Research Assignment

1. What time is your interview scheduled and who will you be talking with when you call/skype?

He has not contacted me back. :-(

2. Who started it and who runs it? The Chicago Underground Film Festival was founded in 1993 by Jay Bliznick, a Columbia College film student who was fed up with the exclusivity of the existing film festival circuit. He enlisted partner Bryan Wendorf to work with him and create a festival for the kind of films they wanted to see, primarily films that the established film festival circuit – increasingly dominated by distributor product – refused to show.

3. What is the mission of the festival/conference? Founded in 1993, The Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is a year-round organization dedicated to the work of film and video makers with defiantly independent visions. Unlike many other “independent” film events our goal is not to imitate old guard, market-driven events such as Sundance but Instead to focus on the artistc, aesthetic and fun side of independent filmmaking. CUFF promotes works that dissent radically in form, content and technique from both the tired conventions of Hollywood and the increasingly stagnant IndieWood mainstream.

4. How does this compare with their actual programming choices from the past two years? Be specific in describing what they program (mode, categories within mode, niche, Political? Global? Local? Gender? Sexuality? Race? Any themes that you see? etc...)

5. Where is the event? The event is in Chicago, Illinois.

6. When is the event?The event date is May 13-17th.

7. How do you submit?Preview copies must be NTSC DVD or region free Blu-Ray or online screener. Foreign language work must be dubbed or subtitled in English. All that is necessary to send is a clearly identified DVD and, if you like, a synopsis or contextual statement about your work. These are the only items that the programmers will see when they evaluate your submission.

8. When are the deadlines to enter? Early? Reg? Late? October 1st, December 1st, January 5th, and January 18th are the dates from early to extended.

9. How much does it cost to enter? Theses are the costs for entries..

• Early Deadline: October 1, 2015 – Entry Fee: Features $35 (Students $20); Shorts $30 (Students $15)
• Regular Deadline: December 1, 2015– Entry Fee: Features $45 (Students $25); Shorts $35 (Student $20)
• Late Deadline: January 5, 2016 – Entry Fee: Features $55 (Students $30); Shorts $40 (Student $25)

10. Who’s eligible, what are the guidelines to enter?

The Chicago Underground Film Festival exists to showcase the defiantly independent filmmaker. Our mission is to promote films and videos that dissent radically in form, technique, or content from the “indie” mainstream and to present adventurous works that challenge and transcend commercial and audience expectations…if you suspect your film is “underground,” it probably is.

A completed entry form and an entry fee must accompany each film or video submitted. Preview copies must be secure online screener (Vimeo, Film Freeway, Withoutabox, etc.), NTSC DVD or Blu-Ray disc. Foreign language work must be dubbed or subtitled in English. Please do not send elaborate presentation materials, press kits, binders, etc. with your entry. All that is necessary to send is a clearly identified screener or disc and, if you like, a synopsis or contextual statement about your work. These are the only items that the programmers will see when they evaluate your submission. We don’t want you to pay for unnecessary materials, and they generate a lot of waste. If your film is selected for the festival we will contact you about images and press kits. Or better yet: put these materials online and type the URL into your entry form.

11. Is there a Student category?

There are student categories for every type of film you can submit. Narrative, Doc, Experimental, Features, Shorts no matter what there is a student's category.

12. What formats do they except for jurying? DVD, Vimeo, Flash drives?

Preview copies must be secure online screener (Vimeo, Film Freeway, Withoutabox, etc.), NTSC DVD or Blu-Ray disc.

13. What formats do they except for exhibition/screening? NTSC DVD or Blu-Ray

14. How many films screened at the festival last year?

110

15. How long is a typical shorts block or paper presentation block at their event?

A typical shorts block is 87 minutes and they don’t have paper presentations here at this festival.

16. How many films or papers do they program per block?

They program about 8 films per block

17. How do people register to attend? Is there a cost to attend as a guest?

You can register online at filmfreeway or on their actual website and guests do need to purchase a pass.

18. Look at sponsorship page and see what businesses. Grants and private entities give money to the event.

Figure out how many of each kind and note any leads that might be useful to us.

IFP Chicago, Jameson, Lagunitas Brewing, The Illinois Film Office, Cinespace Chicago, Fandor, Perrier, SAG-AFTRA, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Tribeca Flashpoint College, and a few local film companies support them. I know Rob and I would love to pursue the Jameson sponsorship for visions this year lol. All jokes aside I see a lot of support from local film companies and art societies so maybe we should reach out to the ones we have near us.

19. What are their sponsorship levels and incentives for each level?

I could not find this every link just brought me to their sponsorship with the IFP.

20. Did they have a kickstarter or indiegogo? What incentives did they have for each level of donor? Yes they did have a Kickstarter and indiegogo 3 years ago . The incentives are $10USD

• supporter
• Thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and a CUFF button
• 44 claimed

• $25USD
• Attendee
• Free admission ticket to one screening at the 2013 festival, thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and a CUFF button
• 41 claimed

• $50USD
• Enthusiast
• A Chicago Underground Film Festival T-shirt, free admission ticket to one screening at the 2013 festival, thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and a CUFF button
• 29 claimed

• $100USD
• Truly committed
• A Chicago Underground Film Festival T-shirt, two free admission tickets to any screenings at the 2013 festival, festival poster,thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and a CUFF button

• $250USD
• Big Shot
• One All Access festival pass, A Chicago Underground Film Festival T-shirt, festival poster, thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and a CUFF button

• $500USD
• Superstar
• Custom made CUFF award designed by a local artist, two All Access festival passes, two Chicago Underground Film Festival T-shirts, thank you in the the program book and on www.cuff.org and two CUFF buttons

21. What kind of non­traditional film/video events have they had before? Things like Installations, 'Visual

Soundwalls,' VJing etc.

From what I could find it seems they stick to strickly screening films.

22. Are there ways in which they have expanded the typical film screening event? How have they branched out from sitting in a dark room in front of a screen?I feel like from looking at the programing from last year they have a wide array of film styles they program. They have alot of controversial and gritty films that alot of mainstream festivals would never play.

23. Is the layout easy to navigate? What makes it easy?

Yes but only because there is not much information on the website.

24. Is the layout difficult to navigate? What makes it difficult?

There aren’t really good headings so its kind of a pain in the ass to know what you are really about to look at when you click a link.

25. Can you find the information you are looking for on the homepage or via a link on the homepage? Some stuff I could but I googled alot and found out most of my information from film freeway.

26. Aesthetically, what catches your eye? What's cool about it?

I like there little banner at the top but for the most part the site is pretty bland. I think our V5 site navigated and looked better aesthetically.

27. Aesthetically, what doesn't fit in? What makes it look bad?

The sponsorship band down the whole left side of the screen is stupid its a huge eye sore. They put the social media of in the corner over the huge sponsorship theme. Its very meh I don’t feel like the website designer tried hard at all.

28. Should there be more information? Is the page too bare?

YES OMG YES I had to search so hard to answer the questions.

29. Should there be less information? Is the page too busy?

No they definitely need more information.

30. What would you do differently if you were to redesign this website?

I would add more color, move the sponsorship stuff first. I would also add more tabs with information on the festival for potential entrants as well as make the site more user friendly. It seems like they have been running the same template from when they first made a site and they just need a total revamping of the site. They should also consolidate the screenings page so there are links to each block rather than having them all on one page.

31. What would you keep the same if you were to redesign this website?

I would not keep anything .