Last Saturday was the first festival screening of "Hello" that I was able to attend. Matt Gershowitz, the AD/Editor, and Alexandra Kalinowski, the Composer/Sound Designer, were also in attendance; and we each had a friend or loved one come out to support us. In total there were about 40 people in the audience. We screened in an eclectic block of 6 shorts, mostly about chance encounters and reconnecting. "Hello" was the only one with a supernatural spin on the theme but still seemed to fit in well enough with the others. It also seemed to be a big hit! Coney Island does a kind of rushed, generic Q&A, so no real discussion was had with the audience. But we got a lot of compliments after the screening, and I could tell it was enjoyed by the crowd during it. I'm always nervous when I screen new work for the first time, unsure of whether or not it'll resonate with the audience. But the nerves are sort of worth it for the payoff of the huge feeling of relief and exhilaration when the first laugh or gasp happens across the crowd (assuming the laughs and/or gasps are wanted, which is usually the case with the genre work I do.) This screening was full of laughs and gasps in all the right places, and it was a real joy to experience.
We've heard back from one other festival that I can't mention publicly yet, but the screening will be in November and I will be attending. And we're waiting to hear back from 2 more festivals. I'm aiming for releasing it publicly online in late November.
Also, the first screening was at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival in San Diego, which I unfortunately couldn't attend. However, I got some unexpected feedback from some in attendance. It's always especially exciting when strangers reach out after a screening. Screenshots included below.
-Christina