Michelle Chong and the "dubious" film festival: Huat Films responds

Is the Canada International Film Festival all it's cracked up to be?

Jeanette Tan | March 23, 2017, 11:30 AM

Over the weekend, we reported the happy news that Michelle Chong had clinched the "Best Director" award at this year's Canada International Film Festival (CIFF):

Click image to go to article

Adapted from screenshot from CIFF website

This was, indeed, also reported in other media, like The Straits Times, which in an initial report (that was since updated) noted the prestigiousness of the film festival, adding that it is one of the more established.

Enter this piece by one Lhu Wen Kai:

Screenshot from article (click to read it in full)

... which called the integrity of the festival into question.

Now, some of Lhu's claims can't be denied — for instance, the fact that there is no listing showing the credentials of the jury deciding on the festival's awards, as well as the most jarring bit, detailed on their "About" page, no less:

Adapted from screenshot from CIFF website

Also, a 2013 investigation done by American film website IndieWire revealed that a few of these festivals were bought and sold by various venture capitalists, who eventually realised they were not financially viable.

These led to a possible decline in resources and effort placed into ensuring the continued standards of integrity these festivals might have initially had.

 

Huat Films responds

We then approached Huat Films — the company behind Chong's films that now include Three Peas in a Pod and Already Famous, to find out if they knew about this before submitting Lulu the Movie to it.

Its spokesperson, Diana Foo, told us they had submitted the film to about 10 festivals, including the CIFF, through a film festival submission website called FilmFreeway.

She highlighted that the site has stringent conditions for the festivals it lists on its directory, and also differentiates between "Film Festivals with Live Screenings" and other online-only festivals, which are given a "Non-Public" listing:

Adapted from screenshot from filmfreeway.com

When we searched FilmFreeway's listing, we found that the CIFF turned up only when "Festivals with Live Screenings" was left unchecked:

Screenshot from filmfreeway.com

Screenshot from filmfreeway.com

Perhaps it's not counted as an online-only festival, hmm.

Foo said it was also her understanding that the CIFF is listed as a major film festival in various searches done previously, hence their choice to enter Chong's work there.

She shared with us that she received this emailed response from the CIFF on their entry:

"This year's selection committee was met with several hundred projects originating from many countries around the world, with your select group of films and screenplays emerging as the very best. Congratulations on your outstanding work!

Held at the beautiful Edgewater Casino in downtown Vancouver from 2009 to 2016, this year, as our normal venue is unavailable and now undergoing a massive remodel, we have transitioned to an online film festival. Films will not be physically screened for the public. We understand you may have submitted with a physical film festival in mind, so if you are unhappy with this change, you may receive a full refund for your entry fee. Just let us know and we will take care of that for you. (emphasis ours)"

Here's what she told us, the above notwithstanding:

"But even if it's a less established film festival now, we feel honoured to have been picked amongst all the other entries sent in. We are a commercial film that did well at the box office and our run ended way before we were informed of this award. We also recently sold our cable and online streaming rights to 10 countries in Asia for a six figure sum. This award was just the icing on the cake.

Most people would have only heard of Cannes or Sundance, but there are 5,000 over listed film festivals on FilmFreeway. It's impossible to do extensive research on each and every one of them. Out of the 5,000, we submitted to only about 10 of the major film festivals. The past winners of Canada International Film Festival have also won other major film festival awards. But whether it is a big or small film festival, they still gave the Best Director award to Michelle Chong, a filmmaker in Singapore, and for that we are honoured."

 

Related article:

Michelle “Lulu” Chong wins Best Director award at Canada International Film Festival

Let Lulu’s Guide to Fashion teach you how to dress like a Singaporean

Mothership Q&A: A glimpse of actress and director Michelle Chong

 

Top photo: Screenshot from trailer

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