Death.” I believe this would be a perfect opportunity for ‘Forget Me Not,’ because of its history with Chapman film students but also because of the diversity in audience demographic. This range in audience members will provide insight for the director to see how impactful it is across different age groups, and also because his thriller/drama provides an edge that many films may not have. Submission requirements include an application, fee and a physical and digital copy of the film for consideration.

Dates: Sept. 25 - 26 Location: Chicago, Illinois

Now running for 22 years, the Chicago Horror Film Festival is as niche as it gets in the festival space. Not only do they accept feature horrors but also shorts, which works perfect for the film. The festival is one of very few which has a dedicated staff of reporters that review every film. Their website states that egardless of being accepted to the festival or not, the film is written about in a column piece and featured in their festival newsletter. The folks at Chicago Horror always make sure they go the extra mile for their up and comers ensuring recognition and promotion.