Filmmaker from Bainbridge Island helps create Seattle Web Fest
Published 11:02 am Friday, March 13, 2015
A Bainbridge Island filmmaker is one of the leading actors in creating the Seattle Web Fest, a brand-new event that will bring online films from around the world to the big screen in Seattle.
The free, one-day film festival will be held on Saturday, March 14 at Northwest Film Forum in Seattle.
Matt Longmire, a Bainbridge Island filmmaker, is one of the three producers of the festival. Longmire said the film fest will feature more than 40 web-based TV series — many of them from Seattle and Washington state — as well as eight hours of panels with industry professionals.
With more and more viewers discovering episodic independent television via YouTube and Netflix (with its “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” shows), Longmire said online filmmaking will continue to be a growing trend.
Visitors to the free film fest will get a great overview of the many creative and engaging film series that are attracting audiences online.
The films chosen to be screened at the festival went through a thorough selection process, Longmire said.
“We received over 100 submissions and out of those we had a team of five people on our selection committee rating each show,” he said.
Movies were picked based on originality, production values and a “whole slew” of other factors, he said.
It was also important to showcase as many web series as possible.
“We used every minute of screen time we could squeeze in,” he said.
Submissions came from around the globe, and range from documentaries to dramas and beyond.
“We have zombie shows and comedies and foreign shows,” Longmire said. “We have pretty much any topic you can think of.”
Longmire said he also found a few new favorites among the selections.
“There were quite a few shows I didn’t know about, and I’ve since gone on to watch every episode they’ve ever made.”
Longmire joined forces with two other filmmakers, Liz Ellis and Darlene Sellers, to create the fest. It’s something that he hopes will continue to grow in the years ahead.
Saturday’s lineup of shows is ambitious, with offerings from Los Angeles to London, and Granada, Spain to Tasmania, Australia.
There will also be a featured screening of “What the Funny?” — directed by Lynn Shelton and filmed by Ben Kasulke — a project that was a collaboration of Seattle’s Independent Film, Fringe Theatre and music scenes from 2008. Members of the film’s crew and cast will be at the festival.
The fest is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave. For more details, visit seattlewebfest.com.
Web series included in Seattle Web Fest
“3some” – London, UK
“A Quick Fortune” – London, UK
“Aeternus” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“After” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“Altruman” – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
“AUTHENTIK” – Paris, France
“Capitol Hill” – Seattle, WA
“Convos With My 2-Year-Old” – Vancouver, BC
“Croissant Man” – Los Angeles, CA
“Divine: The Series” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“Does This Baby Make Me Look Fat?” – L.A., CA
“Dogs & Me” – Los Angeles, CA
“Dynamo” – Seattle, WA
“Eat Our Feelings” – Brooklyn, NY
“Educurious” – Seattle, WA
“Firsts The Series” – Los Angeles, CA
“FUTURE DUCK!” – London, England
“High Road” – Piha, New Zealand
“Job Hunters” – Seattle, WA
“L.A. Macabre” – Los Angeles, CA
“La Supercafetera” – Spain
“LARPs: The Series” – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
“Noirhouse” – Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
“Not It” – Los Angeles, CA
“Out With Dad” – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
“Pairings” – Los Angeles, CA
“Pete Winning and the Pirates” – Toronto, Ontario
“Phoenix Run” – Tacoma, WA
“Polaris” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“Standard Action” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“STILL” – Everett, WA
“Stricken” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“Super Mashed Up” – Albany, NY
“Talk It Up TV” – Seattle, WA
“The Adventures of Suzy Boon” – Auckland, New Zealand
“The Amazing Gayl Pile” – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
“The Bloody Mary Show” – London, UK
“The Crack (La Grieta)” – Granada, Spain
“The Digressions” – Astoria, NY
“The River” – Seattle, WA
“Under The HUD” – Vancouver, BC, Canada
“Wastelander Panda: Exile” – Adelaide, SA, Australia
“Whatever, Linda” – Toronto, Canada
“Wimpole Street” – London, U.K
Panels at Seattle Web Fest
10 a.m. Featured Screening: “What the Funny?”
A collaboration of some of the best of Seattle’s Independent Film, Fringe Theatre and music scenes was undertaken back in 2008 as part of the new wave of independent film.
Designed to take advantage of Internet distribution and the growing influence of social networks, it was made as a series of 10-minute episodes. A mockumentary between “Waiting for Guffman” and “The Office,” “What the Funny’ is the story of Max, long-suffering owner of a struggling comedy-theatre in Seattle. Several of the filmmakers, cast and crew will be in attendance.
11 a.m. Taking Advantage of Local Resources: Making Washington Work For You
From WA state film incentives to regional grant opportunities.
Noon Why Make a Web Series?
What are the advantages of the web series format?
1 p.m. Business and Legal in the Web Series World
Get your ducks in a row up front to prepare your show for the best distribution opportunities.
2 p.m. Web Series Production Design on a Budget
Web Series creators are adept at doing more with less.
3 p.m. Building Your Audience by Knowing Your Niche
Identify, recruit, build and maintain a passionate fanbase to help promote and sustain your show.
4 p.m. Storytelling Across Media
How can creators use both traditional and nontraditional strategies to tell their stories across platforms and keep their audience engaged?
5 p.m. Platforms and Distribution
Tackle how the creator navigates the current landscape to maximize distribution potential.
6 p.m. Marketing Your Web Series
Incorporate marketing into your series from the jump. Find the balance between social media, traditional marketing and guerrilla PR tactics to help sell your series to the internet masses.
