The Next Chapter for the International Mobile Film Festival
We are building it for the community.
Welcome to a new chapter for the International Mobile Film Festival.
This is going to be a bit personal, because some stories don’t connect unless we bring our humanity into it. We want to be transparent and share all we can with you as we move forward because you matter to us and you are a big part of our destination.
As you know, we launched in 2009 from a vision on 9/11/2001 where we realized cell phones would soon come equipped with more than fetching emails and a web browser. We realized on that very day, that cell phone manufacturers would put cameras on our phones.
In 2009, we also knew cell phones were not just a trend. Same with smartphones, which is why we like to refer to them as mobile phones.
The most accessible mobile device in the world was, and still is, a mobile phone.
The fact that everyone has access to one continues to be the reason that the IMFF is exclusive to mobile phones as the only device we accept for our competitions. Giving an equal platform to compete has always been important to us. But there was another element that we became focused on from the start.
We were the first in-person international film festival for ONLY films shot with mobile phones. We explained how capturing audio, editing or the gear did not matter. There was one thing we emphasized, that no apps or software be used to make editing decisions for you, no automation.
A few years ago, since A.I. became more prominent in society, we clarified it by adding “no A.I.” to our website, in the rules and criteria page.
As an evolving “tool” it’s too complicated to design basic rules, justifications, and reasonable criteria around allowing its use for competitions and contests. To summarize it, we value humans above all else in the industry. We would not have focused so much on what we are about to share: Community.
We’ve focused on connecting people who participated in one way or another in, and with, our film festival.
Before we held the first inaugural in-person event, the festival, we began to connect with a number of people around the world. We held a few small networking events locally in San Diego, and founder Susy Botello was invited to speak and present the festival at other events. Many of the same people we met way back then, are still connections we value today.
As many of you know, Susy has been running the festival as director, curator and programming at the festival. Her passion and dedication to the community are a passion that grew in her as the first few years of the festival opened her eyes to what this festival meant for people in other countries.
Growing up in Spain and having lived in Italy as a teen, Susy had a first-person encounter with what California and American cinema meant to those who dream about being part of it, in those countries.
We began receiving emails from people in faraway places such as India and Pakistan, Egypt, and more. The emails, many times came during moments where Susy was struggling to keep the festival moving forward due to expenses and other factors.
People were sending messages thanking us for having a festival exclusive to mobile phone shot films. They thanked us for a free film festival that would present their films on a big screen in the U.S., especially in San Diego. Some said the meaning of finding such a film festival was like a dream come true.
These messages were kept private, but the words struck us in the heart.
One day, Susy met with a local entrepreneur and at the end of the discussion he mentioned how he loved “the passion and energy” in her voice.
It truly defined how she felt about mobile filmmaking. It empowers people around the world as indie filmmakers to own their stories and to share stories that could make the world better. It gives a voice to the independent storyteller in a medium that has a deeper and farther reach around the world, film.
Founder Susy Botello tried to stay in San Diego through the 15th edition of the International Mobile Film Festival in person. However, all sorts of things took place just a few weeks before the festival was scheduled to take place, and they caused her to realize she had to go to Spain right away.
Her parents moved there years earlier from San Diego, and her mom became physically unable to walk after a surgery. Susy had to quickly pack, put everything she could fit into storage and a suitcase, and flew to Spain.
While in Spain, she also thought about the community, and felt she would not let all the anticipating filmmakers down by postponing the festival.
IMFF had to do what it did during the pandemic and began to work on an online film festival concept, which required a lot of work for Susy. She notified all the filmmakers as soon as she could to let them know the festival would take place online.
The online film festival took place on time. It wasn’t postponed for a later date. We cannot thank everyone who participated and watched the films enough! We announced the awards that Sunday online.
Congratulations to all the filmmakers whose films were selected. To those who did not, it’s always a tough selection process due to the criteria. During our Rookie Award contest for the more novice filmmaker, that was a very tough process because we only select a handful of “rookies” to showcase and this year we had some outstanding films in the contest as well.
All films we selected competed and were showcased during the festival, as is our tradition.
Susy is currently in Seville, and we’re embarking on a new chapter. If you’re in Spain, get in touch! She is working with and having discussions with potential members of an alliance.
We’re currently working with our network from our global film community, sponsors and others. We’re building a global Alliance to align IMFF 2027 into our vision of a community based film festival to support human storytelling and filmmaking.
We hope to bring the International Mobile Film Festival to one that maintains our mission and our vision, and at the same time we are hoping to a community focused event. As we look back on 15 editions of the festival, it’s always been about community.
Many of you who could not expend the trip across the ocean and the country, experienced how Susy Botello kept you updated along the way, even during the festival itself.
In-person attendees benefited more than others from an intimate space where we all came together as humans connecting with humans. By that, we mean all ages, all experience levels and generally, people from all walks of life. We’ve been praised for creating an intimate experience for everyone who attends.
The dentist and the abstract artist; the other festival founder who’d never made a film and the 85 year old screenwriter and director who had spent a lifetime producing films with conventional cameras, the 9 year-old inspired by her father’s participation as a first-time filmmaker who was a musician and actor; we could name so many more!
Imagine all these incredible humans who shared the screen with their films and as an attending audience with experienced filmmakers like a screenwriter who made his own feature film shot on an Android phone. Steven Palmer Peterson who, with John Murlowski, co-wrote Assimilate, starring Joel Courtney, Calum Worthy and Andi Matichak. Or a number of other experienced and professional filmmakers and actors.
Steven has also participated as a judge and was a guest on Susy’s SBP Podcast Mobile Filmmaking in several episodes. He’s part of our community.
The community is what has inspired us to keep the festival going beyond proving you can make movies with a mobile phone for the big screen.
Last fall, we came across another big improvement for the community. Apple® worked with a local television station to broadcast a sports game with the iPhone.
Listen to Susy describe her experience on 9/11. You’ll understand how the broadcast element in mobile filmmaking last fall seemed to put a finishing touch to the capabilities of smartphone filmmaking.
Mobile filmmaking has come a long way, and we’ve been there throughout the entire journey.
It’s up to the community, worldwide, to realize that it’s not all about the technology but about the process of creating films as a human made art form that tells stories that connect us. It’s always been about that. It’s always been about the most accessible device helping make dreams come true and helping grow a community of independent filmmakers.
Growing the indie film community is important to us. Susy fell in love with indie filmmakers as she began working with them on films. At one point she spent more than a year working on films almost every weekend, while working full-time.
She was working as a production co-ordinator on a feature film with a one million dollar budget when she decided to launch the film festival.
As we progress with our global alliance, we hope to grow the reach of IMFF as a human community based film festival. We built it with you in mind and heart. Now we want to grow it for you to be a part of it!
You can read the details of what we can share so far about IMFF 2027. Stay with us to get updates and help us grow our alliance.
Stay awesome, friends. We are still here for you and continue to work to bring your dreams to life. Subscribe and come along for the ride.
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