Frequently Asked Questions

GET INVOLVED.

I LOVED YOUR EVENT LAST YEAR AND I WANT TO BE INVOLVED!

We need volunteers.   Before and after the festival.  We’re looking for:

• People to help get the word out on online (Facebook/Twitter/Myspace/Blogs) and in the real world (Schools/Bulletins etc). July/August/September.
• Help us Spread the Word during IN THE STREET.
• Launch party staff that will help set up, answer questions, man registration and more. September 30th.

Second- We need Prize Sponsors. If you own a business, sponsoring prizes is absolutely great exposure!  Not only can you help support all the amazingly talented filmmakers around these parts, your business will get in our program, become a part of our slideshow on Weinberg’s Big Screen, and announced during our super-cool Closing Award Ceremony.  The sooner you sign up as a prize sponsor – the more exposure you’ll get cause we’ll ALSO plaster you all over our Website.  All you need to do is offer up a prize for these hard working artists. Contact staff at 72fest.com.  In the past businesses have donated everything from dinners, to lighting packages to iPods and even full on Adobe Premiere/Final Cut editing suites.

THE CONTEST

WHAT IS 72 FILM FEST?

A Time Based Competition where film making teams have only 72 hours to write/direct/edit and score a short film based on specific criteria given out to each team.

SO WHAT IS THIS CONTEST EXACTLY?

On a Thursday night in September (September 30th) Filmmakers from around the region will brave the October weather and gather at our official 2010 Launch Party to be given specific criteria to go out in Frederick City to write, direct and edit a short film within the next 72 hours (actually most people in our town are quite friendly to filmmakers and most October nights are quite beautiful.)

HOW ARE YOU ANY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CONTESTS LIKE THIS?

First, our criteria is specific to the team.  No two filmmakers will have the same criteria. Filmmakers choose from a variety of criteria all based around a central theme.  Last year we gave out polaroids with an image meant to “influence” the filmmakers. Previous years included first lines of novels and asked filmmakers to create a brand new story from a classic opening line,  themes like “death and reproduction” and “idolatry” and proverbs like “Be aware that the halo has to fall only a few inches to be a noose” and “The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”

Brave filmmakers accepted our unique “challenges” like having to do the film in only one shot, or having to incorporate Frederick’s In the Street celebration into their films.  While your selected “theme” is mandatory, the Challenges are voluntary and teams are rewarded with special Challenge Awards and extra credit in the final determination for Best of the Fest.

WHAT FORMS OF MEDIA DO YOU ACCEPT THE ENTRY ON?

We prefer HD or SD files. It’s the quickest for filmmakers and us. Specific file information and instructions are posted here before Launch.

WHAT IS YOUR RULE ON RELEASES?

You need to get location, talent and music releases.  We’ll give you more specific information at Launch Party as well as link to a generic release form for you to use. You must turn in all releases with your film on Sunday Night.

WHAT IS THE RULE ON COPYRIGHT?

We want you to have rights to your image and music.  We understand not all of you are able to create music for your films, but there is enough in the public domain to score your film (or you can negotiate rights from content owners).  Using copyrighted music may prevent you from being screened and judged, and will prevent you from being included in our compilation DVD available on Amazon/CreateSpace/Wonder Book and others.

DO I KEEP ALL THE RIGHTS TO MY FILM?

Of Course. The film remains your own and after screening you can do whatever you want with it.  We reserve the right to screen the version turned in at 72 Film Fest events, for promotional purposes and use it in our DVD compilation.   Our agreement is already online so you and your lawyer (or cousin that claims to be one because he’s seen almost every episode of Night Court) can go over it.

WHY DO YOU CALL IT FILM FEST WHEN EVERYONE SHOOTS ON VIDEO?

While we have various educational backgrounds, semantics was not the concentration of any of our studies. Besides, 72 Video Fest sounds stoopid.

I LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA, NOWHERE NEAR FREDERICK.  CAN I PARTICIPATE?

Absolutely.  We do not discriminate against ANY team, no matter age/gender/species/experience or even current residential location.  The truth is as long as someone from your team shows up at the Launch Party, you could probably even make your movie entirely outside of Frederick if you wanted.

WHAT IS THIS LAUNCH PARTY? IS IT FREE?

At the Free Launch Party Thursday September 30th starting at 6:30pm, teams walk in, act shy, cool (or aloof), finalize registration and eventually get their criteria.  That’s only half of it.  They also take advantage of free food, hit up the cash bar and mingle amongst the other local artists in the area.  EVERYONE is invited to attend.  You don’t have to be on a team to come out.  You don’t even have to be an artist or filmmaker or actor etc… If you love supporting the arts, leave your cave and come into ours for a while. If you’re unsure if you want to participate, head over and size everything up.  We accept registrations right up to the end (9pm).We will have some merch for sale (like past years DVDs TShirts and other goodies) as well as some awesome live music.  And then starting around 8:15 or so, teams will begin selecting their criteria for this years movies.  It’s a fun night where hundreds of local artists can meet/greet and shoot the sheet.

I’M UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, SO CAN I STILL COMPETE?

Of course you can. All we ask is that you bring a legal guardian with you on the night of the Launch Party to sign the waiver forms on your behalf.  Make sure your parents know that movies can range the gamut from G to R.

