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The Calvary King delivers a hopeful message to filmmakers who didn't get into Sundance.
Mark Duplass has always been a filmmaker's filmmaker. He famously delivered his "The Cavalry is Not Coming" speech at SXSW as a call to action for independent filmmakers to stop waiting and start shooting. Duplass also historically creates and works on small-budget indie projects, including being a key member of the lo-fi, bare-bones mumblecore movement. He's also a charismatic actor who brings a relatable ethos to every role he plays—not to mention seems like an overall cool dude.
We love Mark Duplass.
All the above considered, it's no surprise to see Duplass take to social media with an encouraging statement following the recently announced 2025 Sundance lineup this past Wednesday. Duplass, hot off positive reviews for the recently released The Creep Tapes on Shudder, warmly comforted filmmakers that if you happened to apply to Sundance and weren't selected, hey, that's okay. They curate 15,775. It happens.
We all know rejection sucks, but don't sweat it. Be proud of your project no matter what. And watch Mark Duplass's full snippet of encouraging wisdom below.
Sporting a sweet Vidiots hoody, Duplass reminds filmmakers that while it's many of our dreams for our films to make it into Sundance if we're not selected, there are all kinds of other film festivals out there. Sundance—or any film festival, for that matter—is not the end all be all of your film or filmmaking career. Anyone who's made a film and gone through the festival gambit Knows the extreme highs and lows of the tumultuous Filmfreeway. Festivals are an amazing opportunity to find an audience and network, and are also a ton of fun, so it can really sting if you get that rejection email. But it's important to remember that festivals not only look for quality, but also a myriad of factors about the programming of the festival, the genre, and so much more.
My friends and I went through these highs and lows this past year with our first feature, Shoft. We didn't make it into any of the "big" festivals, but we made it into a lot of really fun festivals such as Cinequest, Nevermore, and Flyover, and it was a blast. Just as Duplass mentions, sometimes getting into a bunch of smaller festivals is even more satisfying and fulfilling than getting into one with a bigger name.
Feeling better? We hope so. Keep on making movies and stay strong out there, readers.
