New Orleans Film Society

Thursday 4/11/2013

New Orleans Film Festival Named to “Top 25” List for Second Year in a Row

For the second year in a row, the New Orleans Film Festival has been named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” The announcement came April 10, after an extensive data-collecting investigation by the magazine into the benefits and resources offered by the 5,000 existing film festivals worldwide.

NOFF is one of just three festivals that received “Top 25” honor in both 2012 and 2013.

“To make this MovieMaker list two years in a row is an incredible honor for us,” said Jolene Pinder, executive director of the New Orleans Film Society, the nonprofit that puts on NOFF. “It proves that our Festival has captured the attention of independent filmmakers and industry leaders alike and that we offer the premiere exhibition opportunity in the Gulf South. We are so excited to be recognized for our work to make NOFF one of the most filmmaker-friendly destinations on the festival circuit.”

The magazine’s findings point to the 24-year-old New Orleans Film Festival’s hospitality (each accepted film gets two nights’ lodging), prizes (the festival passed out over $70,000 in prize packages and cash), special guests (including Michaelle Satter, director of the Sundance Feature Film program), and participating production houses and stages as some of the factors that make the festival attractive to participants.

“For more than 10 years, MovieMaker has compiled this annual guide for aspiring independent filmmakers looking to get their work onto a wide festival circuit while remaining as economical as possible—a process integral to the essence of independent filmmaking,” noted James Kaelan, managing editor of the magazine. “Sifting through over 5000 film festivals around the world, we took into account factors such as each festival’s history, prizes, judging panel and audience, the subsequent success of its alumni, and, of course, submission fees. These competitive criteria give the best festivals value that goes beyond just the numbers.”

The 2012 New Orleans Film Festival saw the largest number of submissions in the festival’s history—around 1,250—and festival organizers fully expect this year’s submissions pool to eclipse that. Around 175 filmmakers attended last year’s festival, which drew more than 17,000 total attendees.

The festival is currently accepting submissions for its 2013 edition, which will be held October 10–17 this year. The final deadline to submit a film for consideration is June 23 (with an extended deadline for Louisiana filmmakers of July 19). The fee for submitting ranges from $10 to $80, depending on when you submit (the earlier, the less expensive) and the length of the film (shorts are less expensive to submit than features). There are also discounts for students and for Louisiana residents. For more information, visit the NOFS website <www.neworleansfilmsociety.org>.

To learn more details about the New Orleans Film Festival, visit our website <www.neworleansfilmsociety.org> or call New Orleans Film Society office at 504-309-6633.

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