FestForge

About FestForge

The FestForge Podcast is a film festival podcast hosted by Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash. Through audio and video conversations with programmers, filmmakers, creative directors and other festival insiders, it explores the work, taste, politics and wonderfully strange realities behind the festival circuit, plainly, accessibly and without the industry jargon.

Publisher

Brendan Cleaves

Category

tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2026

Latest episode

26 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Oct 2026

   How LOCO Chooses Comedy Films | Benedict Morrison, LOCO London Comedy Film Festival

   What makes a comedy film work for a festival, and how does a programmer decide what belongs in the room? Benedict Morrison, Artistic Director of the LOCO London Comedy Film Festival, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about choosing comedy films, supporting emerging filmmakers and running a not-for-profit festival. They discuss what LOCO looks for in submissions, why comedy can tackle difficult subjects, and the value of seeing funny films with an audience. LOCO is a London festival dedicated to comedy filmmaking. This conversation offers a candid look at the decisions behind its programme and what filmmakers should consider before submitting. CHAPTERS 00:00 The birth of LOCO 04:42 Balancing academia and comedy 05:56 Running a not-for-profit festival 08:12 Building a comedy filmmaking community 09:10 Beyond film screenings 10:43 BAFTA qualification and what it means 27:34 What happens when a film is submitted 30:56 Comedy’s darker side 32:58 Shorts, sketches and storytelling 35:28 How LOCO assesses submissions 36:56 Choosing and shaping the programme 44:04 Comedy that challenges expectations 55:05 The future of comedy in a digital age 01:03:07 Benedict’s advice for filmmakers LOCO LONDON COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL Website: https://locofilmfestival.com/ (https://locofilmfestival.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/locolondon (https://www.instagram.com/locolondon) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/locofilmfestival/ (https://www.facebook.com/locofilmfestival/) X: https://twitter.com/LOCOFilmFest (https://twitter.com/LOCOFilmFest) Festival submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/LOCOFilmFestival (https://filmfreeway.com/LOCOFilmFestival) FESTFORGE PODCAST Listen and watch: https://festforge.art/podcast-links (https://festforge.art/podcast-links) Website: https://festforge.art/ (https://festforge.art/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge (https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge) HOSTS Brendan Cleaves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) Website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/ (https://www.brendancleaves.com/) Johnny Vivash Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/) IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/)

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Film Festivals by the Numbers: Stephen Follows on Fees, Selection and Rejection

   Film Festivals by the Numbers: Stephen Follows on Fees, Selection and Rejection What does a festival submission fee actually pay for? How is a film chosen, and what should a filmmaker take from a rejection? Film industry researcher Stephen Follows joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to look past the assumptions surrounding the festival circuit. They discuss how festivals are changing, the pressures behind submission fees, what happens during selection, and why programming is about more than judging films in isolation. The conversation also asks what filmmakers should reasonably expect from festivals: clearer information, better communication and greater transparency. Stephen brings a researcher's perspective to questions of curation, inclusion and success, while reminding us that a festival decision is one response to a film, not the final word on its worth. CHAPTERS 00:00 Navigating the film festival landscape 10:03 How film festivals are changing 20:07 Submission fees and festival funding 32:41 What filmmakers expect when they submit 34:34 Why transparency matters 36:38 How the selection process works 39:20 The role of curation 41:27 Why a festival needs its own voice 43:26 Diversity and inclusion 45:36 Rejection and success 48:36 The future of film festivals LISTEN AND FOLLOW FESTFORGE All podcast links: https://www.festforge.art/podcast-links (https://www.festforge.art/podcast-links) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/festforge/id6795884061 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/festforge/id6795884061) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033XPu9dbrx6Zc0gJEyqkQ (https://open.spotify.com/show/033XPu9dbrx6Zc0gJEyqkQ) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge (https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/ (https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/) Website: https://www.festforge.art/ (https://www.festforge.art/) GUEST Stephen Follows: https://stephenfollows.com/ (https://stephenfollows.com/) HOSTS Brendan Cleaves: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) Brendan’s website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/ (https://www.brendancleaves.com/) Johnny Vivash: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/) Johnny’s IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/)

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   How FrightFest Chooses Feature Films | Ian Rattray

