FAQ Part 3
Q: Can I submit to both Sundance and Slamdance?
A: Yes. We certainly won't hold it against you (and as far as we know, Sundance won't hold it against you either).
Q: Well, SHOULD I submit to both?
A: FOR SURE, if you can afford it, definitely! Don't wait to submit your film once you've come to the conclusion that its not likely you're going to be selected by the other festival. As the Sundance slate announcement date approaches, our office gets overwhelmed with phone calls from nervous filmmakers realizing that they should have probably submitted to us too. If you really want to screen your film in Park City, increase your odds by submitting to more than one festival there, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Q: What are the main differences between the festivals?
A: Sundance is an older and more established festival showing primarily films made by established filmmakers coming out of the mini-studio system. Operating on a multi million dollar budget, it shows considerably more films and screens them at various venues primarily in the Park City area and surrounding areas. In contrast, Slamdance has been described as "a vital alternative" to Sundance that is now going into its fifthteenth year. Daily Variety made the Cannes analogy and described us as "the Directors Fortnight of Sundance." Slamdance shows far fewer feature films, and about the same number of shorts. Take a look at our festival history for a brief background on the fest. Or to see how much fun we've had the last couple of years, check out the SpyKam sections on the Slamdance 2008 and 2007 festival pages under festival archives.
Q: What are the differences in selection criteria?
A: There are a few key differences between the two festivals, not least of which is that Sundance shows a substantial number of films that already come to the festival with distribution deals in place, whereas Slamdance limits our competition films to ones that have not yet gotten a deal. As for Sundance, please find out directly from them what their exact criteria are, but generally speaking, their main competition has strict "premiere" requirements (Slamdance does not), and they also have an "American" financing requirement of some sort (Slamdance does not). Their American Spectrum section is typically devoted to first and second-time directors, but isn't competitive (compared to Slamdance's main juried competition section that is devoted to first-time directors, with no domestic distribution, and low budgets). Sundance also usually has separate doc and world cinema sections (we roll world cinema into our other sections, docs do have their own juried and audience award). Slamdance programs Special Screenings, which are films that fall outside of our criteria, but still somehow have the Slamdance spirit (yes, we know that's vague).
Q: Well, which is BETTER to go to?
A: It depends. There's a lot of great things about Sundance (we wouldn't be in Park City if there weren't), but Slamdance definitely has certain qualitative advantages. Generally speaking, Slamdance is a much cozier, self-contained festival that we'd like to think is regarded as more filmmaker-friendly. We encourage more camaraderie with other filmmakers, staff, alumni and audiences. We actively introduce filmmakers to press and industry contacts. In short, you'll find a lot more hand-holding at Slamdance - something that can be sorely needed in the fray of Park City. We'd be lying if we said that a winning film at Sundance isn't as good for you and your film as if you'd played at Slamdance. However, a film and a filmmaker that don't win anything at Sundance are far more likely to get ignored and have a miserable experience than their counterparts at Slamdance. The bottom line is that Park City during festival week is a unique film gathering, and chances are you'll make a lot of great contacts, and have an amazing time whatever festival you're in, or even if you go individually.
Q: What if I want to wait to see if I get into Sundance and then submit to Slamdance?
A: Don't. Sundance typically announces their selections the last week of November, and we announce our selections about the same time. Every year, we get people who call us the day after Sundance announces and they beg and plead to be able to get into Slamdance. Frankly, these are usually the same people we called in September and begged and pleaded to get them to apply and they told us, "Screw you, man, we're going to Sundance!" Trust us, it's cheaper and friendlier to just apply to both festivals. (One agent from CAA called us on December 22 one year - a week after we'd ANNOUNCED our line-up - and said, "Hey, I've been following you guys for years and think you're great! I've got a client who's got this film, see, and it didn't get into Sundance, see...?" We explained to him that 3,500 struggling filmmakers who don't have agents at CAA figured out how to read a website, much less read the trades, and that his client was welcome to submit his film next year. See ya!)
Q: Didn't you say something about it being statistically harder to get into Slamdance than Sundance? So, if I'm that dude from North Dakota, why should I even bother with you guys...I'm goin' to Sundance!
