Frankly Festivals

About Frankly Festivals

Peek behind the screens and explore how film festivals and events really operate. Every episode, we discuss a critical topic and answer questions submitted by filmmakers around the globe. reelplan.substack.com (https://reelplan.substack.com/s/frankly-festivals?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Hosted by Jon Gann & Bart Weiss

Category

business · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Aug 2024

Latest episode

1 Jun 2025

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jun 2025

   Marketing 101 for Fests and Filmmakers

   Publicists John Wildman, Lisa Trifone, and Kendra Rubinfeld discuss essential marketing and public relations strategies for film festivals, covering press relations and event promotion in this interview.

2. 

   1 May 2025

   The People Who Make a Festival Happen

   For this episode, we explore key staff members who make a festival happen. Some of these staff members are year-round and shape the festival’s mission, while others come on for a shorter period of time, but whose contribution is immeasurable. Our guests: BETH BARRET, the Artistic Director for SIFF, the Seattle International FF. Beth has been with SIFF since 2003, and is responsible for managing the artistic vision of SIFF, including all aspects of programming for the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema’s 6 year-round screens, and the SIFF Education team. PAUL SLOOP has been the lead programmer of short films for the Oscar qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival since 2003. He is also the Director of Programming at Film Pittsburgh and the Director of Programming at the Cordillera International Film Festival. BLAIR HUNT has amassed extensive experience in large-scale event management, producing events, securing talent, and serving in directorial capacities. Recently, she joined the Round Top Film Festival as the inaugural Festival Director. EILEEN LEVEL is the “Queen of Volunteers” having developed successful volunteer programs for many events, including AFI DOCS. She is a champion of the cinema-going experience, having launched PaleFO Cinema. Get full access to Behind the Screens at reelplan.substack.com/subscribe (https://reelplan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   1 Apr 2025

   The Tech Episode

   This month, Jon and Bart discuss a broad topic that, while important for festivals – is really critical for filmmakers. Tech. Not cameras and lights, but hope to best prep your film for festival play. Now that everything is digital, things have been challenging – file compression issues, wrong aspect ratio, inappropriate sound mixes. Hear from three tech pioneers for best practices and tips to ensure perfect screenings. Our Guests: In 2011, GARRETT SERGEANT started SimpleDCP (https://simpledcp.com/), one of the first DCP creation sites for indie filmmakers. He is a motion picture editor based in the Los Angeles area with over a decade of professional post-production experience. His works have shown at Sundance, Cinequest, the Hamptons Film Festival, and many other festivals. SimpleDCP has grown to not only provide file conversion for filmmakers, but full tech services for festivals and theaters. DEV SHAPIRO is the CEO and head of production at Selig Polyscope Co (https://seligpolyscope.com/). He is also the technical brains behind Selig Film News, He is experienced in the areas of Digital Cinema, Projection, Film Festivals and Print Traffic with a demonstrated history of working in the motion picture industry. Often compared to Irving Thalberg he is a film historian and a Bollywood movie poster collector, and a lover of Yiddish cinema. KELLEY BAKER, known internationally as “The Angry Filmmaker (https://angryfilmmaker.com/),” is an indie filmmaker who has written numerous books, toured the country multiple times speaking at universities and film events, and whose films have screened at dozens and dozens of festivals. Kelley is also an accomplished sound engineer, and has worked with many of Hollywood’s greats, including Todd Haynes and Gus van Sant. Get full access to Behind the Screens at reelplan.substack.com/subscribe (https://reelplan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   7 Mar 2025

