Preston Cato, Artistic Director of Queens World Film Festival
07/04/21 • 26 min
This Episode’s Guest - Preston Cato, Artistic Director of the Queens World Film Festival
Preston Cato is an experimental and feature filmmaker. He is Artistic Director of the Queens World Film Festival which he co-founded in 2011. Preston’s films have screened at a variety of film festivals across the globe, winning Best Feature for Be My Oswald in 2006 at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Wales. Presto has also worked as a Director of Cinematography, Editor, Sound Designer and teaches at the New York Digital Film Academy. Queens World Film Festival will be streamed on Film Festival Flix from 23rd June - 3rd July 2021.
In this episode Preston talks about:
- The birth of Queens World Film Festival and what to expect this year.
- The importance of making connections and friendships at festivals.
- Tips on how to get involved and make the most of your festival experience.
- The benefits of the ‘gatherings’ element of festivals versus streaming.
- Strategies for getting your film out there.
- Being respectful of festival fees and factoring in a budget for festivals.
You can find Preston Cato on:
Instagram: @queensworldfilmfest
Twitter: @queensworldfilm
Facebook: @QueensWorldFilmFestival
IMDB: https://imdb.to/3vANr0T
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About a Podcast Host:
Podcast provided by: JB Audio Post Production
Instagram: @jbaudiopostproduction, @mrsupersonic
Facebook: @jbaudiopostproduction
Email: [email protected]
Podcast music by @butesounds
Produced by Georgia Johnson and Ross Ramsey Golding.
Must watch films recommended by Preston Cato:
Click here to watch the full reviews by Preston on the following films
Wavelength (1967) - https://imdb.to/3iPI3nS
The Searchers (1956) - https://imdb.to/3iNRPqv
Brewster McCloud (1970) - https://imdb.to/3gAQjXm
Dr. Strangelove (1964) - https://imdb.to/3cQQrQp
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) - https://imdb.to/35y8SoP
This Episode’s Guest - Preston Cato, Artistic Director of the Queens World Film Festival
Preston Cato is an experimental and feature filmmaker. He is Artistic Director of the Queens World Film Festival which he co-founded in 2011. Preston’s films have screened at a variety of film festivals across the globe, winning Best Feature for Be My Oswald in 2006 at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Wales. Presto has also worked as a Director of Cinematography, Editor, Sound Designer and teaches at the New York Digital Film Academy. Queens World Film Festival will be streamed on Film Festival Flix from 23rd June - 3rd July 2021.
In this episode Preston talks about:
- The birth of Queens World Film Festival and what to expect this year.
- The importance of making connections and friendships at festivals.
- Tips on how to get involved and make the most of your festival experience.
- The benefits of the ‘gatherings’ element of festivals versus streaming.
- Strategies for getting your film out there.
- Being respectful of festival fees and factoring in a budget for festivals.
You can find Preston Cato on:
Instagram: @queensworldfilmfest
Twitter: @queensworldfilm
Facebook: @QueensWorldFilmFestival
IMDB: https://imdb.to/3vANr0T
*** We Need Your Help! SUBSCRIBE, RATE and COMMENT ***
Help us grow, reach more listeners and invite more exciting guests on the show.
Subscribe, comment and share. Give us a star. Be a part of the podcast.
Anything to say? Email to [email protected]
Follow and Subscribe to the Filmmaker's Stories:
Facebook Group and
About a Podcast Host:
Podcast provided by: JB Audio Post Production
Instagram: @jbaudiopostproduction, @mrsupersonic
Facebook: @jbaudiopostproduction
Email: [email protected]
Podcast music by @butesounds
Produced by Georgia Johnson and Ross Ramsey Golding.
Must watch films recommended by Preston Cato:
Click here to watch the full reviews by Preston on the following films
Wavelength (1967) - https://imdb.to/3iPI3nS
The Searchers (1956) - https://imdb.to/3iNRPqv
Brewster McCloud (1970) - https://imdb.to/3gAQjXm
Dr. Strangelove (1964) - https://imdb.to/3cQQrQp
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) - https://imdb.to/35y8SoP
Previous Episode
Jon Gann, Filmmaker, Film Consultant, Founder of DC Shorts and Reel Plan
Based in Washington DC, one of Jon’s first short film projects, Cyberslut (2001), took the festival circuit by storm, playing over 60 festivals around the world - yet here’s a man who has claimed he’s not a great filmmaker!
