Sundance, SXSW and Cannes: Film festival strategy for independent filmmakers

This one's a little different.No guest this week - just me and my producer Jacob Cagle, flipping the mic and doing a proper debrief on the last six months. We're talking Sundance, South by Southwest, and Cannes. What worked, what didn't, and what I'd tell anyone who's scared to walk into a room full of people who seem like they belong there more than you do.We also get into something I don't talk about enough — the real reason I started going to film festivals in the first place, what jealousy actually taught me about what I want, and why fear isn't a stop sign, it's a map.Plus: a little state of the pod. It's almost been a year. I have feelings about it.Topics covered:Fuck, Marry, Kill: Sundance, South by Southwest, and Cannes (yes we went there)Chicago International, Chicago Latino Film Festival, and Midwest Film Festival — where it all startedHow to go to Sundance without a badge and not miss a thingSouth by Southwest: the honest review — badge worth it or not?Cannes: why it tripled my contacts and why I'm completely biasedHow to sneak into parties at Cannes and why it's basically requiredInternational film festivals that will actually pay for you to goJealousy as a compass — what it's really telling you"You belong in that room" — and what that actually means when you grew up brokeThe monopoly board theory for your life and careerOne year of Ilse Will Say: what I know now that I wish I knew thenHosted by Ilse Zacharias Rivera. Say hi / follow along here: @ilsezachariasMentioned in this episode:Thank you to our sponsor, Joel Maisonet Photography: maisonetphotography.com