   What gets a feature into FrightFest, and what makes a programmer take a chance on a new filmmaker? Ian Rattray, FrightFest co-founder and co-director, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about building the festival, programming its First Blood strand and choosing films for an audience that knows its horror. Ian discusses how submissions are assessed, why originality and ambition matter, and why rushing an unfinished cut to meet a deadline can work against you. He also talks about balancing returning filmmakers with new voices, changing audience tastes and what he would tell someone submitting to FrightFest for the first time. Listen to the FestForge Podcast: https://festforge.art/podcast-links (https://festforge.art/podcast-links) CHAPTERS 00:00 Technical difficulties 03:36 Introduction 04:49 Ian's journey into film 07:01 The birth of FrightFest 09:08 What defines a FrightFest film? 10:09 Why First Blood exists 10:18 The politics behind First Blood 13:09 How Ian's taste has changed 15:00 Selecting films for First Blood 22:49 Loyalty and new voices 24:25 Big names and studios 25:21 Horror films at festivals 26:03 The art of programming 27:33 Difficult programming decisions 28:06 Audience engagement and revenue 30:16 Censorship and film selection 32:29 Trends versus originality 36:24 Has filmmaking improved? 42:28 Submissions and selection 50:22 The filmmaker's perspective 51:19 Ian's festival survival guide 53:11 Closing thoughts FRIGHTFEST Website: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/ (https://www.frightfest.co.uk/) Submit a film: https://frightfest.co.uk/submissions/ (https://frightfest.co.uk/submissions/) Team FrightFest: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/ (https://www.frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/) FESTFORGE Website: https://www.festforge.art/ (https://www.festforge.art/) Podcast and listening links: https://festforge.art/podcast-links (https://festforge.art/podcast-links) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge (https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge) HOSTS Brendan Cleaves: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) Johnny Vivash: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/)

4. 

   14 Sept 2026

   How to Get Your Short Film Into FrightFest | James Taylor

   How does FrightFest choose the horror shorts that make it onto the big screen? James Taylor, FrightFest's Shorts Programmer, joins Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to talk about the selection process, how programmers build a varied line-up, and what filmmakers can do to give their work the best chance. They get into story versus budget, premiere status, audience experience, festival feedback, rejection, the path from shorts to features, and why the right screening can open real doors for a film. Chapters 00:00 Technical Difficulties and Introductions 02:04 Becoming Part of FrightFest 03:11 The Selection Process 04:00 Horror Genre and Film Submissions 04:50 Curation and Programming 05:49 Short Film Selection and Audience Experience 06:54 Film Length and Audience Engagement 07:59 Filmmaker Advice and Submission Considerations 28:50 Film Submission Criteria 30:27 The Impact of AI in Filmmaking 36:14 The Community Experience at FrightFest 43:42 The Power of Film Festivals 46:57 The Role of Short Films in Festival Programming 55:26 Film Submission and Festival Selection 56:43 The Journey of a Film 58:53 Premiere Status and Festival Strategy 01:08:06 Rejection and Feedback 01:18:06 The Impact of Venue and Screening ABOUT FRIGHTFEST Website: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/ (https://www.frightfest.co.uk/) Films and events: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/ (https://www.frightfest.co.uk/filmsandevents/) Team FrightFest: https://frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/ (https://frightfest.co.uk/teamfrightfest/) Contact: https://frightfest.co.uk/contactus/ (https://frightfest.co.uk/contactus/) HOSTS Brendan Cleaves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) Website: https://www.brendancleaves.com/ (https://www.brendancleaves.com/) Johnny Vivash Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/) IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3131573/) FESTFORGE Website: https://www.festforge.art/ (https://www.festforge.art/) Podcast: https://www.festforge.art/podcast (https://www.festforge.art/podcast) Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube: https://festforge.art/podcast-links (https://festforge.art/podcast-links) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge (https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge) Subscribe for honest conversations about short films, festival submissions and the realities of the festival circuit.

5. 

   31 Aug 2026

   How to Get Into a BIFA-Qualifying Film Festival | Kino London

   How do you get a short film into a BIFA-qualifying festival? Kino London Short Film Festival’s Festival Director, Dustin Curtis Murphy, and Senior Programmer, Gillian Harker, join Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash to discuss what makes a submission stand out, Kino’s budget-based categories, transparency, accreditation, programmer feedback and common festival-submission mistakes. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Meet Dustin Curtis Murphy and Gillian Harker 02:46 Kino London and the filmmaking journey 07:10 Kino’s budget-based category system 11:31 Does budget disclosure change filmmaking? 18:52 Transparency around film budgets 22:28 Guaranteed feedback for filmmakers 26:52 The challenge of giving useful feedback 31:18 Kino’s pre-selection process 40:17 Transparency and filmmaker trust 48:51 The BIFA-qualifying process 50:06 Film festival accreditation 53:10 The challenges of accreditation 54:15 How accreditation affects programming 57:28 Kino’s talent-focused approach 01:03:26 Industry sessions and workshops 01:16:41 Toxicity in the film industry 01:19:27 Carving your own path 01:26:26 The illusion of authority 01:31:04 Common festival-submission mistakes 01:33:43 Challenging the status quo Listen to the FestForge Podcast: https://festforge.art/podcast-links (https://festforge.art/podcast-links) KINO LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Website: https://www.kinoshortfilm.com/klsff (https://www.kinoshortfilm.com/klsff) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinolondon/ (https://www.instagram.com/kinolondon/) GUESTS Dustin Curtis Murphy: http://www.instagram.com/dcmfilmmaker (http://www.instagram.com/@dcmfilmmaker) Gillian Harker: https://www.instagram.com/gillian.harker/ (https://www.instagram.com/gillian.harker/) HOSTS Brendan Cleaves: https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) Johnny Vivash: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/) FESTFORGE https://www.festforge.art/ (https://www.festforge.art/) https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge (https://www.youtube.com/@FestForge) Subscribe for candid conversations about short films, festival submissions and the reality of the festival circuit.

6. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Ben S Hyland - How to rule the festival circuit with your short film

   The conversation delves into discussion about the festival strategy, the impact of festival selections, the premiere strategy, and the festival experience, highlighting the importance of festival relationships and the value of festival laurels. The conversation covers the filmmaker's experience with festival opportunities, the Oscars, and the impact of winning awards. It also delves into the challenges of networking at festivals, the differences between European and American festivals, and the significance of casting in filmmaking. The conversation delves into the passion for filmmaking, the engagement with material, and the career benefits. It also explores the journey of a film, the festival circuit, financial rewards, and distribution platforms. Additionally, it discusses the craft of filmmaking, life experiences, handling rejection, and festival survival. Takeaways Importance of festival relationships and laurels Festival opportunities open doors for filmmakers Networking at festivals can be challenging European and American festivals have different dynamics Casting is crucial for the success of a film Passion drives actors and filmmakers Engaging with material is crucial for career benefits Chapters 00:00 Navigating Film Funding 03:09 The Festival Strategy 09:32 The Impact of Festival Selections 18:07 The Premiere Strategy 23:44 The Festival Experience 29:58 Festival Opportunities and the Oscars 32:27 Festival Experience and Networking 39:32 European vs. American Festivals 53:14 Casting and Filmmaking Challenges 01:00:41 The Passion for Acting and Filmmaking 01:01:30 Engaging with Material and Career Benefits 01:03:18 The Journey of a Film and Festival Circuit 01:05:27 Financial Rewards and Distribution Platforms 01:11:24 Craft of Filmmaking and Life Experiences 01:21:12 Handling Rejection and Festival Survival Looking for the right festival strategy for your film? FestForge creates bespoke festival strategies and provides professional film hosting, helping you target the right festivals, avoid wasted submission fees and get more from your festival run. Build your custom strategy today at festforge.art (http://festforge.art). http://www.festforge.art (http://www.festforge.art) FestForge links https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/ (https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art/) https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/ (https://www.instagram.com/brendancleaves/) https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/ (https://www.instagram.com/johnnyvivash/) Ben's links https://www.instagram.com/ben_s_hyland/ (https://www.instagram.com/ben_s_hyland/) https://www.benshyland.com (https://www.benshyland.com)

7. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival + Quarxx

   The first episode of the Festival Podcast features an interview with Marko Men, the head programmer of the Grossman Fantastic Film Online Festival. The conversation covers the festival's history, unique aspects, film selection process, guest experiences, and survival guide for filmmakers. It also delves into the positioning of the festival in the context of the film festival circuit and its community-building activities. The conversation covers insights from Marco Metzen, the film 'The Ones Who Grieve', the affliction of the Black Veil, the Tesla Tower and electricity, revisited zombie and new wave zombie, period setting and cinematography, the filmmaking journey, handling rejection, festival advice, and the Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival experience. Takeaways Grossman Festival's unique combination of film and wine sets it apart Community and networking play a significant role at Grossman Festival Insights into the filmmaking journey Importance of perseverance and festival experience Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Grossman Festival 00:46 History of Grossman Festival 01:17 Influence of Karl Brosman and Fritz Lang 03:06 Positioning of Grossman Festival 04:02 Unique Aspects of Grossman Festival 05:29 Community and Networking at Grossman Festival 06:53 Guests and Personal Experiences 08:02 Securing Guests for the Festival 09:45 Film Selection Process 11:42 Film Programming and Scheduling 24:16 Film Premieres and Selection Criteria 25:13 Events and Activities at Grossman Festival 27:33 Survival Guide for Filmmakers at Grossman 28:32 Introduction to the Festival 29:26 Insights from Marco Metzen 31:48 Quarks and His Film 32:32 The Ones Who Grieve 33:25 The Black Veil Affliction 34:18 The Tesla Tower and Electricity 35:08 Revisited Zombie and New Wave Zombie 35:28 Period Setting and Cinematography 37:19 Pandemonium and Filmmaking Journey 47:28 Handling Rejection and Festival Advice 53:14 Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival Experience http://www.festforge.art

8. 

   1 Aug 2026

   Introduction

   The Fest Forge Podcast is introduced by Brendan Cleaves and Johnny Vivash, who aim to provide insights and knowledge about the film festival experience. They discuss the purpose of the podcast, insider knowledge of festivals, the festival experience, the filmmaking journey, the Fest Forge platform, and the filmmaker's festival journey. Takeaways Insights into the film festival experience Understanding the importance of the festival journey for filmmakers Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Fest Forward Podcast 00:33 The Purpose of the Podcast 01:18 Insider Knowledge of Festivals 02:26 The Festival Experience 03:38 The Filmmaking Journey 04:43 Fest Forge Platform 06:06 Filmmaker's Festival Journey www.festforge.art (http://www.festforge.art) https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art (https://www.instagram.com/festforge.art)

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Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.