Without A Box, Inc., continues to expand its global reach to the film world with the signing of two prestigious festivals outside North America and with the rapidly-growing enrollment of a wide array of international filmmakers. The Venice and Sydney Film Festivals join more than 100 festivals who have signed exclusive agreement to utilize Without A Box’s online International Film Festival Submission Service for their upcoming festivals. Among the more than 3,700 filmmakers who have signed on to use the Service in its first ten weeks, hundreds are from nations outside North America, including China, Japan, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Brazil, Israel, Denmark, the Netherlands, Egypt, Hungary and Russia .
Without A Box’s Service simplifies the film festival’s entire process of managing entries and communicating with applicants by bringing it online. The Service allows filmmakers to access and apply to film festivals worldwide with one online entry form, saving hours of time and approximately 20 to 30-percent in costs as compared to traditional submission processes.
“The Without A Box festival submission service is a great asset for the filmmaking world,” said Alberto Barbera, director Venice Film Festival. “It has real value for filmmakers who want to find an audience for their work and is infinitely helpful to the film festivals who showcase their films.”
“Submissions to the Sydney Film Festival have been rapidly increasing in recent years,” said Sydney Film Festival director, Gayle Lake. “The Without A Box service helps streamline our global call for entries procedure, and also cuts down administrative load. We are very happy to be joining this innovative and valuable new service as a Founding Festival.”
The following festivals have recently opened their calls for entry and are currently accepting submissions via Without A Box: Sydney Film Festival, IFP West/Los Angeles Film Festival, Taos Talking Pictures, Atlanta Film and Video Festival and the Seattle Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival recently completed calls for entry to its January 2002 Film Festival through Without A Box.
“Finally, an online service for the film industry that truly connects the needs of filmmakers and film festivals,” said John Cooper, associate director of programming for the Sundance Film Festival.
Without A Box’s innovative proprietary software allows a filmmaker’s single online entry form to be customized to meet the needs of each film festival. By the end of 2001, filmmakers will be able to search Without A Box’s comprehensive “smart” festival database. Without A Box also will accept film and support materials at one central location to be accessed securely by festivals in a paperless environment.
“Signing over 100 film festivals in just 12 months is testament that the film community is ready for our service,” said David Straus, chief executive officer, Without A Box. “When you consider the size, diversity and geographic scope of our Partner festivals, we will be reaching approximately 80-percent of the filmmaking community in North America by Spring 2002 and we are rapidly expanding across the globe.”
Demonstrations of the service and signups are currently online at Withoutabox.com.
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