Reviews
Diane Thomassin
“I am honored to be chosen amongst so many amazing entries. Thank you!”
Jennifer McKnight
“Wonderful communication and follow through.”
Roger Kuhns
“A great festival to bring new films to the world!”
Greg Brooks
“Great festival. Refreshing to go see a day of films where all are quality and entertaining. The festival is really well run and again, it's nice that they do it right with Q&A's following the screenings. Dan does a great job as host and the venue is perfect for screening independent films. All in all a great experience and I will happily re-submit as a filmmaker, but also attend as a fan.”
Jennifer Uihlein
“From the first communication, I knew this was a different film festival, for sure. Dan is amazing - enthusiastic, encouraging (especially for newer filmmakers), and quick to respond! I wish my art gallery show wasn't the same day, otherwise I would have flown out to California to attend the fest and meeting this amazing human! Kudos!”
Michael DeFilippo
“This was a truly great little festival! The festival director is trying to create something special and it shows. The Frida Cinema is a very cool, historic-feeling theater that is very well known in the community. There were Q & As after each film, which were really engaging. The awards reception immediately followed the last block, which was really convenient. We were honored to be awarded Best Picture! Thanks to Dan and his wife for creating a very warm and welcoming festival!.”
Al Chang
“This was a great growing festival. Orange County has so much history and I could easily see this event becoming one of those annually. Great communication and it was held at the Frida, a great venue.”
Paul Sutton
“Professional guest-led filmmaking discussions were worth the trip, by themselves! Lovely boutique theater; good location; great system. Everyone made us feel welcome. And a nice selection of films to screen. Q&A's, all led by Dan, were among the best we've seen in the more-than 30 festivals we have attended…Looking forward to attending again next year.”
Juan Ramirez
“The attention given to filmmakers is so positive. They really make filmmakers a priority.”
John Tedeschi
“Old Towne is doing wonderful work to promote change, art, and filmmakers…we are very grateful.”
Dallas Ryan
“A really nice film festival. The Frida Cinema is the ideal location for a wonderful festival like this…Only regret is that I didn't get to see more of the festival, but will next time.”
Abigail Salmon
“A wonderful festival experience! Thanks to all who made it happen, I had a great time.”
Amir Yassami
“Other film festivals can sometimes have people with egos but everybody here is a supportive group of people having conversations with other people. Whether your a businessman, the average joe or an artist. There's a culture of amazing people that will have you wanting to come back year after year after year!”
Griffin Douglass
“I enjoyed my time at this festival. Great venue, great networking, and an opportunity to screen my work alongside other independent filmmakers.”
Brandon Keeton
“Great festival…Professional…A fun time…Would recommend.”
Jon Mancinetti
“A solid festival for up and coming filmmakers that guarantees an in person screening if accepted!"
Brandon Keeton
“The networking opportunities alone are worth the price of admission!"
Michael Blomquist - mikeablomquist.us
“Great festival to submit work to if you're in SoCal! Beautiful venue for screenings, and it was such a pleasure to be part of the screenplay pitch and panel session - a unique experience I hadn't had before. Thanks Dan and team!”
Iga Z - @candiesshortfilm
“Our film "Candies" had a great run at the Old Towne Film Festival! We are so grateful to be given this opportunity. The festival organizers truly care about filmmakers and their stories. They created a great platform for authentic ideas to shine and for artists to inspire each other. I really admire their dedication! I highly recommend this festival to any filmmaker or film enthusiast looking for a truly enriching experience.”
Samuel Taylor - athemercyoffaith.com
“"It was a joyful and much needed blessing to my soul and spirit to attend the Old Towne Film Festival. From the Festival Director (Dan) and pulsating through all the filmmakers, actors and writers in attendance, the festival had a fun, righteous, caring and supportive vibe!!
My wife and I are thrilled that we at the last minute, decided to attend!”
Ian Charles Lister
“Very prompt and personable communication and a much appreciated honorable mention. Thanks!”
Lilton Stewart III - @liltonstewart3
“Dan is a genuine guy who has a passion for the film arts. It shows in his commitment to making the festival experience a pleasant one.”
