Article about my film getting rejected by Hoboken Film Festival

Frank Perrotto

Frank Perrotto

Active member
Hey everyone, just wanted to post a link to this story about my film getting rejected by the Hoboken film festival. I had sent Hoboken 411, a major news website in northeastern New Jersey, a link to the trailer for my film and some information about it since we shot a lot of it in Hoboken, where I was living at the time it was made. I also included a link to the trailer for the film that played the opening night festivities, directed by none other than the programmer himself. This is for those of you who fear your $50 submission fee is being used to pay for the potato salad while your DVD is used to line the trash can... probably unwatched.

I initially sent the email not expecting to get a response, but the site owner excitedly emailed me back asking to post what I had written along with side-by-side links to the trailer for my feature and the trailer for the feature that played the opening night gala... again, directed by the festival programmer. Good exposure I figured...

I did not expect the deluge of emails from people who had worked with the guy and said he was a total a-hole or who had similar experiences at this and other festivals dealing with arrogant programmers or festival staff. Most of them wished to remain anonymous... I don't know, guess they think a connected guy named Del Vecchio from New Jersey might have their legs broken or something!

Here is the story link... enjoy!
 
This is just my opinion, but agreeing to have this posted might not be a good idea. The festival organizers might be full of sh*t, I don't really know, but something like this can easily come off as being from a place of jealousy and pettiness (not saying it's true, but perception is often everything), which is something that you don't really need in your film career. Why burn bridges with these festival people even when you're probably not going to have anything to do with them again? You never know who they know that you might need to know further down the line.
 
I saw this linked on facebook actually.

Way to take the high road here. I personally think you brought yourself down to a very low level. Getting rejected happens. Getting rejected and making a huge deal about it because you don't agree... not so much.

I'd highly suggest you look at the PR you are generating and then determine if this is worth waging an e-vendetta that you will never be able to hide.
 
Festival politics at its best. You beat that other film hands down in my opinion. However Matt is somewhat right I wouldn't bring something like that out of DVXuser. If you really do go to the news its going to seem pathetic in other peoples views.
 
thanks, frank. there are a handful of leaching scumbags running festivals out there amongst all the legit ones. i'm behind you 100% for exposing them.
 
Just to point out. He's not just bitching because he got rejected (if I understand correctly). He's bitching because he got rejected and the festival programmer put his own film in. Which should just be 110% off limits if they're calling themselves a festival and taking people's submission fees etc.
 
Zak, I honestly want to take you out and buy you a couple of beers. You are a saint and a true example for other indie filmmakers to follow.... I don't know what to say. I guess I'm not?!

Personally, I don't care about the 'bad press' and I'm sorry that you feel that way. I respectfully disagree. This guy had been exposed prior to what I had written, I just think this is a healthy discussion to have. It's not sour grapes. There is another festival that rejected the film that I believe is totally legit, and I'm sure some great films played and that those films fit their festival better and were likely better than mine.

I also don't know if you're aware of the broader politics of Hoboken, New Jersey (seeing On The Waterfront would be a good start), but this wasn't just about their film festival. I lived there for three years with my wife and the rampant corruption in that city came to a head recently with the resignation of the new mayor for indictment on charges of accepting bribes by the FBI (and he was supposed to be the golden boy that would be the END of corruption there). One reason we moved out of there was the DOUBLING of the taxes for two quarters (now they're on the third and they didn't go down... big surprise) to make up for overspending during the prior eight years of former mayor Dave Roberts. Our rent probably would have gone up a few hundred dollars and we still have friends who want to get out and can't sell because of the plummeting property values, which a horrible economy didn't help, but unnaturally high taxes due to corrupt overspending generally push buyers away.

The former mayor was also a close friend of Kenneth Del Vecchio, the guy running the festival. They used it for their own political/glamorous? ends... quite stupidly, I might add, as they programmed some awesomely offensive Uwe Boll film last year and showed it in a way that was clear they had not seen the film prior to those they screened it for. I was aware of this guy prior to submitting to the festival through other filmmakers and having seen his work, I knew the whole thing was a sham. I didn't have an 'agenda' by submitting though, I genuinely thought we might have a chance of getting in and that it would have been a convenient place to screen the film for the cast, crew, and friends who live within blocks of where the festival takes place. Also, Hoboken is a great place for a film festival... a LEGITIMATE ONE. One run by people who actually care about films, not where the guy running it makes it his own personal sizzle reel for those attending. That's just not right, and I even said in the email that I know of no other festival that is THAT blatant except in New Jersey, of course.

And I'm sorry, we as filmmakers are the ones MAKING THE FILMS. We provide the work for these festivals to exist. This festival is a joke and they're allowed to take fees via withoutabox... who polices these things? HOW would you police them? How do we know which festivals are truly legit? Isn't this a healthy discussion to be having at this point, with SO MANY festivals popping up and so many films being made? Why are so many afraid to question this? I think it's important, ESPECIALLY with the marginalizing of many festivals due to poor programming where distributors no longer even show up. This makes it extremely difficult for it to be anything more than an expensive hobby for even the most talented of filmmakers.

Obviously something has to change within the system of self-distribution and getting your film out there. I think Indieflix is a step in the right direction, especially with their new model of also being a portal for the better movies to have a chance of getting on netflix, hulu, itunes, amazon, etc. Festivals are a big part of this equation and I believe that they do not all serve the interests of the indie film community 100%. I also think that filmmakers might be able to come together and form some kind of a solution that includes fests, distribution, critiques, and many other avenues that would put the power in our hands and allow good filmmakers to flourish.

