Botched Cannes entry.

March 15, 2008 12:45 PM

I submitted two films to Cannes. The next morning I noticed that the two DVD packages I prepared with the entry numbers and everything were still in my bag. Whoops! Looks like I sent them unmarked discs. The cases I sent them have my contact info and the envelopes I shipped them in have the entry numbers written on them, but the actual DVDs are completely blank. Should I send a new package or will that confuse things further?
posted by davidriley to media & arts (6 comments total)

By "blank" I meant "unmarked" - they're burned properly.
posted by davidriley at 12:46 PM on March 15, 2008

Hmmm, the rules here indicate that you can only send one copy and one format of your entry.

There is also a contact e-mail at the bottom of the page, but I don't know how helpful they will be. But perhaps if your entry number is on the envelope and your Web application has been received, the person on the receiving end will be able to add "deux" et "deux" together!

Good luck and hope to see you on the big-screen!

_{(PS You might want to double check to see if I am pointing to the correct Web site. The link I gave you was based on my assumption that you are submitting a short film as an independent filmmaker (not a student) to the Festval de Cannes itself (and not any other associated side-festival.))}

But don't take my word for it - I could very well be looking at the wrong page!
posted by bitteroldman at 1:34 PM on March 15, 2008

Is there any contact info anywhere for a real person? Find a phone number, any phone number and talk to a real person. Explain the situation. If they say they cannot help you, ask to speak to a different person. Hopefully, you'll end up with the right person, who will either say, "Okay, that's fine, I see that in front of me (or will mark that on your file) We'll label the DVDs." or "Yes, we'll allow you to resend your package properly labelled."

Find a real person. They will hopefully understand or be able to assuage your worry.
posted by typewriter at 7:29 PM on March 15, 2008

Four possibilities:

1. They can figure out who you are from the materials they have, and are motivated to do so.

In this circumstance, they must be interested, as otherwise they wouldn't put in the effort, so you sending the correct discs would likely be unnecessary but also unharmful.

2. They can't figure out who you are from the materials they have, and are motivated to do so.

Well, in this case you'd better send them your new package, because otherwise your free ticket to festival-dom is going to remain unpunched.

3. They saw your sub-par packaging and threw you on the reject pile unwatched.

Likely; as with screenplays, there has to be some way to separate the wheat from the chaff in the large number of entries they get, and having people low on the totem pole immediately discard anything that doesn't fit the minimum entry requirements is a great way to do it. In this case, your new package will make it through that first obstacle, whereas your first package was discarded and unexamined.

4. They saw your sub-par film and threw you on the reject pile.

In this case, you have already lost the game, so sending another copy can't do any harm.
posted by davejay at 10:04 PM on March 15, 2008

Just email the programming team and explain to them what happened. Stuff like that happens all the time, and while they may have strict submission requirements, they aren't complete ogres.
posted by SassHat at 2:07 AM on March 16, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Well, I wrote to them and they replied almost immediately with the good news that they received the package properly. Thanks!
posted by davidriley at 1:15 PM on March 18, 2008