Andrew Catauro, production assistant at POV, is the newest addition to our staff. He shares his tips for filmmakers who are considering submitting their work for the Call for Entries for POV’s 2009 broadcast season.
Each year, POV holds an open call for submissions, welcoming any filmmakers who are interested to send us their nonfiction films for possible broadcast. As I’ve joined POV very recently, this will be my first experience with the Call for Entries. We usually get about a thousand films for the 12-15 slots that are available in a season. So I’m bracing like Noah before the flood that is headed my way, and I’m writing to help you build an ark for your film to help it sail it successfully towards consideration for the 2009 broadcast season. (We’re even asking for two DVD copies of every film. Who would have guessed my first blog post would have all this biblical symbolism?)
POV has four submission categories:
Standard: Films that are at rough cut or fine cut stage and will be ready for broadcast in 2009.
Completion Fund: Films that are in rough cut or assembly stage and may not be ready for broadcast in 2009, and are seeking completion funds.
Shorts: Films that are at rough cut or fine cut stage whose running time is 20 minutes or less.
In the Works: Films that are not ready for standard submission, but that a filmmaker would like to introduce to us.
All films must be submitted through POV’s online submission system, and the deadline for entries this year is Friday, June 27. Start by going to http://cfe.pov.org, and follow the instructions to complete an entry form.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of some tips to help you complete the process as painlessly as possible:
Add cfe[at]pov.org to your e-mail address book so that none of our correspondence to you is lost in a spam folder.
Go to http://cfe.pov.org (Make sure your browser will accept pop-up windows.)
Click either of the two “Register” links (at the top and middle of the page) and complete the registration page.
Check your e-mail for your registration confirmation. The confirmation e-mail will arrive within 24 hours of your registration.
You MUST click on the link within the confirmation e-mail to activate your account.
Once you have activated your account, log-in at http://cfe.pov.org to complete your application.
Enter your film’s title and click the “Create New Call for Entries form” button.
The rest of the process is self-explanatory from this point — you’ll just be entering more information about your film. When you’ve completed and submitted the application, you will be provided with on-screen labeling and mailing instructions. We request two printouts of your completed film submission from our system, and two DVD copies of your film. (A heads-up: the system will tell you this, but please do not affix any actual labels onto your DVDs. They sometimes interfere with playback, which can delay the review of your film. We prefer that you use a printable surface disc or a black magic marker to label your disc directly.) If you have questions at any point, please call 212-989-8121 x380.
In general, POV works reflect the range and diversity of American voices. Part of our mandate in promoting and nurturing these films with community and educational initiatives is to uncover stories that are not often seen in the mainstream media. And don’t forget, the series is called “Point Of View.” All our films have one — a unique perspective on those stories, a specific light that our filmmakers cast on the events they recount.
If you feel your film meets the criteria I’ve listed above, and all of our eligibility guidelines, you should strongly consider it for submission to POV We’ll screen your work, and if we agree, then chances are we’ll strongly consider it for broadcast. Yance has also written a great post about what POV looks for in a film during our selection process. Check it out, and I guarantee you’ll have an even better idea of whether the film you’ve made is a good fit for us. I look forward to watching your submissions, and being in touch with many of you.
The Call for Entries is officially open.