Some of the best places to spot celebrities in one place without tons of security, assistants, and people keeping you away is at a film festival. Every week, all over the world, film festivals take place that allow fans and people in the industry the opportunity to watch indie (independent) films looking for release, studio films trying to build audience buzz ahead of their release, and international films you might not otherwise get the chance to see at all.
One of the fringe benefits of these events is that the festivals often bring the stars and director of the movie out either before or after the screening to answer questions from fans. They also appear at parties and accept awards at festivities. Some festivals are too small to attract much in the way of celebrities, like the Cleveland Film Festival, while others work hard to draw in two or three big names. The 2003 Starz Denver Film Festival brought William H. Macy, Francis Ford Coppola, and Campbell Scott. Of course the most well-know film festivals like Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, and Tribeca are always crawling with celebs.
There are two main ways to meet celebrities at these events. The first is to actually buy a ticket and hope for the best. The second is a little more expensive, but also a lot more successful. Celebrities often let their hair down at a film festival, but only when they’re in their own crowd. At a party for industry players, a celebrity will mingle, chat, give out contact info, talk about things they wouldn’t otherwise talk about, and generally be themselves. If you’re a producer, a lawyer, an accountant, or a journalist, then you’re more than welcome to come to such an affair--just as long as you specialize in the entertainment industry. If you don’t work in the “industry,” you’ll need to get a little more devious.
The first thing you need is a good business card. "Wally Smith, Producer" isn’t going to cut it. Get a friend who knows his or her way around graphic design programs like PhotoShop, InDesign, or Quark to make you something that looks professional, corporate, full-color, and instantly credible. "Juggernaut Entertainment, Walter J. Smith, Head of Acquisitions, West Coast." You get the idea.
The next thing you need is an industry pass, which is like a season ticket for a film festival. You get your picture taken, and then you get a laminated pass that hangs around your neck and announces to the world that Walter J. Smith is a credible industry type. Then you start asking around whether there are any parties going on.
The screenings at film festivals are largely unimportant. In fact, many industry players will only go to a handful of films, and some don’t go to any. They will, however, work hard behind the scenes, find out which films were accepted well by the audience, who has something new coming out, and who is buying what film. That’s the scene you need to be in, and to do that you need to know your stuff.
"Yeah, we’re a recent start-up. It’s British money mostly, a little German. Looking for product to run on UK TV and theatrical, mostly in the 1-2 million dollar range…." It’s understandable that you would be uncomfortable spinning a story like that. The film industry is a lot more in-depth than "I really liked The Fast and the Furious, and most people have an area of knowledge that they can adapt to the entertainment scene pretty easily. If you’re a lawyer, you can speak about entertainment law. If you’re an accountant, you can talk about investments and project financing. If you’re a personal trainer, you can talk about relaxation and image. Use your imagination, and remember that even the industry players are spinning a tale or two!
Most film festivals have a detailed Web site that will tell you how to get onboard as someone in the industry. Don’t feel like a scam artist for doing so. After all, you’ll be paying for your pass just like everyone else. As I mentioned above, half the people you meet in the entertainment world are nothing but "talk" anyway.
One last piece of advice: Film festivals are not the place to ask for a photo or an autograph. Industry people just don’t do that. If you do, you’ll be politely escorted away and asked not to return.
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