Without A Box offers simplified festival submission service via internet
A new internet-based service Without A Box went live on 5 September, aimed at streamlining a single submission route to multiple film festivals.
Filmmakers in the UK have been well looked after by the British Council’s Film & Television Department but still have to fill out different entry forms for each target festival. Those of you who know the small production team behind animateonline.org will have heard one of us mutter for years about the need for the blindingly obvious — one universal ‘world standard’ festival entry form. This is effectively what Without A Box is creating, and much more.
After a one-off registration in Without A Box’s database, a film can be instantly submitted to Sundance, Toronto and many other North American festivals, plus Edinburgh. The company plans to service festivals around the world, process credit card payment of their submission fees, and eventually supply them with downloadable digital stills, press kit and an internet-streamed viewing copy of each title. Without A Box does not handle screening prints.
At the moment registration is free. animateonline.org is very keen to hear about experiences of the service. We have also asked the British Council and Lux Distribution for their assessment.