After nearly 15 years in film media, Eugene Hernandez has a unique insight into its inner workings. As the director of the New York Film Festival and IndieWire co-founder, Hernandez has seen firsthand the various ways that filmmakers, distributors, and other in the business of independent film try to get the attention of journalists and editors.

Roles in Film Media

"There are a bunch of key roles that are important for the filmmaker, the publicist who's working on behalf of a filmmaker, or a producer to be aware of," says Hernandez. "Typically, if you're out at a festival or an event, you're probably meeting a writer. You're meeting a critic. Those are folks who — whether they're on staff or freelance — have an assignment. They've been asked to travel to the film festival."

The writer is often either on assignment or work on staff at a publication. "[They're the] eyes and ears of the reader. Their job is to watch as many movies as they can and meet as many people as they can. They will soak up the scene or the experience of a festival and share it with the publication's audience," Hernandez explains.

Editors oversee the relationship between the writer and the audience. "The editors are the folks who run the publication. They're making decisions about which articles are running and how long those might be, says Hernandez. "Whether it's a 100-word snapshot review, a 2,000-word survey of the whole festival, or an interview with a filmmaker. They're the ones making the decisions on behalf of the publication."

Filmmaking and Film Media Engagement

"There are a bunch of key roles that are important for the filmmaker, the publicist who's working on behalf of a filmmaker, or a producer to be aware of," says Hernandez. "Typically, if you're out at a festival or an event, you're probably meeting a writer. You're meeting a critic. Those are folks who — whether they're on staff or freelance — have an assignment. They've been asked to travel to the film festival."

The writer is often either on assignment or work on staff at a publication. "[They're the] eyes and ears of the reader. Their job is to watch as many movies as they can and meet as many people as they can. They will soak up the scene or the experience of a festival and share it with the publication's audience," Hernandez explains.

Editors oversee the relationship between the writer and the audience. "The editors are the folks who run the publication. They're making decisions about which articles are running and how long those might be, says Hernandez. "Whether it's a 100-word snapshot review, a 2,000-word survey of the whole festival, or an interview with a filmmaker. They're the ones making the decisions on behalf of the publication."