Pictured above: Filmmakers and festival managers drop by the Student Filmmakers Magazine exhibit booth at the NAB New York Show in Manhattan, NYC, to say hello, pick up magazine editions, and network.
By Fred Ginsburg CAS PhD
Make the Most of a Film Festival
If you are fortunate enough to be able to attend a major film festival or conference, it is a golden opportunity for networking. Let’s face it, you are not spending all that time and money just to watch a bunch of films; you can pretty much do that at home! You are there to hobnob with the players in the industry, to make career connections, and jump onto the fast track of the filmmaking path.
Here are some tips for enhancing your chances of successful self-promotion.
Learn to Mingle
To begin with, you need to be able to mingle. Be cautious when accepting any internship or “position” (be it salaried or volunteer) that will lock you away from the “action”. The whole point of your attending is to be able to move around and meet the movers and shakers; not to earn “fast-food wages” for a few days. You don’t want to be hidden away in a back office doing menial administrative functions; nor do you want to be assigned to some esoteric booth located far away from the “action” in some fringe arena or venue.
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