Hi Michael, Yes, nerves are clearly jangled. Sorry for antagonizing you.
Keep on fighting the good fight, -Eric Eric Coombs Esmail 484-522-2519 On Wed, Feb 18, 2026 at 11:58 AM Michael Betancourt < [email protected]> wrote: > I guess my observations hit a nerve. > > To say that ff is a problem, and then blame for artists not doing enough > to build alternatives feels a lot like victim blaming; next will be saying > our work is bad? > > This is not an issue of compromises or anything else. It's a structural > choice being made that has specific effects and impacts. To simply say (in > not so many words) "tough, that's how it is" misses the point if the > critique, while revealing the privilege that accompanies being in a > position of power over the artists. To challenge the critique by calling > the ones identifying the problem "privileged" is doublethink, and I refuse > to be silenced by that response. > > Plus nobody said anything about "bans" or even proposed one. Why are you? > > > Also, I am curious how an open access email listserve is worse than film > freeway? > > Michael > > > > Michael Betancourt, Ph.D > https://linktr.ee/cinegraphic | cell 305.562.9192| zoom 875 581 4648 > <https://scad.zoom.us/j/8755814648?pwd=QW1UaXhpSmRjZCttN3JOdGVvME5PZz09> > > sent from my phone > > On Feb 18, 2026, at 12:01 PM, Eric Coombs Esmail <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Hi Albert and Michael, > > This is a well-worn grievance at this point, and has probably become > another way that FilmFreeway and its ilk have found to waste our time. The > solutions are clear - organize your own screenings, build your own > communities, and stop worrying about whether or not this kind of art > practice can sustain a career without making significant compromises. The > likelihood is that it cannot. If you want or need the prestige of screening > at film festivals, there will always be a price to pay. If you do not, then > you're one of the lucky ones and your privilege would be better deployed in > building ways for people like me to get what they need. > > Platforms like FilmFreeway are nightmarish functions of a control society > that tears us apart into an atomized cloud of data points, each of which > allow power and authority to manipulate the way our bodies are able to move > and work. Of all the platforms who engage in these abuses of our autonomy, > FilmFreeway is pretty low down the list for me. The platform all three of > us are using to communicate is much worse. > > That's not to say it isn't bad. It is. If Frameworks wants to ban calls > that use FilmFreeway to manage submissions, that'd be fine with me. We > would quickly find ourselves playing whack-a-mole with the ban-hammer, > though. In the meantime, there are folks out there doing what they can to > help each other in their own compromised careers, to share work in an > engaged community, to try to have less conversations that waste time, and > to attempt to have conversations that help us survive. > > We can yell at the cloud all we want - and it deserves it - but at Mimesis > we are choosing to put that energy into affirmative care for each other and > the work we make, so that we might actually get to have more of the > cinematic and community experiences we crave. There is, of course, still a > cost, both in terms of money and labor. > > FYI, at Mimesis nobody is getting priority in any review cue, regardless > of "gold" status. This is a false allegation and should be immediately > withdrawn. Also, as I said, we do not use screeners. All work is reviewed > directly by the programming team, and only the most junior member of that > team receives any compensation for their work (through a university > partnership). > > I don't really care what other festivals are doing, because you're in my > thread :) > > In solidarity, > -Eric > > Eric Coombs Esmail > 484-522-2519 > > > > On Wed, Feb 18, 2026 at 9:21 AM Michael Betancourt < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I am very much of the opinion Film Freeway is both a waste of time and >> money. >> >> Since covid I've been tracking the ratio of submissions to shows between >> Film Freeway festivaks versus non-ff fests. The rejection rate on ff is >> about 90%, often with zero actual completions of the submitted link on >> vimeo. If the ff screeners watch more than 20 seconds it is a surprise, >> even when the movie is only 2 minutes long. >> In contrast, the non-ff screeners are usually watched 85-90% (nobody >> watches end titles) and the acceptance rate for the same movie is closer to >> 75% . >> It's hard not to say that ff is not only