Nahyr Gala Ruiz - @nahyrgalaruiz
“I usually don't submit to first-year running festivals, but I'm so glad I did! Dan has created a truly one-of-a-kind experience; encouraging, relationship-building, inspiring, and celebratory. We now have a local film festival where local and out-of-town filmmakers alike can experience each other's work as well as learn from each other's process. I can't wait for next year already!”
Christopher Schueler - christopherproductions.org
“What a beautiful place with wonderful people. The festival is a small but very involved group of people who have rallied the community to bring together film makers of all sorts. Really a great place to display your film and meet wonderful folks.”
Tony Marino - @tonymmarino
“Such a phenomenal film festival! This was my 1st official submission into a festival and I'm so glad I participated in this event. Dan organized an amazing program with all the fixings you'd expect from a larger festival. He really helped me connect with heavy hitters in the industry & fostered a sense of community among Orange County filmmaker. Will definitely be submitting again next year and in the many years to come!!!”
Priscilla Dean - purradiseranch.org
“Dan Parks did an outstanding job of creating, organizing and running his festival, using some truly innovative methods - and this was his first one! He is a marketing genius. I was extremely proud to be part of this event and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a film festival where the director adds that personal touch. Impressive!!!”
Logan Kishi - logankishi.com
“An amazing experience from submitting to the actual event! The people and community was amazing. Will be going again.”
Xander Montes
“Even in its first year, OTFF was a great festival to be a part of. There were so many opportunities to get to know other filmmakers and learn from one another. The films were good and the location was A+. I can't wait to see how the festival grows in the years to come.”
Alysha Nunez - @varyupon
“There are whispers of advice active filmmakers hear on occasion that say: instead of chasing the Big Five film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto, it's worth dividends to submit to your local film festival because the party is far more intimate, and you never know what powerful guest or filmmaking kindred spirits and talents may be around. “
“Those sentiments are absolutely what I have experienced a Old Towne Film Festival. It was an honor to be selected and invited to it's inaugural year, and there is no doubt that Dan Parks (festival director) will continue to make the event grow to higher heights for years to come. Old Towne Film Festival has definitely raised expectations for quality and integrity; don't underestimate small festivals!
It was a wonderful and educational opportunity to meet prolific workers and creators in different disciplines of this industry, and the Documentary Masterclass spearheaded by 21-Emmy-Award-Winning Chris Shueler was a valuable resource, as well as each film block's accompanying Q&A session.
The festival's hospitality is exactly the type of environment up and coming filmmakers would benefit from the most, where courage is granted to those that may need it right before they embark on their next creative journey. It was inspiring and uplifting to be around passionate workers and volunteers to help support the local filmmaking scene, and their efforts this year is greatly appreciated and just as celebrated as the bright talent they support.
Old Towne Film Festival is exactly the kind of passionate, loving, and hard-working festival the rumors speak of, and it would be remiss to not submit, especially if you are a City of Orange resident! It is well worth the small town adventure, and I'll definitely be a returning filmmaker so long as the festival is here to stay. If not as a submitting filmmaker, then as a festival attendee, simply because the people of Orange and all surrounding areas are just that fun and caring.
Thank you for the award of BEST ANIMATED PICTURE for my short, "SOW DON'T SING - This Old Winner." Thank you to Dan Parks, his family, his supporters, and the people of Orange for doing a fantastic and fun job at supporting the arts where it is easy to lose your way in the noise of the Southern California filmmaking scene. This is a festival that really, truly care about the talent that comes their way.
Best of luck to all filmmakers and submitters. Cheers to next year!”
Joesph J. Parisi - joejp.com
“Not enough great things can be said about this festival, the festival creator, the filmmakers and the city of Orange California. Thank you for the opportunity and for the award for best comedy!!!”
Nikolay Bogomilov - imdb.com
“Thank you very much for the high rating our film received. A wonderful festival, organized and conducted by professionals who understand and earnestly support the bold style and sincere feelings in cinema. It is a joy and an honor for me and my team to write our names in the history you are writing, as you're paving the way for original and independent cinema.”
Wayne Diu