Festival "Mud Slinging"

I read the "not so Gala" preview of the Orlando Film Festival, in Roger Moore's online column. I also read the many comments after the article. People pretty much trashed the new downtown Orlando theater, it's service and even the parking. They also didn't like the "Mud Slinging," and "trash talking" about how the Orlando Festival is free and the other larger festivals charge for the same films. I personally don't care, and as long as they don't attack the Central Florida Film Festival. I have little to no opinion about other festivals. Upon investigation, I found only three duplicate screenings between their festival and ours and who cares -- ours is first and we have more than enough premiers.

I like to investigate other festivals but the Orlando Film Festival is in direct competition with AFI's Film Festival and AFM (American Film Market). AFM is where most working filmmakers need to attend. It's in Santa Monica, California and a thousand buyers from all over the world come to watch films presented by over seven hundred distributors. I've been seventeen times to observe my distributor showcase my film and take orders, hoping that in one fell swoop I can receive a return to my investors. Seventeen times since 1985, I've been listening to distributors complain about a slow economy hurting sales. It's only natural, now that it's fashionable to complain about the economy, every distributor will be crying even louder. It's funny, I never hear the buyers crying, except to whine there aren't any good films to purchase. Perhaps if the distributors attended more Indy Festivals around the country, they'd find better product for their buyers.

However, that's for feature films. I guess documentaries and shorts need a place to gather during that time as well....It might as well be Orlando. We've selected almost sixty shorts, a dozen documentaries and another fifteen excellent features (that will make their way to AFM), at the Central Florida Film Festival. Daily tickets are $20 (for an entire day of film watching!), $50.00, for three days or $99.00 for unlimited screenings, seminars and parties/mixers. AFM costs filmmakers $750.00 for a week long pass and the parking, seminars and parties are extra. CENFLO is reasonably priced for movie makers and movie watchers. Take advantage as tickets are on sale as www.CentralFloridaFilmFestival.com. I promise---"You'll get what you pay for!"

....and cut!