As far as my own film, I think it's a good movie, and it's very close to the one that I wanted to make. I think I can do much better on the next one. But if you can look at that practically RACIST (another reason to call that guy out) trailer for... ahem... O.B.A.M. Nude and tell me that it's better, than I seriously am living in the twilight zone. I'm also willing to bet that I can dig through the other submissions and find a bunch of films better than mine who also got the shaft and paid for it so this programmer could use the festival for his own ends. THAT is not right and should not be tolerated. I guess I'm too naive about the whole thing, and that the festival world has too many shades of gray for things to stay on the up-and-up and for it to always be about quality which is, of course, subjective. But this kind of thing should NEVER be allowed, unless the festival is free.

Oh, and whomever this guy might know, I assure you that there is one thing that the people who will give you money to make movies care about: the quality of your work. And I wouldn't want to be friends or get anything from anyone that knows that 'leeching scumbag', anyway.

Sorry ya'll think lesser of me... except Zak!
 
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Frank Perrotto said:
Sorry ya'll think lesser of me... except Zak!
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Excuse me but I think you need to reread my post.

Also you might clarify in simple terms instead of several paragraphs - is what's going on here that the guy programmed his own film in his festival or not? There's a lot of material to digest here.
 
There are plenty of other loser film festivals that no one has ever heard of. I wouldn't get too worked up about being rejected from the Hoboken Film Festival.
 
Sorry, I had realized that you responded afterwards then had to go walk my dog. Just came back...

And I wanted to be as clear as possible about the circumstances surrounding the festival. Yes, what's going on here is that the guy programmed his own films in ALL of the key slots (opening AND closing night gala, as well as a regular slot) for two years running (which I recently found out he has also done in previous years.) But also, there are things about it that are especially grating to people who live/work in Hoboken and see that this kind of stuff is par for the course in all aspects of living in Soprano land, but especially in Hoboken and Jersey City. Many of the emails I got from friends who still live there were like, "Sheesh... even the film festival?"

I felt I needed several paragraphs to defend my position and also to say that I think stuff like this needs to be called out. Filmmakers should stand up for themselves, not take it on the chin for the self-serving interests of others. Sorry it wasn't more brief. I can't say whether it happens elsewhere, but you should always be wary of any festival where the programmer puts himself and his work front and center.
 
Jim2000 said:
There are plenty of other loser film festivals that no one has ever heard of. I wouldn't get too worked up about being rejected from the Hoboken Film Festival.
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I do think it's a legit case of buyers beware though. If this guy is programming his OWN films in the opening night gala and closing slots (see below) then it's boycott time and as many filmmakers need to know not to submit there as possible.

Frank Perrotto said:
Sorry, ... I wanted to be as clear as possible about the circumstances surrounding the festival. Yes, what's going on here is that the guy programmed his own films in ALL of the key slots (opening AND closing night gala, as well as a regular slot) for two years running (which I recently found out he has also done in previous years.) ...

I felt I needed several paragraphs to defend my position and also to say that I think stuff like this needs to be called out.

...
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I understand that but people need sound bites. And if you publish something saying how you didn't get in and blah blah blah ... well It's just going to seem like sour grapes unless people really read carefully.

Frank Perrotto said:
what's going on here is that the guy programmed his own films in ALL of the key slots (opening AND closing night gala, as well as a regular slot) for two years running (which I recently found out he has also done in previous years.)
...
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Boom. Sound bite. Nough said. Message received. I'm all for you getting the word out on this guy but you should lead with that if you post this around on other forums

Not
Frank Perrotto said:
Hey everyone, just wanted to post a link to this story about my film getting rejected by the Hoboken film festival.
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The story should be about how the guy is a douche, programs his own films, and you got burned by it. I think since you lead with (literally in the first sentence) "this is a story about my film getting rejected" vs "this is a story about a guy programming his own films over legitimate submissions (including mine)" is the main reason your received the kind of reaction you got.

EDIT: Even the thread title is "article about my film getting rejected". Not "article about corruption in the Hoboken Film Festival"
 
A judge in Colorado has been sentencing noise violators to listen to 40 hours of barry manilow and barney (kid show) music, there should be a law like this for film fest douche nozzles. I say make that guy watch ed woods planet 9 from outer space 100 times. :grin::grin::grin:

Forget about those guys. IDIOTS!
 
Perhaps you should have researched the film festival before entering in it.

It sucks for you, yes. However I don't think you are right either by posting here and elsewhere online about the topic phased as it is. You state you are against his selfishness. But then you post both trailers side-by-side and point people to your project.

I think you are being self-serving as well. I don't think it's in good form. If you complain about him placing his film first. I can see that and I think people would be more sympathetic.

But you took the vein that "my film got rejected and his films suck" route. Even making a trailer to trailer comparison. That's what I believe is not right since it's self-serving as well.

But I am only a voice in cyberspace. And my opinion hardly matters - but it's just another viewpoint. If you want to make it personal against those voicing concerns, fine. We are only here to give opinions.
 
let's not make this personal, in either direction.

my humble opinion is that since filmmakers are not in a position of power with regard to the fests and because they don't even participate in the money made from screening their own work, it's very easy for them to be taken advantage of. and somebody out there has to be the first one to get burned by a shady festival. there would be no research out there for others to find before submitting if people like Frank didn't speak up. I think it's risky, I think it's unpleasant, but I also think it's necessary.
 
I'm absolutely not making it personal. I only stated I believe he went about it in the wrong way and I think it's personally self-serving. It could have been done differently and more elegantly.

And that is all I am saying about it. It could have been done differently.
 
Zak Forsman said:
let's not make this personal, in either direction
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You got something against barry malilow :)

Cheers! I hear ya man, thats why I brought up barney. :)

Owe you a beer man.

Chip

Edit: ed wood planet 9. thought that one would have made everyone think twice.
 
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