The Pre-Interview

After contacting just about everybody at the SIFF office, I finally heard back from Jason Dittmer, the director of marketing and communications. I will be interviewing him sometime early this week, though we're still working on a time. This is what I could gather from outside research in terms of the interview questions:

1. How many entries did they get this year? For films make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts. 
• They receive over 3500 films each year.
2. How many films do they aim to screen each year? How many papers/presentations do they accept? Again, for films make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts. 
• This year, SIFF screened 447 films: 272 features (plus 4 secret films) and 175 shorts.
3. What is their pre-screening process? 
4. How many pre-screeners do they have each year? 
5. Who is typically chosen as a pre-screener? 
6. How do they score entries? Do they use a scoring template/rubric? Are there scoring guidelines? 
7. Do you have a jury after the pre-screening process has ended? 
8. How far in advance do they send out their call for entries? How do entries typically roll in? Early?
   Late? In waves? 
9. How many paid employees do they have each year? How many volunteers? 
• Over 800 volunteers per year. Unable to find precise number of paid employees, though there are 22 positions listed, and then a board of 23. (Not including honorary board)
10. Do you use specific programming, trafficking, budgeting software? Do you like it? 
11. What community outreach do you do outside of your festival season to keep your event on the
    public's radar and/or to raise funds? (Workshops, mini-festivals, fundraiser dinners, etc.) 
• Now that SIFF is more than just a festival, there are plenty of year-round ways to get involved. SIFF cinema screens cult favorites and new films daily, as well as hosting many mini festivals and events. On October 4th, they are launching a 9 day "Seattle South Asian Film Festival, " while also screening other films. On Tuesdays, they host "Totally 80s Tuesdays," and many other film series. They are currently doing a Fritz Lang Classic Restored series. They offer numerous options for film fanatics every night of the week! For the month of October, they're hosting a "psychotronic cinema" series, for instance. The lists go on. They also host screenplay swap dinners (where you get a chance at having your screenplay read aloud by professional actors, and can receive feedback by professionals.) They also have education programs and events for every age. Kids programs have them moving from a film concept to a film screening within a day, but the adult programs really move away from "summer camp" ideas and welcome one to the professional world. They offer "first draft" which similar to the screenplay swap, allows beginning screenwriters to have their work read and acted by professionals who then give feedback. There is a method acting class taught by David Lee Strasberg, a digital cinema course, and a monthly film and lecture series. There's a bit of everything for everyone at SIFF! They also offer fundraising galas throughout the year.
12. Do you give out swag bags to visiting filmmakers? Presenters? Guests? If so, what type of items
    do you include in those bags? 
• Everything that I can find about gift bags have to do with their galas and parties. There seems to be a range of gift bags, based on tickets purchased and who is expected to attend different events. This is the pitch for their premium ticket for the opening night gala of the festival: "With the Red Carpet Experience, your SIFF 2013 Opening Night includes valet parking, a walk on the Red Capet, a private pre-film reception at the Red Carpet Lounge, reserved seating for our Gala screening of Much Ado About Nothing, a premium gift bag, and open bar at Seattle's biggest party!"
13. Do presenter/filmmaker pay registration to attend? 
14. Are you able to provide presenters/filmmakers with funds to cover travel or lodging? 
15. What "perks" do your filmmakers/scholars enjoy at your festival/conference? What else do you encourage them to do while they're in town? m(Free dinners, tours, exclusive activities...in Wilm, we'd try to take them to the beach, Screen Gems tour, etc.)                                SIFF is typically known as an "audience festival," and from what I can find, focuses more on the audience experience. However, I will ask more about treatment of filmmakers in my interview. I'd say the main pull for filmmakers to play their films at SIFF is the large volume of films that play at SIFF that are then picked up for distribution.
16. Do you have special donor perks during the event? Or how do you thank them? Their donor perks are connected to the individual memberships, which I mentioned earlier. 
17. What do they wish they had done differently or better when they were first starting out? What do
    you wish you knew then that you know now? 
18. If it’s a festival or conference that no longer is in existence...why did it end? 
19. Any other ideas or advice that we haven’t thought to ask about?