Jon takes pride in connecting people and being a problem solver. After his own disheartening experiences of film festivals, Jon started the DC Shorts Film Festival in 2003 which was a huge success, becoming the largest short-film festival in the US. Jon has since consulted on festivals around the world, such as the Sunderland Shorts Film Festival here in the UK. He is also the author of two books, “Behind the Screens: Programmers Reveal How Film Festivals Really Work” (2012) and “So You Wanna Start a Film Festival” (2015) - if you like what you hear, go check them out! For now, let’s launch into episode 1 of this filmmaker’s stories...
In this episode Jon talks about:
- Advice for students and aspiring filmmakers on knowing your audience
- Navigating film festivals and discovering their niche.
- Understanding why your film may not be getting into festivals.
- The importance of networking at festivals; virtual and in-person.
- The importance of virtual festivals or film events.
- Where film festivals fit into today’s climate.
- The future of hybrid industry events.
- Changes to the VOD landscape.
You can find Jon Gann on:
Instagram: @jonganndc
Twitter: @jongann
IMDB: https://imdb.to/3mcSWhA
Vimeo: https://imdb.to/3v77l3j
*** We Need Your Help! SUBSCRIBE, RATE and COMMENT **
Help us grow, reach more listeners and invite more exciting guests on the show.
Subscribe, comment and share. Give us a star. Be a part of the podcast.
Anything to say? Email to [email protected]
Follow and Subscribe to the Filmmaker's Stories:
Facebook Group and
About a Podcast Host:
Podcast provided by: JB Audio Post Production
Instagram: @jbaudiopostproduction, @mrsupersonic
Facebook: @jbaudiopostproduction
Email: [email protected]
Podcast music by @butesounds
Produced by Georgia Johnson and Ross Ramsey Golding.
Must watch films recommended by Jon Gann:
Click here to watch the full reviews by Jon on the following films
Auntie Mame (1958) - https://imdb.to/2TXrV9x
Big Night (1996) - https://imdb.to/3xanM07
Carrie (1996) - https://imdb.to/2RG6KrH
Soapdish (1991) - https://imdb.to/3vesAQO
Yes Nurse! No Nurse! (2002) - https://imdb.to/2SfNnpX
Next Episode
Scilla Andreen, Founder of Indieflix
Scilla Andreen, CEO of IndieFlix
Award-winning producer, director, and CEO of global entertainment screening service, IndieFlix, Scilla Andreen. Scilla fell into film, working initially as a costume designer on commercials and eventually for shows such as Dawson’s Creek, Smallville and The Wonder Years, in which she was nominated for an Emmy.
IndieFlix launched in 2005, aiming to “offer everything that Hollywood doesn’t offer". By 2007, the service transitioned the library to a streaming platform, creating the RPM model (Revenue per minute) paying filmmakers for every minute watched.
In this episode Scilla talks about:
- The birth and development of IndieFlix.
- Understanding the importance of marketing your film.
- The misconceptions around streaming platforms
- Finding the right platform for your film and seeking out multiple platforms.
- The film festivals’ role in the market place.
- Defining your goals as a filmmaker.
- How your approach and behaviour as a filmmaker affects the relationships you form and future reputation..
You can find Scilla on:
Instagram: @indieflixceo
Twitter: @IndieFlixCEO
Facebook: @indieFlixCEO
IMDB: https://imdb.to/3x1lzUt
*** We Need Your Help! SUBSCRIBE, RATE and COMMENT ***
Anything to say? Email to [email protected]
Follow and Subscribe to the Filmmaker's Stories:
***Buy us a coffee if you like the show and want to support us ***
About Podcast Host:
Podcast provided by: JB Audio Post Production
Instagram: @jbaudiopostproduction, @mrsupersonic
Facebook: @jbaudiopostproduction
Email: [email protected]
Podcast music by @butesounds
Produced by Georgia Johnson and Ross Ramsey Golding.
Must watch films recommended by Scilla:
Click here to watch the full reviews by Preston on the following films
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) - https://imdb.to/2V9yRRk
Searching for Sugar Man (2012) - https://imdb.to/3kQmjsV
Love Actually (2003) - https://imdb.to/3iFnWqR
The Godfather (1971) - https://imdb.to/3zqm77K
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - https://imdb.to/3y6t3XI
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