14/09/2023
First of all, a Director Biography and resume are not the same thing. This is an item that is often overlooked or omitted by Writers and Directors. Perhaps some people feel that if they don't have enough filmmaking experience to write about, that it isn't important.
Why Do Film Festivals Care About My Biography?
Sometimes, filmmakers and screenwriters don't want to boast about themselves and let their work do the talking. While this is noble, I feel like it's also a mistake to leave this field blank when you submit to Film Festivals. Reading about every university, theater group, film, and television show that a person was involved in, can be overkill, for a Director’s Bio. Why do film festivals care about your biography? Because it gives a potential viewer an idea of who is involved in the film festival. A common question I get, especially from people that are not in the film industry is, “who made these movies?” For potential attendees, who are curious about what a film festival event is all about, this entire concept is new to them. A short 250 word or less bio, allows the viewer to understand where the filmmaker is from and what stage of career stage the filmmaker is in. As well as, the next possible steps in this filmmaker’s career.
A Director’s Biography Is A Description Of The Creator’s Bbackground
One of the first things that you want to establish in a good bio is, what state, city or country you are from. In my experience, film festival submitters omit this information 25% of the time. True story, at the Austin Comedy Short Film Festival a couple of years ago, we nominated 3 different films that were shot on location in Texas, for the "Best Texas Film Award." We typically nominate 5 films per category, but we assumed that only 3 were selected that year, so we nominated those. I even emailed every filmmaker and asked them where their film was from. Most responded, but some did not. We went on to have a wonderful two-day screening and one of the films got so many laughs, it was unbelievable. It was one of the most "talked about" films we've ever had. I realized that the filmmakers didn't attend the screening and never responded to emails. I decided to call them. The director told me that they didn't attend the festival, because they didn't get nominated for the "Best Texas Film Award." They felt that the other films were of lower quality than theirs. I was shocked to learn that the film was shot on location in Texas. The submission form didn’t include a bio or director's statement. The phone number’s area code wasn’t from Texas. They didn’t list an address or social media accounts. There was nothing that indicated where the film was made or where the filmmakers were from. They would have easily won the Award if we knew.
A little communication goes a long way. Simple, fixable problems with a film festival submission form like this, may affect the success of your submission. The first few sentences in your bio should let people know where you are from. In addition, it’s good to let people know what career stage the director is in. Viewers will consider this during the screenings. I’ve heard great compliments from film festival attendees like “Wow, the production was so good! I can’t believe the director is only 22 years old.”
Finally, I’ve found that people are genuinely curious about the “next steps” in the filmmakers career. People don’t generally understand that independent films can serve as a resume item for a director. Part of the reason why filmmakers put creative energy into a film, is to use it as a stepping stone in their career path.
Two Examples Of A Director's Biography with three elements that make it stronger.
Your Director’s Bio is not a resume. You are not applying for a job
