The Film Hunter

I volunteer for a local film festival. My job is to locate films for the festival as well as to review them. Although it sounds like great fun (which it is), finding the films, filmmakers, and production companies takes perseverance, as well as some dirty tricks.

First, I locate the contact information for production companies that make or distribute films containing the subject matter that would be appropriate for the festival. After visiting their websites, I contact those companies to ask them for "screener copies" of films that we would like to review. This is the easiest part. Unfortunately, public performance rights to show these films is not cheap, and so I must also rely on other venues for potential films.

My next stop to find new films and potential filmmakers are video websites. Video Menu and Reelseo provide many links to video sharing websites aside from YouTube. The research fun starts here, as I must use different keywords to search for potential films and filmmakers that cover the topics that our film festival celebrates. Quite often I find shorts this way, or promo trailers from independent or student filmmakers. I locate their websites, as well as their email addresses, and ask them for screener copies of their work to review. They are very happy to share what they have. If the reviewing committee wants to show these films, quite often they are free or at little cost to us.

Third, I subscribe to email lists, Facebook sites, MySpace sites, and LiveJournal sites for film festivals that show similar films. I find out what these film festivals are showing, look up those film makers or distribution companies, and request screeners. This is my dirty little film research trick, but I am sure that all other film hunters must do this as well.

Finally, I talk to a lot of people about my "job" as a film hunter. You would be surprised how many people say "You know, I have a friend who just made a film..." or "I have a friend in film school..." I leave no stone unturned; I get the friend's contact information and get a screener. This is a research strategy as well!