The Houston International Sports Film Festival, which launches in May of next year, will start accepting submissions this week, said Josh Merwin, the event’s organizer.
Originally, the festival was going to start accepting submissions in July, but Merwin decided to move the date up because of the coronavirus pandemic. His plan is to charge $75 for each submission, then use that money to hire filmmakers who aren’t working to judge the films.
“Part of the reason I want to do that is because there are so many people in the film industry who are out of work,” Merwin said. “We’re not going to be able to pay people watching a ton of money to judge these films. I hope it will get filmmakers that have sports films excited about the future at a time that can be very difficult and very depressing.”
Merwin wants judges to create written reviews of the films that will then be shared with the filmmakers.
“Usually what happens at the film festival, they’re inundated with films that get submitted and then different people watch them, and they never really get feedback,” he said.
Merwin believes a festival solely devoted to sports films fills a need that isn’t being duplicated elsewhere. It is being created to help first-time and emerging filmmakers. It also will have a focus on athlete-generated content.
“Even if we were competing with another festival, the more films that can get out there and get exposure in the world, the better,” Merwin said.
The festival also is set up to support a specific cause each year. At its first event next May, it will launch In conjunction with the World Transplant Games, which will allow the festival to support organ donor awareness.
