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Writer's pictureNewCruz Films

Worst Film Festival Experience Ever




I have been involved with submitting and going to film festivals for close to 20 years now.


Up until now, I've had very good experiences with all of them!


It saddens me to say that my experience with the ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has been absolutely terrible!


It was by far the worst festival experience I have come across in my 20 years of submitting and having work featured at festivals.


Communication was absolutely horrible from the very start!


I never received an official email or message saying the film was accepted into the festival until 5 DAYS BEFORE THE FESTIVAL STARTED. Instead I received multiple, cryptic emails saying that your film needs to be uploaded to a platform in order for it to be screened. These emails came from a NON - OFFICIAL email and had 50 or so personal email address in the CC part of the email. So I was able to see all the supposed "accepted" filmmakers emails.


When sending out multiple follow up emails to understand what was going on, it took a long time to get a response. It was so unprofessional I thought it was a scam and was about to ignore the entire thing. Eventually a few weeks later, I received emails confirming that it was the real deal. However, the festival never updated the FILM FREEWAY page until a week BEFORE the festival took place. (That was when we received our official laurels as well.) Talk about not giving filmmakers enough time to promote anything!


Then there was the website. It not only looked completely outdate, MOST of the important information could not be found! When I clicked on the poster for my films, there were mixed information. One had NO SHOWTIMES FOR THE FILM. (This was the one that I was assured everything was received and good to go.) The other ONLY had VIRTUAL SCREENINGS listed.


By complete luck, I found the showtimes for all my films, and the schedule for the festival on a completely different page, a WEEK before the festival began!


Even on the day of the actual screening the website STILL was not updated. So whenever you went to the main film's page and clicked on one of my film's posters for showtime and information it still said NO SHOWTIMES SCHEDULED. Yet there was an actual screening that evening. Even my other film only had its virtual screenings scheduled on the main page BUT, it too had a in person screening the same evening as my other film.


The online festival was terrible as well!


Who decided that only a handful of film's that were selected for the entire festival will get a virtual screening as well? Shouldn't ALL of the accepted films be featured on the virtual festival? And if not, what were the requirements that allowed a select few to be scheduled for an online screening while others did not?


Every virtual film festival I have been in lately has had ALL films selected for the festival screening virtually. NOT A FEW BUT ALL!


I know of many friends and family that bought virtual passes only to find out that they could not watch the films. The help number and people they talked to told them the virtual pass did not include films!!! WHAT!?!?


Even if they were, (which they totally should have been) they still could not watch most of the films because they were not selected for virtual screenings. Which makes no sense. What festival does this?


On the day of the screening, the film networking event was canceled without anyone knowing INCLUDING the staff! No one knew what was going on or why it was canceled leaving my team and many others confused and annoyed.


Tickets that were purchased for the day didn't matter because NO ONE looked or asked for tickets at the hotel either. My team was able to walk in all night without any confirmation of passes. So why charge for passes if anyone could come stumbling in?


DAYS LATER there is not even a list of WINNERS anywhere online to see who won in the categories! The website is erased of all content for the 2021 festival and nothing on SOCIAL MEDIA!


This festival failed in every aspect!! I have never experienced anything like this before.

So I warn all fellow filmmakers, BEWARE OF THE ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!


It was absolutely terrible!


We will not be spending our money or time entering the festival again.

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