   How Film Festivals (Don't) Make Money

   We have all heard from filmmakers that festivals make a mint from submission fees, and that festival staff are wildly overpaid and wasting the millions of dollars they get from such fees. But the reality is very different — that most festivals barely net $10K from submission fees, and that ticket sales also cover only a fraction of theater rent, event expenses, and staff pay – if they get paid at all. We are doing a do a deep dive into festival finances — including fundraising, grants, sponsors and partners, and, of course, the often misunderstood submission fees. Our Guests: With a background in music, art promotion and event production, Jeff Ross (https://sfindie.com/) started San Francisco IndieFest in 1998. In the past Jeff has worked for the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Santa Cruz Film Festival and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and has worked for Burning Man since 2006. In 2025 SF IndieFest will present the 27th SF Independent Film Festival, the 25th SF Documentary Festival, the 21st Another Hole in the Head genre festival, the 8th SF Shorts Fest and the 6th Green Film Festival of San Francisco. Barbara Twist (https://filmfestivalalliance.org/home), the executive director of the Film Festival Alliance. Barbara is also a writer and producer of short films and features through Twist Films; she is an emeritus board member of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and Cinema Lamont; former Managing Director of Art House Convergence, an organization for community-based, mission-driven cinemas. Film Film Festival Alliance focuses on community, education, and advocacy. In her time at FFA, Barbara has spearheaded a number of initiatives focused on the economic impact of festivals, including a study right now which looks at festival worker employment & compensation., the executive director of the Film Festival Alliance. Barbara is also a writer and producer of short films and features through Twist Films; she is an emeritus board member of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and Cinema Lamont; former Managing Director of Art House Convergence, an organization for community-based, mission-driven cinemas. Film Film Festival Alliance focuses on community, education, and advocacy. In her time at FFA, Barbara has spearheaded a number of initiatives focused on the economic impact of festivals, including a study right now which looks at festival worker employment & compensation. Jonah Zeiger, the former Deputy Commissioner at the Chicago Film Office, which serves Chicago’s film and television industry and community. Jonah is also a producer, director, educator, and programmer who has worked in various capacities in film, television, theatre, higher education, and with visual and performing arts organizations producing public programming. His experience between all of these platforms makes him uniquely qualified to discuss money across the arts and industries. Get full access to Behind the Screens at reelplan.substack.com/subscribe (https://reelplan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   3 Dec 2024

   You Asked Us... We Answered!

   Film festival experts Jon Gann and Bart Weiss demystify the festival process, emphasizing the importance of research, community building, and networking for aspiring filmmakers.

6. 

   31 Oct 2024

   Best Practices, Transparency, and Ethics for Film Festivals

   It's finally here -- the long-awaited release of a new program from the Film Festival Alliance to create a set of best practices for festivals, including a searchable database for filmmakers to compare and contrast events, allowing them to create better festival strategies. Jon and Bart are joined by Bears Rebecca Fonte, the Artistic Director of aGLIFF/PRISM (https://www.agliff.org/), and Gray Rodriguez, the Director of Communications for the Film Festival Alliance (https://filmfestivalalliance.org/home). Almost 12 years in the making, this new set of standards will revolutionize festivals, and assign a badge of professionalism and credibility to worthy events. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reelplan.substack.com (https://reelplan.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

7. 

   30 Sept 2024

   How did we get here? A history of Film Festivals

   This month, Jon & Bart discuss the history of film festivals, and where the industry is today, with Sky Sitney, the co-founder and festival director of DC/DOX (https://dcdoxfest.com/), and the former festival director of AFI Docs (originally known as Silverdocs), and a professor at Georgetown University, and Mark Rabinowitz, co-founder of indieWIRE (https://www.indiewire.com/), producer, acquisitions executive, programmer, and a member of the Louisville Film Commission. We also talk about the big move ahead for Sundance, and honestly answer questions from filmmakers about festivals and filmmaking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reelplan.substack.com (https://reelplan.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

8. 

   20 Aug 2024

   The inherent divide between the interests of festivals and filmmakers

   Welcome to Frankly Festivals, a new podcast that explores the ecosystem of film events and filmmakers, in an attempt to demystify each others’ pressures and interests, in order to foster greater cooperation, understanding, and a stronger industry. This month, Jon & Bart speak with Lela Meadow-Conner (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2036672/), creative producer of “Chasing Chasing Amy (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10825052/?ref_=nm_knf_c_1)”, former Executive Director of Film Festival Alliance, the co-creator of the Tallgrass Film Festival, and creator of the mamafilm microcinema and multi-city film series, and Geoff Marslett (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004082), award winning filmmaker of “Mars (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1109488/?ref_=nm_knf_c_3),” “Monkey vs. Robot,” and “Quantum Cowboys (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11662660/?ref_=nm_knf_c_1),” and teacher at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Texas Austin. Hosted by Jon Gann (https://reelplan.com/) and Bart Weiss (http://bartweiss.com). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reelplan.substack.com (https://reelplan.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Who has been a guest on Frankly Festivals

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• John Wildman
• Lisa Trifone
• Kendra Rubinfeld

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 8 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

3

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32