Festivals are great places to show the film, create buzz, get feedback, meet people. I've met so many industry people in the process. I know a lot more now about how everything really works than I ever did before. It took him a few years to put together the sets, equipment, and cast for Freezer , his short about a man trapped in a warehouse freezer who believes he may soon die. I don't so much measure success by awards or even box office success, however these things are important and wonderful to have.
Success is in the eye of the beholder.
Be Committed , says that even for indie film artisans, the bottom line is always the dollar value a film is projected to be worth. And the roots of that industry start growing at film festivals, even small ones like Valleyfest. It is especially important for new festivals to continue to be born. As older festivals gain reputations among distributors, they become more and more popular, more selective, and, eventually, the kind of work they show veers more toward the mainstream. Take Berlin, for example.