Hello WFF2025 Cast! Here’s all you’ll need to know!
General Festival Information
OPENING NIGHT: Wednesday February 19, 7-11PM. We’ll be at CIRCO LOUNGE, which is on the second floor of 1604 Broadway. You are absolutely welcome to attend and bring friends! We’ll have a film crew there doing interviews on the red carpet, and I’ll swap in whichever Presenters are there to take a turn interviewing.
SCREENINGS-EDUCATION-MEETUPS: Thursday Feb 20 – Saturday Feb 22, 12PM-11:30PM. We’ll be at LOOK Cinemas, 657 West 57th Street. You are invited to attend any screenings you’d like and may bring your friends with our compliments.
We will have a camera crew at the theater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday February 20-22, from roughly 6PM – 8PM. If you are available, please come by and we will happily put you on the red carpet to interview people!
Awards Ceremony
We’ll be at Club 230FIFTH, 230 Fifth Avenue. When you arrive, tell them you are with the Festival and come up to the EMPIRE ROOM
It’s a super-fun party and you are encouraged to invite your friends/family to the event! Please ask them to arrive after 5PM.
KEEP IN MIND: We are not able to get into the venue until noon on the day of and have to race to get everything setup in time. We’ll have a crew of all volunteers who have no idea what they are doing. The club tends to get all new equipment each year that they do not know how to work so George needs to learn the equipment himself and then teach the volunteers. So, basically, it is complete chaos until the ceremony begins and there’s a good chance we will start late. Please just try to roll with it. It all works out in the end and the filmmakers have an amazing time.
Schedule For Performers and Awards Handlers
Call time is 4:00PM for Performers and Awards Handlers.
We’ll do a sound check and review with you
Ceremony will begin roughly at 7PM … please be sure you are backstage and ready to go
Ceremony should be done by 8PM ish and then it is after-party time
Schedule For Presenters
Call time is 2:00PM for Presenters and Hosts.
Once everyone is there, we will do a quick walkthrough
We’ll have food there from Carmine’s at around 3PM. We’ll have veggie options, but will not have vegan or gluten-free options.
Doors will open at 5PM.
We will do another quick walkthrough at roughly 5:30PM
Ceremony will begin roughly at 7PM … please be sure you are backstage and ready to go
Ceremony should be done by 8PM ish and then it is after-party time
Hair, Makeup, Clothing for Presenters and Awards Handlers
We will not have makeup artists or hair dressers on hand this year. Please arrive at 230Fifth mostly camera-ready. There will be time for touch-ups before everything gets going and you’ll be able to change clothes before 5PM.
For men: please wear dressy/formal, but funky is definitely cool too. If you have a tux, this is a great time to bust it out. If you don’t, a nice suit is great.
For women: please wear dressy/formal/fancy. Long dresses are great, but not mandatory if you hate them. Sparkly is always fun. Think “Oscars” rather than “MTV Movie Awards”. Keep in mind that you will need to go up two steps to get on the stage, so wear shoes that you can do this in without breaking your neck and a dress that is long enough so you can get on stage without flashing the good china. If you are unsure what to wear, feel free to email Steffanie with photos or bring a few options.
IMPORTANT: We will have a separate dressing/makeup area, but keep in mind that this is NYC. If you bring anything of value, you must either have it on you at all times or check it at coat check downstairs. Do not leave your handbag, phone, laptop, camera or anything else important lying around because things get stolen every year.
Script
We will have printed copies of the script for everyone with the final list of nominees.
You do not have to follow the script – you and your partner are encouraged to work together to come up with something you’d like to say.
You and your partner need to decide who will be “Presenter 1” and who will be “Presenter 2”
You are welcome to bring your script on stage with you. I’d prefer it was printed rather than on your phone, but whatever works.
IMPORTANT: Please DO NOT leave your copy of the script with nominee names lying around anywhere at the club – one year, someone left theirs out and I had to deal with an angry filmmaker while trying to get everything setup and it was not my favorite thing.
Step-by-Step How to Present
1. Review the list of films / names you are presenting. If you are unsure how to pronounce, check with Steffanie
2. When it is time to present, meet with your awards handler and co-presenter at the Awards table
3. In the prize bag, there is a small iridescent envelope with a label for the award category. Make sure this is for the correct award! Awards handler takes the prize bag and statue, PRESENTER takes the small envelope
5. Stand offstage and wait for your cue to go
6. Go on stage with your co-presenter and awards handler
7. Go to podium, pause, smile to your co-presenter, smile to the audience. This makes a nice photo!
8. Speak SLOWLY with your mouth VERY CLOSE to the microphone
9. Say your lines loud
10. “And the nominees are …” Pause. Read the list of nominees slowly and loud with a pause between each one. It’s noisy in the venue and we want to be sure they can hear
11. Pause. Smile to the audience
12. Say “And the winner is …!” , Pause. Open the envelope and read the name loudly
13. Smile to the audience
Steffanie will let you know if the winner is there.
….. IF YOUR WINNER IS AT EVENT
1. When the winner comes to the stage, meet them at the top of the stairs and lead them to the podium
2. Stand behind the winner close to your co-presenter and awards handler as winner makes their speech. Smile! You want to be in the photos, but not crowding them.
3. Hand the awards handler the “and the winner is” envelope so it can go back in the bag
4. When the winner is done with their speech, lead them off the stage
….. IF YOUR WINNER IS NOT AT EVENT
1. If winner is not in attendance, smile and make announcement that winner is not there … “<name> could not be here tonight, so we are accepting the award on their behalf. Thank you!”
2. Come off stage with your Award Handler
How to Interview
If you are interviewing an accepted filmmaker (who will be wearing a Filmmaker badge), here are the general questions. The first three and the last one should be asked each time, the rest are up to you and you can mix it up or ask anything you would like.
START WITH: Hi! I’m {my name} and I’m at with the 13th annual Winter Film Festival!
1. Please tell me your name, your film’s name and what you did on the film?
2. Where are you from?
3. Tell me about your film? or What is your film about?
4. What was your inspiration to make this film?
5. What are the challenges you faced making the film?
6. What are you working on now?
7. Do you have any advice for other filmmakers trying to make a film?
END WITH: How can people find out more about you and your work?
If you are interviewing anyone other than an accepted filmmaker, it is really up in the air what to ask and all depends upon the specific person and what they do. These interviews can be pretty quick since they really aren’t our top priority. These interviews can be fun, breezy and sizzle-reel style.
1. ask the person to say their name
2. ask the person where they are from
3. ask the person what they do in the film or arts community
4. ask anything related to what they say they do
5. ask if they are having a good time
