WAYWARD SON, JACK SQUAT, Kyle Taubken, Director of PATRICK: The Memphis Film Prize can easily be looked at as the upstart younger brother or sister in the Film Prize family, as it is a younger event in comparison to the Louisiana Film Prize and it’s much coveted grand prize comes in at $10,000, in comparison to the senior event’s $50,000.
WAYWARD SON, JACK SQUAT, PATRICK, and more compete for the 2018 Memphis Film Prize
But little to one of that matters when you are a filmmaker vying for that grand prize. I often talk about and write about what film festivals can do to benefit filmmakers in a concrete way. Naturally, handing over a huge check is about as obvious as it gets when it comes to benefiting a filmmaker. I mean, how else will they be able to make that next film, or even eat and pay their rent while they are trying to make that next film, right?
Well, the Memphis Film Prize does that to the tune of $10,000, so there you go. All settled. Done.
But, wait – there is more to see and talk about here, because the Film Prize events by their very design offer much more than that. And the Memphis Film Prize, in particular, offers more than the obvious very legit payoff. So, let’s look at some pictures of filmmakers and stuff and talk about that:
Here are the filmmakers (most of them making their first appearances) on a red carpet – or to be fair, a photo call with a basic step-and-repeat. But Memphis is a work-in-progress when it comes to getting across the idea that filmmakers need to promote themselves. There is a fantastically talented group of filmmakers in town and the Shelby County area, but a lot of them seem to get stuck in that “We’re artists and are above that self-portion gambit” routine. Which is fine if the only people you plan to screen your film for are cast and crew, mom and dad, and your significant other.
But as we do at each of the film festivals I am a part of, we have bigger ambitions for the filmmakers at Memphis Film Prize, so learning to pose for photos is just scratching the surface you might say…
Speaking of those opening pitches, each filmmaker has 30 seconds to offer up why everyone should vote for their film and/or them, personally…
Nearly every film festival has filmmaker panels. The question is why? Is there actually any useful information being doled out or is it just a handful of people in front of a smattering of filmmakers and film goers recounting their greatest hits, and anecdotes, and delivering a lot of blah, blah, blah?
Yeah – usually it is.
But not here. One, what was discussed were things relevant to filmmakers with short films about to embark on their film fest tours, thinking about how they could possibly take the next step to making features, and how they could actually get people to write about them in the press or give a damn in general – among other things.
The other key was this: The jurors didn’t just come to Memphis Film Prize to pass down their decree on who was good and who was not, eat some great Memphis food, see the sights, drink a lot and then head back to LA or NYC or wherever. No, they actually were involved in imparting some knowledge to the filmmakers, and giving some counsel. When does that happen at film fests? Answer: Not a whole helluva a lot.
The audiences. They were HUGE. In fact, the event has grown so much that it is likely theaters will need to added next year. Memphis Film Prize has a quality unique to the city in that coalescing of all factions from filmmaker to staff to jury to the film fans that no other film event in the city shares. And that fact really was underlined and bolded this year.
Another not-so-obvious benefit of film festivals is the basic ability to put filmmakers in the same room with each other so they can compare notes, make connections, and maybe leave with people added to their “go to” lists – to hire, ask for referrals and advice, or be hired by, and expand their filmmaking community. Film Prize has that aspect highlighted in a major way.
How all of this applies to Memphis was interesting this year when you consider that out of the 10 finalists, 4 were of the filmmakers were black. Having those projects put forward, promoted, and celebrated, and seeing those filmmakers solidify their relationships and make new ones in a filmmaking community that can seem very segmented, is key to inspiring and contributing to getting those next projects made.
In fact, other film festivals have offered artist internships and filmmaker residencies for black artists. But clearly, Memphis Film Prize is leading in that regard by seamlessly connecting all of its participating filmmakers and prominently providing opportunities for them to succeed. The competition is by design – just that, a competition, but it also offers as level a “playing field” as you can get, and you can see and feel the participants respond to that by developing a camaraderie as opposed to a cutthroat scenario as they attend the Film Prize and interact.
The announcement of the winning filmmaker traditionally takes place at the legendary Arcade restaurant, which was Elvis’s favorite breakfast joint, I believe. It’s a low-key and family-styled affair in many ways. However, with the growth of Memphis Film Prize, I could actually see the need to either take over the entire place (instead of just one room) or they’re going to need a bigger boat, as they say.
WAYWARD SON, JACK SQUAT, Kyle Taubken, Director of PATRICK: The Memphis Film Prize can easily be looked at as the upstart younger brother or sister in the Film Prize family, as it is a younger event in comparison to the Louisiana Film Prize and it’s much coveted grand prize comes in at $10,000, in comparison to the senior event’s $50,000.