Much has been documented about the trials and struggles of making an independent film, and with good reason: it's incredibly difficult, and not many are able to accomplish this feat. Unfortunately, many first-time filmmakers operate under the misapprehension that once the movie is finished they can just "take it to Sundance.’ Yet the task of finding placement at a major film festival is often more daunting and exhausting, than the making of the movie itself. This is the story we intend to tell.

Following filmmakers through the trenches of the festival circuit over a 12-month period, Official Rejection takes a lighthearted but realistic look at the politics, pitfalls, costs and tolls taken on life at the independent film festivals. We'll hear from directors, producers, actors, programmers, experts and moviegoers about their experiences. We’ll also explore the difficulties the major festivals face in trying to continue to foster new talent in an atmosphere of ever-increasing commercialism while the smaller fests struggle to distinguish themselves without access to adequate media or distributor attention.

Our goal is to demonstrate exactly what happens to filmmakers once the movie is finished and they board the emotional rollercoaster better known as the independent film circuit. – Paul Osborne