Calling our Midwest and music-focused festivals!
Come together for this regional gathering at the 25th Annual Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival in Rochester, MN, taking place November 13-17. Meet your fellow festival colleagues and attend films, concerts, and educational programming, all designed to expand your network and sharpen your skills, supported by Film Festival Alliance.
FFA Member Exclusive: Attend Sound Unseen 2024 as an FFA Member and access free film and concert tickets. To access this benefit reach out to Jim Brunzell here.
Sound Unseen Hotel Block: Reserve your stay at the Moxy Minneapolis Uptown ($99/night) using the festival room block here.
PROGRAMMING
MEET THE PROGRAMMERS | Friday, November 15th @ 12:30 PM | Cloudland
Co-presented by Film Festival Alliance, FilmNorth, Cloudland Theater, St. Thomas: Music, Film & Creative Enterprise
Meet various Film Festival Programmers to find out how they carefully balance their programs and learn some insider secrets on programming and selecting films. Find out what each programmer looks for when watching submissions and how they decide what films make it into a festival, what are good and bad practices, and if they still love film.
FRANKLY FESTIVALS LIVE PODCAST TAPING | Friday, November 15th @ 2:00 PM | Cloudland
Co-Presented by: Film Festival Alliance and Cloudland Theater, FilmNorth, St. Thomas: Music, Film & Creative Enterprise
Ask festival experts Jon Gann and Bart Weiss your most pressing questions about film festivals and self-distribution during a LIVE recording of their podcast, “Frankly Festivals.” No subject is off-topic, and the answers will be brutally honest. Hear past episodes at franklyfestivals.com or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
MEET THE FESTIVALS | Saturday, November 16th @ 12:30 PM | Cloudland
Co-Presented by: FilmNorth, Film Festival Alliance, Cloudland Theater, St. Thomas: Music, Film & Creative Enterprise
Meet various Minnesota Film Festival Directors and get their takes, thoughts, opinions, and optimism on the Minnesota film festival scene. Hear what they are noticing in the local film scene, what they have learned navigating a competitive field in selecting local films, what advice they would give filmmakers and artists, and what makes their festival different or similar in the great state of Minnesota.
FINDING HER BEAT: A CASE STUDY | Saturday, November 16th @ 2:30 PM | Cloudland
Co-Presented by Film Festival Alliance, FilmNorth, Cloudland Theater, St. Thomas: Music, Film & Creative Enterprise
Kicking off at the 2022 Mill Valley Film Festival (Mill Valley, CA), the MN based documentary FINDING HER BEAT traveled the world playing at over 50 festivals worldwide garnering acclaim and sold out screenings wherever it went in addition to being the Centerpiece Film at the 2022 Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival. Co-Directors Dawn Mikkelson and Keri Pickett sit down with Deirdre Haj to discuss the ups and downs of traveling the world with a documentary film, what advice they would give other filmmakers about trying to secure distribution, the do's and don'ts on releasing your film, and other horror and success stories on creating a female empowered film in a crowded festival field.