Telluride IndieFest 2005 a blatant ripoff!

steve gelder

steve gelder

Hi, IndieTalk Peeps!

I'm steve gelder, filmmaker - new to the IndieTalk boards, thanks to my Premiere membership courtesy of IT and the Captain's Wreck Beach International Film Festival.

I did a quick search and didn't see any posts on this, so thought I'd bring it up - if any of you entered the Telluride Indie Fest (not the original Telluride Film Festival, but the knock-off by Michael Carr and MCQueso Productions) you may want to contact the Colorado DA's office. The list of "winners" posted at the Telluride IndieFest website is fake. None of the films exist; they have been manufactured using movie descriptions from past Telluride IndieFests, with different names for directors or writers substituted. There are a couple of extensive threads on this over at WAB.

Essentially, take any of the film descriptions from the 2005 "winners" list - use one sentence about the creator like "Bob Everyman is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro" - do a google search for that phrase, without the name, and you'll get an exact match from a festival winner from 1999's IndieFest, but with a different name, "Pete Jerkbottom is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro "... This happens for EVERY film listed as a 2005 winner, which are supposed to screen at the Indiefest at the end of this month.

Carr has not responded to any of these allegations, although he posted protests frequently on the WAB boards following requests for refunds after he closed the Key West IndieFest down without showing films for the second year in a row, and without issuing any refunds.

I received a refund for my Colorado entry (half of my two for one Key West/Telluride entry fee "special"), so I can't legally say I've suffered damages in Colorado. But anyone on these boards who entered can contact the State's Attorney in Colorado and file a complaint.

It's a scam, plain and simple. It's one thing to have a call for entries for a festival that never screens the winning films - it's another thing entirely to make up a roster of winners so you don't have any prizes to give out or need to hire a screening room.

Sorry to be the one to break the news to some of you.


steve gelder
www.ArcTheMovie.com
 
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'sup, good Steve. :cool:

I'm reading some of the threads over at WAB... I'm amazed how this fellow has kept doing this, year after year.

Some of the detective-work by the filmmaker entrants has been astonishing. Connecting quite a few things together. A pity Michael Carr is such a common name. He's putting an associative cloud over many other filmmakers.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure the story's not over yet... looking forward to hearing that law-enforcement is getting involved in this. From what I read, complaints have been filed with just about all of them.

Though I second the motion of just dropping a caribou on him.

Welcome to the boards, btw. :)

You must have done well at the Wreck Beach. :cool:
 
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...I'll make sure I stay away from that fest, geez, what a jerk...

...uh, welcome to the board, oh bearer of bad news :lol: jus' kiddin', at least we know now...

--spinner :cool:
 
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Steve!

Too bad he took down the descriptions about the creators! I know someone archived it, you should find some hosting for it.

Nat
Lake County Film Festival

steve gelder said:
Hi, IndieTalk Peeps!

I'm steve gelder, filmmaker - new to the IndieTalk boards, thanks to my Premiere membership courtesy of IT and the Captain's Wreck Beach International Film Festival.

I did a quick search and didn't see any posts on this, so thought I'd bring it up - if any of you entered the Telluride Indie Fest (not the original Telluride Film Festival, but the knock-off by Michael Carr and MCQueso Productions) you may want to contact the Colorado DA's office. The list of "winners" posted at the Telluride IndieFest website is fake. None of the films exist; they have been manufactured using movie descriptions from past Telluride IndieFests, with different names for directors or writers substituted. There are a couple of extensive threads on this over at WAB.

Essentially, take any of the film descriptions from the 2005 "winners" list - use one sentence about the creator like "Bob Everyman is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro" - do a google search for that phrase, without the name, and you'll get an exact match from a festival winner from 1999's IndieFest, but with a different name, "Pete Jerkbottom is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro "... This happens for EVERY film listed as a 2005 winner, which are supposed to screen at the Indiefest at the end of this month.

Carr has not responded to any of these allegations, although he posted protests frequently on the WAB boards following requests for refunds after he closed the Key West IndieFest down without showing films for the second year in a row, and without issuing any refunds.

I received a refund for my Colorado entry (half of my two for one Key West/Telluride entry fee "special"), so I can't legally say I've suffered damages in Colorado. But anyone on these boards who entered can contact the State's Attorney in Colorado and file a complaint.

It's a scam, plain and simple. It's one thing to have a call for entries for a festival that never screens the winning films - it's another thing entirely to make up a roster of winners so you don't have any prizes to give out or need to hire a screening room.

Sorry to be the one to break the news to some of you.


steve gelder
www.ArcTheMovie.com
Click to expand...
 
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Thanks for the hellos, Everyone.