A: What was that Disraeli said about statistics and damned lies? Here's the skinny: Slamdance is hard to get into - if you just run the acceptance percentages, we're harder to get into than Sundance (we get nearly as many films submitted as they do, but don't have as many screening venues, so we don't show as many films as they do). However, the real statistic you need to look at is what are the chances of a "random film from North Dakota, getting into the fest, compared to say, Sundance. This past year, for example, only 4 features submitted to Slamdance got into Sundance. Now, if you figure that we get about 70% of the number of submissions that Sundance gets (and we figure most people who submit to us - maybe 85% - also submit to Sundance), and they probably showed a total of about 70 features, the question you should be asking is where are all those 67 films that Sundance picked coming from? The answer is that they are invited early, or someone knew someone (or someone THOUGHT they knew someone) so they didn't hedge their bet by applying to us, or whatever. The point is, for the average Random Schmoe who doesn't know someone (or THINK they know someone) and didn't have their film play at Toronto or Telluride (where someone from Sundance may have invited them to their festival right on the spot), they've at least got an even playing field when it comes to getting into Slamdance. Our slots stay open until the last minute - no early invitations, no early selections. Of course it's still up to the admittedly subjective tastes of the programmers (who are all volunteer filmmakers - most still bitter and unemployed), but at least you know your film will be seen by at least two different people, and usually more. We don't have solitary "screeners" who only pass the "good" films up to the big mucky-mucks to decide (which most fests - including Sundance - do). Look, we're not claiming that ours is the "perfect" or "ideal" way of programming a festival or that arguably really "good" films don't fall through the cracks or that we overuse "quotation marks" - but it's about as fair a shot as you're going to get on the festival circuit. Of course, none of that may matter if you don't get in, and you're probably going to be bitter about getting rejected, but at least you know how it all works.
Q: Can I have different films in both Slamdance and Sundance?
A: As far as we're concerned, yes. There have been many cases of double dipping. In 2005, Rob Stefaniuk's feature PHIL THE ALIEN showed at Slamdance, and his short screened at Sundance. That same year, the Zellner brothers, already Slamdance alums, had a short film in each festival. In 2004 Scott Calonico had different short films in both Slamdance and Sundance. In 1998 Trey Parker showed ORGAZMO as a Sundance midnight screening, and CANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL as a Slamdance special screening. We should note that in all cases, they told us they liked Slamdance better (then again, we don't know what they said to Sundance).
Q: What if I've submitted to Slamdance and then Sundance calls and tells me I got in, but I'd really rather play at Slamdance.
A: We'd say congratulations and decide where you want to be. If you go with Sundance please come visit us when you're in Park City. But no matter what, you should give us a call and let us know. (Particularly if you hear early from Sundance - then we can take your tape out of the running for Slamdance.)
Q: If I screen at Slamdance, will I get blacklisted from having future films in Sundance or getting into their institute?
A: Not as far as we know. Jared Hess had a short, PELUCA, in Slamdance 2003, and then his feature NAPOLEON DYNAMITE played at Slamdance 2004. The 2007 Sundance Fest screened a number of Slamdance alums. Sundance 2000 screened films by three previous Slamdance filmmakers, including the second feature by Marc Forster (EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER), whose first film LOUNGERS had won the Audience Award at Slamdance '96. Other alumni who screened at Sundance were Gina Prince-Bythewood (with LOVE & BASKETBALL), and the Osborne brothers (who despite the fact that their film, DROPPING OUT, was playing at Sundance, still helped out Slamdance by hanging up the air conditioning ducts in our screening room). In 2001 Chris Nolan's second feature MEMENTO played at Sundance, gaining steam from screenings at Slamdance in 1999.
Q: What's the deal with Troma Dance, Freedom Dance and any other variations?
A: With as many submissions as Slamdance now gets, we realize that there are a lot of great films and great filmmakers out there who deserve to have a shot at screening in Park City. Consequently, it's no surprise (in fact, we predicted it in 1995) that other groups of filmmakers have gathered in the last few years in Park City to screen their films. We've welcomed these added rings to the circus and have always gotten along with our brethren fringe elements. The numbers of the dance festivals have dwindled since the dot com boom. As of this writing, it's unclear who or what other festivals will be up in Park City in 2008 and in what capacity. (Part of the fun is that these things tend to crop up at the last minute.) And if you wind up starting your own festival up there, or decide to go up individually, please feel free to call us for some friendly advice before you get to Park City. p.s. Be forewarned though, city officials (much less those at Sundance) do not look kindly on these sorts of things and may well try to shut you down.