Early Review: ‘Official Rejection’

Two weeks ago I posted a First Look at an independent documentary called Official Rejection. A few days ago I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to watch it. I expected to see a film that was funny and entertaining but also shed some light on film festivals. Official Rejection was that film and more. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the film but not always for reasons I expected. It is at times hilarious but there are also some moments that are heartbreaking, especially to those interested in filmmaking as a career.

I feel that in the interest of full disclosure, I should let you know that this film is about me. Well, technically that’s not true. I am not actually in the film but there is a general feeling of camaraderie and singularity among independent filmmakers. While we all take different paths to get our films released, nearly every filmmaker will visit a few film festivals along the way. Official Rejection may only cover a few filmmakers and their films, but this is very much a film about all indie filmmakers and their work. In fact, replacing film festival with a major concert or gallery makes this a film about musicians and other artists as well. So to put it simply, all artists despite your medium of choice need to see this film.

That doesn’t mean this film is for artists only. Anyone that is at all interested in film should see Official Rejection. If you are a fan of independent films (real indies, not Hollywood “indies†) this doc will show you the journey many of those films went on to gain an audience and find distribution. If you hate independent film, you should see this film to at least gain an appreciation for the struggles the filmmakers face. And for anyone who could care less about movies and filmmaking, there is still a compelling story being told here. After all, who doesn’t like a good underdog story?

Official Rejection follows filmmaker Scott Storm and his film, Ten Til Noon, from its first rejections to its first few acceptances. What gives this documentary such a personal feel is that the director of Official Rejection is the screenwriter for Ten Til Noon. Because of this, we get an in depth look at what filmmakers experience before, during and after film festivals. This is also beneficial because this means Paul Osborne truly cares about his subject and in turn, so does the viewer. And don’t worry; this does not make Official Rejection seem like a long commercial or some kind of bonus feature for Ten Til Noon. Ten Til Noon is meant to be the everyfilm and Scott Storm represents most independent filmmakers. To further prove this, we are treated to many interviews along the way from a variety of people in independent film.

Kevin Smith, Chris Gore, Lloyd Kaufman, Jenna Fischer, Andy Dick, Traci Lords, Troy Duffy and Bryan Singer are a few of the more famous people interviewed. They all offer some great words of wisdom and give some insight into film festivals. I will admit though that even though I agree, I was very upset to hear Kevin Smith say that Clerks. would never be accepted into Sundance if it was made today. We also hear from many other independent filmmakers, both in interviews and through footage captured at festivals. One of the best and most eye opening segments in the film is the nightmare of a situation that happened to filmmaker Blayne Weaver and his film, Outside Sales, at Indie Fest. I don’t want to ruin it but I will say that it is shocking to see how some festivals treat filmmakers. There are also a few actors, sales reps, audience members and representatives from a few film festivals that are interviewed.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic documentary that is fun to watch and very informative. I wish I had seen this movie a year ago before I started submitting to film festivals because I actually did pick up quite a few things about the process. Official Rejection should be mandatory viewing in all film schools.

I want to wish Paul and everyone else behind Official Rejection the best of luck with the film and its festival run. It’s going to be hard to get a film that exposes film festivals into film festivals, but that should only be the case for festivals with something to hide. All festivals that accept films based on their worth should accept this movie. I highly suggest seeking this film out if it is screening near you. For everyone else, this film will definitely find distribution in the near future so look for it then.

Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com