Yes, it appears Carr has adjusted his website to remove the most obvious evidence of the fake film festival (and the most litigious - taking someone else's life story/bio and appying it to your fake films is probably quite illegal).

And yes, snapshots of his page as they were have been taken and kept as evidence.

If you have lost money in this year's Key West IndieFest or Telluride Indiefest, I recommend you make at least one call or send one email to complain to the proper authoritites in the respective states. Help shut this guy down, for the sake of the next wave of indie filmmakers out there.

steve gelder
www.ArcTheMovie.com


P.S. Thanks again for the kind words about my flick, Logan! And ZenSteve, I was fortunate enough to pick up 'Best Short Film' at Wreck Beach. Quite an honor, from what I hear about the competition this year!
 
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Ahoy All,
Congrats on your win here at wreck beach..and welcome to IndieTalk Steve!
Hosting a film festival is no easy chore ..I Think those guys started off with legitamate intentions but soon realized how difficult it can be ..One of the filmakers that submitted to wreck-beach told me he actually attended the telluride festival u mention last year..it was held in a rented room but did never the less actually did happen..
The festival here is a sincere effort to promote indie films and networking...This years festival was indeed the best yet ,Yes even with all its dramma ...I am currently readying plans for next years festival..One treat im arranging is for those filmakers staying over..This years festival featured a Hot Rod "Squirrel" to do some burnouts for some action shots!As long as everything goes well ,the coming festival,2006,we will be having guests taken on a scenic flight of the area,..
By the way Steve You almost won peoples choice as well..very close ..
happy sailing all
captain........._/)....
 
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The Sheriff's Office contacted me about Telluride IndieFest and this thread. If you have any info, they want to talk to you - (970) 728-1911 Ext 23.
 
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steve gelder said:
Hi, IndieTalk Peeps!

I'm steve gelder, filmmaker - new to the IndieTalk boards, thanks to my Premiere membership courtesy of IT and the Captain's Wreck Beach International Film Festival.

I did a quick search and didn't see any posts on this, so thought I'd bring it up - if any of you entered the Telluride Indie Fest (not the original Telluride Film Festival, but the knock-off by Michael Carr and MCQueso Productions) you may want to contact the Colorado DA's office. The list of "winners" posted at the Telluride IndieFest website is fake. None of the films exist; they have been manufactured using movie descriptions from past Telluride IndieFests, with different names for directors or writers substituted. There are a couple of extensive threads on this over at WAB.

Essentially, take any of the film descriptions from the 2005 "winners" list - use one sentence about the creator like "Bob Everyman is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro" - do a google search for that phrase, without the name, and you'll get an exact match from a festival winner from 1999's IndieFest, but with a different name, "Pete Jerkbottom is a PhD at Bolton college and a tennis pro "... This happens for EVERY film listed as a 2005 winner, which are supposed to screen at the Indiefest at the end of this month.

Carr has not responded to any of these allegations, although he posted protests frequently on the WAB boards following requests for refunds after he closed the Key West IndieFest down without showing films for the second year in a row, and without issuing any refunds.

I received a refund for my Colorado entry (half of my two for one Key West/Telluride entry fee "special"), so I can't legally say I've suffered damages in Colorado. But anyone on these boards who entered can contact the State's Attorney in Colorado and file a complaint.

It's a scam, plain and simple. It's one thing to have a call for entries for a festival that never screens the winning films - it's another thing entirely to make up a roster of winners so you don't have any prizes to give out or need to hire a screening room.

Sorry to be the one to break the news to some of you.


steve gelder
www.ArcTheMovie.com
Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

I was one of the suckers last year...great deal, enter two festivals for the price of one...'cept neither even showed a film. I guess the poor guy had some problems. What was it? The sun was in his eyes and the grass was too high? The least he could have done what that New York one does, give everyone a showing and an award!!

Chris
 
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Hey, Chris!

I'm surprised Carr went to these lengths - in the past, he just showed the chosen films in a public library, or some other inexpensive-to-book venue. This year, I guess he just decided to go for the gusto!

I spoke today (Monday, Dec. 5, 2005) with an investigator in San Miguel County, Norman Squier. He's asked that anyone who was entered the 2005 Telluride IndieFest (not the Telluride Film Festival, but a cheap knock off), promoted by Michael Carr and MC Queso Productions, to please contact him at (970) 728-1911 ext. 23 or email: NormanS@sanmiguelcounty.org

He'll have some questions for you and may want to know if you have any receipts, tracking information, correspondence from Carr, etc. that might help the investigation.

Thanks, everyone - and please pass this on to any of your buddies who you know submitted to Telluride IndieFest.

steve
 
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