Andy Bailey's "Butterflies"

Best Live Action Short Film

2009-03-17T09:10:00.003-06:00

I received an email today from the BAMkids Film Festival:

"Dear Andy,

It is our pleasure to inform you that Butterflies has received the BAMmie (as rated by the children) for the Best Live Action Short Film at the 11th Annual BAMkids Film Festival."

BAMkids Film Festival

2008-11-27T00:39:00.003-07:00

I was notified today that Butterflies has been accepted into the 11th Annual BAMKids International Film Festival. They requested me to submit the film, after it showed at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (which means they waved the submission fee-- and that calls for a big high-five. Come on, high-five me. I'm waiting.)

Meeting Rogue Wave

2008-11-21T21:39:00.005-07:00

It's been a while since I updated the blog.
I received a great email today from a woman in Michigan who saw Butterflies, and it made me remember that I had not posted a picture of the time I met Rogue Wave (they did the song "Eyes," which I used in the film.)
May 26, 2008. Rogue Wave were touring with Death Cab for Cutie, and I was able to meet them after the show and give them a copy of Butterflies. In my opinion their song complimented the emotion of the film perfectly.
It was great to meet them. Very cool guys.

Redemptive Storyteller Award

2008-09-27T23:17:00.003-06:00

I have been notified that Butterflies was selected to receive a Redemptive Storyteller Award for 2008 from the Redemptive Film Festival. Awesome! The festival is Oct 31st in Virginia.

Acceptance and Rejection

2008-09-25T23:56:00.002-06:00

I had submitted Butterflies to twenty different film festivals. A pretty good mix of children's film festivals and "regular" big festivals. Slowly I have been getting emails back, either accepting or rejecting the film.
This evening I got a rejection email from AFI Fest. They had over 3000 entries and only 140 slots to fill.
These festivals are so competitive and different, that it's hard to even guess when you really have a chance at a given festival.
But even though that is the case, and you just never know what kind of mood the selection committees are in, it just doesn't change the fact that getting accepted is exciting and getting rejected is a little disappointing.

New Orleans

2008-09-22T18:45:00.005-06:00

You can see the New Orleans screening time and info for Butterflies here: https://noff2008.withoutabox.com/festivals/event_item.php?id=18809

Fear

2008-09-21T00:27:00.004-06:00

I received a phone call today from a friend in Idaho. He told me that he showed Butterflies to his family, and they loved it. He said they also showed it to his niece who has been feeling nervous about school. I hope it may have helped a little. Sometimes, even if you can't seem to conquer a fear, it's nice just to identify with someone else.

When I was a kid I used to get so nervous and sick to my stomach about school. The worst was in 6th grade gym class. There was a period when we did swimming, and for some reason it was absolutely terrible for me. I'm sure I could get all analytical here, but all that matters is that I hated, feared, and dreaded it. I would go to bed at night worrying myself sick about the fact that I had to go to gym class the next day. And then I would spend the hour in Math class practically nauseous over the fact that I had to go swimming next. And then it would be over, and I would finish the day and go to bed worrying again.

Even though I look back and understand what a small thing it was, it doesn't matter--comparatively speaking there is nothing in my life right now that makes me as scared and worried as some things did back then.

Submitted to Sundance

2008-09-18T23:08:00.003-06:00

Well I submitted Butterflies to Sundance today.
You know, I don't know how in the world I get through life this way... Everything is always last minute. lol For the past couple weeks I had been thinking "I need to get this film sent off to Sundance." Then I luckily get an email today reminding me that the latest deadline is tomorrow! So I spent my lunch hour (which turned into two) burning a DVD, doing the online submission, paying the $75 dollar entry fee, and overnighting the DVD via FedEx to arrive in Beverly Hills just in the nick of time tomorrow.
Whew.
Now after all that I can just cross my fingers that it gets accepted. Sundance is extremely competitive.

I also sent a Beta SP copy of the film to the Chicago Int'l Children's Film Festival today. (last minute on that one, too, of course.) I would like to attend Chicago if I can.

Over an out.

Saint Louis International Film Festival

2008-09-17T17:40:00.002-06:00

I just found out today that Butterflies has been selected for the 17th Annual Saint Louis International Film Festival! (November 13-23, 2008)

Salt Aire Films Festival

2008-09-10T17:26:00.007-06:00

Last weekend Butterflies was screened at Salt Aire Film's Festival in Brigham City, UT. It was a pretty small festival, but I met a couple cool people and won 3rd place in the Best of the Best category, along with a hundred bucks.

I have to admit though, I was horrified by the terrible quality of their video projector. It was the worst video projection I have seen.

The audio was awful. They had the volume so low that you had to strain to hear it very well.

I am flattered that Salt Aire Films invited me to participate in their festival, but the poor quality of their equipment was embarrassing. I almost wanted to stand up and shout "My film doesn't really look like this!" Oh well. People still liked it.

Today I mailed master copies to the New Orleans Film Festival and VisionFest in New York.