I’M A WRITER (ACTOR/GENIUS ETC…) AND I DON’T HAVE A CAMERA BUT I REALLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED, I MEAN I’M JONESING OVER HERE FOR SOME PARTICIPATION-Y GOODNESS.

Check out our message board (Launching in 2010) where you will be able to assemble teams before Launch Party night.

I HEARD TEAMS GET SOME FREE TICKETS. MY TEAM IS LIKE 80 PEOPLE LARGE. HOW MANY OF THEM CAN GET IN FREE TO THE FESTIVAL?

Like past years, we give out two tickets per team.  That’s a $20-40 buck value right back at ya (depending on if your team moves on). If you happen to register within the first 72 hours of Registration Opening (June 1-3) you get an extra 2 Day Pass.

IS IT TRUE FCC WILL PAY FOR MY TEAM REGISTRATION FEES?

FCC student teams may be eligible to receive reimbursement for their team registration fee. Contact Jeanni Winston-Muir at the Center for Student Engagement.

THE FESTIVAL

WHERE IS THIS THING?

Launch Party is at Cultural Arts Center (across street from Weinberg Center). The Festival is at Weinberg Center for the Arts.

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS TO THE FESTIVAL AND WHAT DO I GET?

10 bucks each day. 17 bucks for both.  October 8th and 9th.  Doors Open TBD, show starts at TBD. If you come to both days- you get to see world premieres of all of the 72 Film Fest Contest Entries, all the 72 Fest produced surprises, watch the awards, participate in Audience Choice award plus come boogie down at the exclusive after-parties. Tickets are available at the Weinberg Center box office. Call the Box Office at (301)228-2828. We recommend buying tickets BEFORE the date of the show as the line can get kinda long.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON WHAT NIGHT?

Saturday Night will have only the highest judged entries from this year.  We estimate 12-15.  Friday Night will be split into 2 Blocks. a 6:30 Block and an 8:30 Block.  We will post a rough schedule before the event. Every entry that makes it in on time and follows the criteria will be played on one or both nights.

I CAN ONLY MAKE IT OUT 1 DAY, WHICH DAY SHOULD I COME TO?

Saturday Night is what we are calling the Main Event as it will have the highest judged entries, audience favorites from Friday and include all of 72 Fest produced bumps and shorts.  However there have been dozens of films in the past few years that have been hailed by the audience but didn’t receive awards from the judges so if you really want to see everything local filmmakers can do in a weekend, we recommend coming to both.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT?

The Weinberg Center Box Office.

The Weinberg Center Box Office is located at 20 W Patrick St Frederick MD 21701. Box Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm. Saturday 10am-2pm. Also open 1 hour before every show. Call the Box Office at (301)228-2828.   Word of advice: The line can get a little long the night of the event.   Buy early to avoid that or better yet, show up when the doors open at 5:30pm and chill with us.

I WANT SOME MERCH.  CAN I HAVE SOME MERCH ALREADY?

Merch keeps us alive.  It also keeps you from being naked. Go to the merch page and pick up TShirts or past years DVDs.  Keep in mind – For most people- it takes more than one DVD to prevent nakedness.

ARE YOU GOING TO DO AUDIENCE FAVORITE BALLOTS AGAIN THIS YEAR?

Yes.  Yes we will.

US

WHO ARE YOU GUYS?

72 Film Fest was formed back in 2006 by Jason Streff (Phonograph Films), Clark Kline (Fool Martyr Productions), and Salyer Mclaughlin (ID Makers). Now in our 5th year, Jason and Salyer have moved on but we still have the mission “To provide an outlet for the creative community by hosting challenges in the fields of filmmaking, stage, writing, and other arts.”

DO YOU ACCEPT FILM SUBMISSIONS?

We will have some announcements on that soon.

WHAT CAN MY MOVIE BE ABOUT?

To ensure you shoot your movie within the 72 Hours of the contest, filmmakers randomly choose criteria which may include themes, locations or other things.  These criteria will be secret until the Launch Party.

WHAT STOPS PEOPLE FROM JUST ADAPTING AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED IDEA INTO A MOVIE BASED AROUND YOUR CRITERIA?

We hope that film makers will use our festival as a tool to create NEW works, and not just a way to garner attention for a previously thought out work. Not only will passing something off as “new” forever damage your street cred amongst the dozens of other film makers, ultimately you are selling yourself short by not utilizing the energy surrounding the festival to create something new.  Make your awesome Oscar Bait of a short on your own time.  This thing’s for the brave souls.  We may introduce further “Proof” elements into the mix this year to help prevent those teams that can’t step it up and do this thing the way it was meant to be done. (Yeah that’s right, dem iz fighting words.)

HOW MUCH YOU GIVING AWAY THIS YEAR?

We are still rounding up prizes as we speak.  Become a Prize Sponsor and help local artists while getting some great exposure!

MY QUESTION SEEMS NOT TO BE FREQUENT ENOUGH TO GET COVERAGE IN YOUR FAQ, WHAT GIVES?   AM I WEIRD FOR WANTING TO KNOW SOMETHING ELSE?

First off you’re not weird.  I really wish you wouldn’t be so down on yourself all the time.  But if you have a question that isn’t listed here – we sincerely apologize, but no worries, mate. Simply drop us a line at staff at 72fest.com, and we’ll answer you with swiftness rivaled only to that of an African Swallow.