Local film festivals can lead to Oscar glory1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor low-budget independent films, the path to an Oscar may lead through small film festivals such as the Big Bear Horror Film Festival.
To qualify for an Oscar nomination, a film must be shown in a theater for one week in 2010 in either New York or Los Angeles.
The last two Oscar winners, “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Hurt Locker,” which were either abandoned or shelved by major studio executives, went on to win prizes at many small venues such as the Toronto Film Festival. They then went on to become box-office blockbusters.
Another film that won honors at Big Bear Lake is the 11-minute short, “Touch.” It could win an Oscar nod because it took top prize in its category at the Florida Film Festival. “If we even get a nomination,” said first-time director Jen McGowan, “it could mean a deal for my next project, a feature-length film.”
