The New Orleans Film Festival, run by the New Orleans Film Society, was recently listed as one of MovieMakers’ film festivals worth the entry fee for filmmakers. While I have never submitted a movie to the fest (I’m a critic), I can tell you that the NOLA audience appreciates indie cinema. And if you have an exceptional indie film, the benefits you receive will match the quality you give.
Like most fests, there is a submission process, where a plethora of films are whittled down to dozens. Competition is fierce on the festival circuit. The more organizations turn your movie down, the more youtube looks like a viable option. Good movies ought to be viewed on good screens.
To the people behind NOFS, allow me to recommend a good movie for this years fest, during this submission season - Steve Chong Finds Out That Suicide is a Bad Idea.
I reviewed this local indie a while back, using a rough cut as my source. Since then, the filmmakers have continued editing, and have produced what I feel is a much better movie.
Steve Chong has reached a dead end in his life. Having just been fired from a sushi restaurant, he is heavily considering suicide. At the last minute, he organizes a weekend vacation with his closest friends. They drink, they goof off, they reveal secrets and they grow as people. But will all of this help Steve? Is he going to go through with his plan?
This new cut is much more polished, and features some excellent edits; an opening credit sequence that hints at a very dark moment works really well. But nothing about the story is sacrificed with more cutting. If anything, the story is streamlined, unfolding in a much smoother way. And any movie that uses a Silent Cinema song is a winner in my book. 4/5 *s all the way.
Lots of people in the region know about Steve Chong (some strangers I talked with over a year ago brought it up out of nowhere), but few have seen it complete and on a big screen. Lets make it happen at NOFF.
