Center for Asian American Media
FAQ
The following are answers to some questions that are often asked regarding submitting a film to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. If you have any further questions, please email festival [at] asianamericanmedia [dot] org.
Q: Why should I submit my film to the SFIAAFF?
Q: Are work-in-progress submissions accepted?
Q: Can I re-submit a film that was not accepted in a previous year?
Q: I’m an Asian / Asian American filmmaker, but my film has no Asian characters / subjects in it. What are the chances of my film being accepted?
Q: Do you have any premiere status requirements?
Q: Is running time a consideration in the selection process? (Is it possible for my short film to be too long, for instance?)
Q: Does acceptance into the festival give my film a better chance at being picked up for broadcast or distribution by the Center for Asian American Media?
Q: I’m a poor student/starving artist and I spent all of my money on producing the film. Can you waive my entry free?
Q: Why should I submit my film to the SFIAAFF?
A: The SFIAAFF is the largest film festival in North America dedicated to showcasing films by or about Asian Americans and Asians around the world. If accepted, your film will be seen by an audience that is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated, enthusiastic and appreciative in the nation, as well as by many festival programmers, including delegates from nearly every Asian American film festival in North America who attend the SFIAAFF looking for the best in new Asian American cinema.
The SFIAAFF has helped launch the careers of many successful Asian American filmmakers including Wayne Wang, Ang Lee, Mira Nair, M. Night Shyamalan and Justin Lin. It also provides an opportunity for filmmakers to participate in the most exciting gathering for the Asian American film community and to develop relationships that may well turn into fruitful collaborations.
Q: Are work-in-progress submissions accepted?
A: Yes, we accept work-in-progress entries for preview purposes only (not for exhibition). Though we prefer to evaluate entries that are as complete as possible, our screening committee will take into account the unfinished state of a submission as it makes its decision. Be sure to indicate on your preview DVD the status of the film (i.e., rough cut, fine cut, picture lock, etc.) and specify what elements are still incomplete (i.e., temp sound, color correction needed, etc.). That said, it is in your best interest to submit a version that is as close to completion as possible.
IMPORTANT: If your work-in-progress submission is accepted, you must be prepared to deliver a completed version in time for its festival screening.
Q: Can I re-submit a film that was not accepted in a previous year?
A: Yes. Decisions to accept or not accept a film each year are based on programmatic considerations specific to that year, and it is not unheard of for a film that was not accepted one year to be accepted the following year. If your work-in-progress submission was not accepted in a previous year but you feel that you have since improved it significantly, you may very well consider submitting it again.
Q: I’m an Asian / Asian American filmmaker, but my film has no Asian characters / subjects in it. What are the chances of my film being accepted?
A: The SFIAAFF is interested in both showcasing Asian American stories, and supporting the works of Asian American filmmakers. Toward these ends, the Festival presents films made by Asian American filmmakers that have no Asian content, as well as works made by non-Asian American makers that document the Asian American experience.
Q: Do you have any premiere status requirements?
A: We generally prefer at least a San Francisco / Bay Area premiere, especially for feature-length films. Exceptions can be made, but for obvious reasons we endeavor to showcase films that have yet to be seen in the San Francisco / Bay Area.
The Festival presents many world premieres, North American premieres and US premieres, but these are not required. We are not interested in taking away opportunities for your film to be screened in other cities.
Q: Is running time a consideration in the selection process? (Is it possible for my short film to be too long, for instance?)
A: Yes and no. Many filmmakers, particularly those of shorts films, feel that at 30 or 40 minutes their films are a bit too long in the shorts category but not long enough to qualify as features. At the SFIAAFF we consider all works 50 minutes and longer to be features. Anything shorter than 50 minutes is a short film, and there are two possibilities for a short film to be showcased at the SFIAAFF: 1) in a shorts program, or 2) preceding a feature film. Running time is certainly a consideration insofar as we attempt to create programs that are not too long but not too short. Film selection is not done in a vacuum but in the context of finite time per program, so running time is one of many factors that are considered when we compare your work with others.
But at the end of the day, the most important factor is whether the running time is warranted for each film. Your film should be as long as it needs to be, but no longer. We are not as concerned with the actual running time of the film as we are with how effectively that time is used.
FACT: The longest film ever screened at the SFIAAFF was 10.5 hours long, and the shortest was one minute.
Q: Does acceptance into the festival give my film a better chance at being picked up for broadcast or distribution by the Center for Asian American Media?
A: The Center for Asian American Media’s Public Television and Distribution departments make their decisions independent of the Festival department. However, acceptance into the SFIAAFF puts your work on the radar of our other departments, so it certainly represents an opportunity to get your work noticed.
Q: I’m a poor student/starving artist and I spent all of my money on producing the film. Can you waive my entry free?
A: Unfortunately, no. We understand the severe financial restrictions among many of our entrants. (This is why we are one of the few festivals who have not increased entry fees during the last several years.) As a non-profit organization, we also operate under severe limitations on resources, and the entry fees help in allowing us to produce the best possible showcase for the films. We encourage all entrants to submit by the early deadline to save $10.
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