Questions about submitting to film festivals

In a previous thread (http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=64484), I mentioned that I was interested in
submitting to film festivals, a significantly re-edited version of a short film that was screened at the 48 Hour
Film Project in Chicago and that did not win anything in that film contest.

I looked through the list of festivals available at FilmFreeway.com, and I have found some festivals to which I can submit my film. But I have some questions about the submission process.


1) Typically, a festival's submission application asks whether the submitted film would be a world premiere, a
United States premiere, a premiere in the state of the festival, etc. The re-edited version that I would be
submitting, has never been screened anywhere. So, that re-edited version would be a world premiere. However, the original version was screened in Chicago.

So, in the application, do I say that the re-edited version is a world premiere?


2) A festival's submission application also asks when the film was finished. I am assuming that, by "finished", the application means the completion of post-production, not principal photography.

Do I state the date on which the re-edited version was finished? Or the date on which the original version was
finished?


3) The film that I would be submitting, is in an MP4 file. This file has a frame rate of 59.94 fps and a sample
audio rate of 48 kHz.

In the previous thread, I mentioned that my 48 Hour Film Project team's DP had edited his own version of the film, and that I had refined the DP's version. The DP's MP4 file had a frame rate of 59.94 fps and a sample audio rate of 48 kHz, and that is the MP4 file that I "inherited". Thus, my film's MP4 file has the same frame rate and the same sample audio rate.

I read somewhere that films are supposed to have a frame rate of 24 fps or 30 fps. Also, when I made my own acting reels for Vimeo, I used a frame rate of 30 fps and a sample audio rate of 44.1 kHz. So, I used software called Avidemux to resample my film to a frame rate of 30 fps and a sample audio rate of 44.1 kHz. However, the result looked awful. So, for my film's MP4 file, I stuck with a frame rate of 59.94 fps and a sample audio rate of 48 kHz.

My film's MP4 file plays very well in Windows Media Player, in Windows 7, on my hard drive.

I uploaded the MP4 file to Vimeo. In Vimeo, in regular-screen mode, the film plays very well. However, if I go to
full-screen mode, the film freezes from time to time.

When I submit my film to festivals, I will most likely be submitting a link to the film's Vimeo URL. Can I say, in
my submission cover letter, that, in Vimeo, the film should be played in regular-screen only? Or will the festival
programmers and screeners automatically assume that the film should be played in regular-screen only?


4) Speaking of festival-submission cover letters, what should I put into one? I looked online for sample cover
letters, and I couldn't find any. Is there a website which shows sample cover letters?


5) The festivals listed on FilmFreeway.com, accept Vimeo submissions. However, if a film is accepted into a
festival, the person doing the submitting, must send to the festival a version of the film that can be screened at
the festival. Festivals differ on what they accept. Some festivals accept DCP only, but other festivals accept MP4
files.

I have an MP4 file. And, from what I've read, creating a DCP and sending the DCP to a festival, is a cumbersome
process. So, I naturally gravitate toward the festivals that accept MP4-file screeners.

Some of these MP4-accepting festivals may accept MP4 files sent via a download site like wetransfer.com. But other festivals insist that you burn your MP4 file onto a DVD. My research has shown that there is software like DVD Flick and AVStoDVD that can burn an MP4 file onto a DVD. However, I have read that DVD Flick and AVStoDVD may cause problems with sound-video sync on the DVD. Is there any software (preferably free) that can burn an MP4 file onto a DVD without causing any sync problems?


6) Festival applications ask for a synopsis of the film. Am I supposed to give a detailed accounting of what
happens from beginning to end, even revealing the surprise ending? Or am I supposed to provide only a summary of the film?


Thank you for any information.
 
I have read that, if there is any connection between someone in charge of a particular festival and someone who worked on a film that will be submitted to that festival, then that connection should be mentioned in the submission cover letter.

For example, if the film's director and one of the festival programmers knew each other in film school, then that should be mentioned in the cover letter.

With that in mind, I researched a certain festival and found the names of the two programmers. I saw that one of the programmers and I have a Facebook friend in common. This Facebook friend was a co-producer of an independent feature film in which I had a small speaking part. All I know is that the co-producer and the programmer are Facebook friends. I do not know how well they know each other.

So, should I mention my connection to the programmer (via the co-producer) in the submission cover letter? Or will the programmer be creeped out because I looked at his Facebook page?
 
should I mention my connection to the programmer (via the co-producer) in the submission cover letter?
Mention it only if you think the producer will convince the programmer to get you in because they loved you in your small speaking role. Otherwise it's an indirect connection. You only knew because you ordered a dossier on the programmer. Your attention to detail & preparation is impressive. It's almost as involved as Operation Grand Slam on Fort Knox!
 
Do not mention it, and stop playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon or you will keep finding connections.
 
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