From: jtem01@gmail.com   
      
   That's a new one for us:  Sri Lanka   
      
   We also got Australia and the U.K but we already have   
   more than one from each...   
      
   Still Grateful though!   
      
   A local filmmaker asked for a fee waiver, explaining   
   that he was a young student and didn't have a budget for   
   festival submissions.   
      
   Well. Nobody tell Mike but this young student sure is   
   a handsome one!   
      
   I explained that we don't do waivers except under very   
   unusual circumstances -- "Iran," anyone? -- so I told   
   him we'd give him a waiver if he volunteered (judged)   
   or made an introduction for us to his film professor.   
   Or, I told him if he paid the fee, actually showed up   
   we'd refund him the cash!   
      
   Actually what I told him is that we'd allow him and   
   his entire entourage in for free. That, he could invite   
   all his friends, family, people he met on the bus... all   
   given admission for free. AND that we were planning on   
   doing a "Session Favorite" award so he could tell them   
   all to vote for his film and easily win. AND, if he   
   was going to go that route I asked him to pop us a note   
   in advance, because we get A LOT of films that nobody is   
   ever going to show up for (mostly international) but that   
   they're good and deserve an audience. So I'd pack a bunch   
   in his session.   
      
   No, couldn't do that. Some of them are so good, and have   
   access to public funds & resources to a degree that they   
   can easily out shine most student efforts, and that's just   
   not fair. We'd need to balance things a tad, not stack   
   them against a local...   
      
   BUT WE'RE THE CHEAPEST!   
      
   We have like the absolute lowest submission fees!   
      
   He ended up paying the fee, submitting the film but I   
   wonder if he'll even show up. I think BIFF starts at like   
   $40 -- rises throughout the season -- and the Underground   
   charges like a flat $50... a lot of these other festivals   
   even charge Filmmakers to attend!   
      
   We charged him $11. And that's because he was too late for   
   the super early bird pricing.   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   --   
   https://jtem.tumblr.com/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)