White Nights Film Festival (Russia)

Thank you for having our film and for honouring it with an award! We appreciate the chance to be screened!

At the same time, I must say that the festival organization was very lacking. The schedule was formed incorrectly, so the timing was off. At the very last moment part of the program was moved into another hall, and there were nobody. When our film was screening, we heard from outside the hall that people are gathering. They were let in the hall only AFTER the film was screened. So nobody saw our film.

Another concern is that from the very beginning the organizers didn't ask from anyone entering the festival if they are participants or not. There were no lists or something like that. After the screening ended, and my team already left the hall, the organizer just asked "Nobody here is from the crew, right?". I said that we are the crew, so they stopped us and invited to give a short q&a. A director and a child actress went up, but the organizer spoke only to the child and totally ignored the director or crew. And all of that was happening in front of an audience who just entered the hall and did not watch the film. Very awkward situation.

These little things do matter.
So unfortunately, the participating in White Nights was not a great experience, given that the festival charges for participation, but provides no network, no proper programming and no feedback.

Pros: The festival took place.

Cons: The organizers announced the results late, filled the film schedule with errors, and then demanded we send fewer emails because they couldn’t process them quickly. The errors were never corrected. They requested the materials but did not download them properly (our film was screened from a YouTube download in poor quality and without sound). After the organizers downloaded the correct version of the film, they played it again - but at the end, the sound from another film was heard. The organizer saw the director standing right in front of him but offered no encouraging words or apologies. The other films we saw had sound distorted by adjusted equalizer settings (why?). In another screening room, technical information remained visible on the films, and they also failed to download the files the filmmakers sent. There was no information about the jury; it was not announced anywhere. No networking was organized at all. I had no desire to attend the closing ceremony, but colleagues said the organizers gave a general apology-brief and added, “If you want, complain about us.” This showed complete disregard for the filmmakers, especially considering the festival’s cost.

Thank you for considering and selecting our documentary film "The Search". This was the first time our full feature film got screened in a foreign country and we hope the audience have enjoyed the pure observational style of documentary that our film presents.
It was unfortunate that we could not get the visa in time to visit. This would have been an experience.
Thank you once again and hope this won't be the last time!

The White Nights Film Festival was a fantastic experience. The quality of the event was exceptional, with a well-curated selection of films and a professional, supportive atmosphere. The value of participating was outstanding, offering real recognition and meaningful exposure for filmmakers. Communication was clear, timely, and thoughtful throughout the entire process. I truly appreciate how much care the festival puts into celebrating independent cinema and highly recommend it to other filmmakers. Cheers!

Thank you. We are delighted that your film was selected for the festival. We wish everyone success.