MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

By Niurka Castaneda

On March 5th, at the JW Marriott Marquis, I got to meet this year’s Knight Heroes: Kate Bustamante from the Original Documentaries & Limited Series development team at Hulu and Nick Borenstein, Head of Scripted for Topic, and award-winning filmmaker Shal Ngo, whose horror short CONTROL was acquired by Hulu. Ngo recently wrapped production on The Park, a dystopian drama series co-produced by Topic. Moderators Merrill Sterritt and Caitlin Mae Burke, Co-Directors of, IF/Then Shorts joined them at the stage. They came to share with us how short films can act as launchpads to expand into full features, leading to new media opportunities and incredible money-making deals.

The Panelists gave an inside look at how the development process really runs at the highest level and shared how success is possible in this industry if you believe in yourself and work hard. There is some advice that they all shared with us that we young filmmakers should pay attention to in order to achieve the same level of success:

Pitching your work: When you are pitching your work you need to remember that you are talking to another human being and that executives have a very short attention span. Don’t tell them the whole story.  Convey the tone of the story but keep it simple. It is important to be confident in your work, there are people that are considering investing money in your film. When navigating parties, remember that is a long day with a drink it is not time to pitch them. Approach people as another guest enjoying the party. Do not be annoying or start pitching right away. It would not take you very far.

Preparation: Are they the right person or avenue to pitch your film? Do they allow the freedom to choose the talent that makes sense to the project that you are bringing? Some companies prefer early development where they get the option and want creative control of the project. Production and development are about a year-long project.  You need to be able to enjoy yourself with the project that you are doing and with the people that you would work with. What is the network or production company model: acquisition or commission? Figure out what kind of material you would need to pitch your work (Pitch, Deck ) and what works for your project so they can understand what is it about.

Branding: They would be engaging with your film but also with you. Present who you are as a filmmaker: remember that your voice matters. You don’t have to be all things to all people. Do you have an audience to bring to the table? Choose something that is engaging with you, your film but also your personal brand. Authenticity is important but also to remember to be professional, dress appropriately, always treat people with respect and kindness. Remember that you would never know Who are you going to meet?

The story is also one of the most important parts. Tell the story and create a narrative. Your message needs to be clear and it needs to move the viewers. What are you trying to say? Tell a story and create a narrative. Remember to stay in your power because your voice matters. It is very important to find and acquire the right talent for your project.

Pay attention to your timing: Always remember to read the room and know when to take your time before you approach somebody. It might have been a long time and they just want to talk not be pitched or sold to. Always be professional, dress appropriately, and remember to be kind to people.

Some of the Pathways they also mentioned that you can use to scale your short film could be: executives and professionals like (producers, executive producers, Managers, agents, entertainment lawyers) that you can meet and pitch your story the right way. A lot of them can be found in these film festivals and your short feature can be the pipeline and launch you to make into a feature later. Always be persistent, you need to keep pushing to get to the big chair. Find ways to find resources and finance your career as a filmmaker and your short film by learning about labs like the Gotham in NYC for emerging creators, crowdfunding, and grants, where you can not only find training opportunities, and funding but the right people to launch your movie to the stratosphere.