harmful, but that it is designed >> to collect fees with minimal return to experimental work. >> >> While ff does resukt in greater access and allows more works to arrive as >> submissions, they also have a program called "gold" where sumbmitters are >> given priority in the review cue, creating what is fundamentally a >> pay-for-access ecosystem on top of what is already biased towards wealth. >> Add to that the lack of actual screening of submissions, an issue that >> Dominic Angerame has talked about before, and we as a community have a >> serious problem that ff is only making worse. >> >> Michael >> >> >> >> Michael Betancourt, Ph.D >> https://linktr.ee/cinegraphic | cell 305.562.9192| zoom 875 581 4648 >> <https://scad.zoom.us/j/8755814648?pwd=QW1UaXhpSmRjZCttN3JOdGVvME5PZz09> >> >> sent from my phone >> >> On Feb 18, 2026, at 9:04 AM, Albert Alcoz <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> One day there should be a debate within Frameworks about the existence of >> FilmFreeway. >> About whether it benefits or harms filmmakers, and whether it is >> beneficial or a waste of time in relation to experimental cinema. >> >> >> On Sun, Feb 15, 2026 at 9:13 AM Luke Aspell <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Hi Eric, >>> >>> No worries, thanks for the links! >>> >>> >>> Best, >>> Luke >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 5:56 PM Eric Coombs Esmail < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi Luke, >>>> >>>> Yes, sorry that was omitted from my original post! >>>> >>>> Here is the submission link: https://filmfreeway.com/MimesisDocFest >>>> >>>> And here is the website: https://www.mimesisfestival.org/ >>>> >>>> Very best, >>>> Eric Coombs Esmail >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 3:33 AM Luke Aspell <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi Eric, >>>>> >>>>> Do you have a submission link for people submitting for the first >>>>> time? >>>>> >>>>> Best, >>>>> Luke >>>>> >>>>> On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 9:30 PM Eric Coombs Esmail < >>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Dear Frameworks, >>>>>> >>>>>> The Early Deadline for submitting your projects to the 2026 Mimesis >>>>>> Documentary Festival is now open. Scheduled for August 11-16 in Boulder, >>>>>> Colorado, Mimesis is an artist-focused, community oriented celebration of >>>>>> documentary media. >>>>>> >>>>>> At least 80% of Mimesis is programmed from the open submission >>>>>> process, and all submissions are reviewed by our programming team. All >>>>>> submitting artists are eligible for a complimentary virtual festival pass >>>>>> regardless of selection status. >>>>>> >>>>>> 50% discounts on submission fees will be provided to previously >>>>>> selected Mimesis Artists upon request. To do so, please fill out this >>>>>> form: >>>>>> https://forms.gle/ZgzK5FNeJ93UNdfG7 >>>>>> >>>>>> Full submission fee waivers will be granted to all current students >>>>>> upon request. Student codes can only be used for the Student/Emerging >>>>>> submission category and if selected, the projects are only eligible for >>>>>> the >>>>>> Best Emerging Artist award. To request a code, please fill out this form: >>>>>> https://forms.gle/hRqLubENdfJH6oCz7 >>>>>> >>>>>> Mimesis is made possible by support from the submitting artist >>>>>> community. We also understand that artists around the world are >>>>>> struggling >>>>>> with political or financial difficulties, and that these challenges may >>>>>> be >>>>>> a barrier for submitting important work. If you are facing such >>>>>> challenges, >>>>>> please get in touch with festival organizers at >>>>>> [email protected]. >>>>>> >>>>>> In solidarity, >>>>>> Eric Coombs Esmail >>>>>> Mimesis Organizer >>>>>> Center for Documentary Media >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> >>>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> >>>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> Frameworks mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> >>>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>>> >>> -- >>> Frameworks mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> >>> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >>> >> >> >> -- >> http://albertalcoz.com/ <http://www.albertalcoz.com/> >> -- >> Frameworks mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >> >> -- >> Frameworks mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >> > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org > > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >
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