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 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, 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.

In this episode, hosts Jon Gann and Bart Weiss discuss the intricacies of film festivals, offering valuable advice for filmmakers. They explore the history and purpose of festivals, the challenges of organizing them, the importance of doing research before submitting films, and the necessity of building community and networking within the film festival circuit. Both hosts bring their wealth of experience to demystify the festival process and emphasize the critical aspects of festival submissions, programming, and participation for aspiring filmmakers.

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, and Gray Rodriguez, the Director of Communications for the Film Festival Alliance.

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.