The City’s Filmmaker Program: Built to Fail

Tuesday City Council voted to give up to $30,000 to local filmmakers for projects produced in El Paso. Of course, the bureaucracy tried hard to stifle it. Maybe you’re thinking you could line up to get your beak wet.

Well, you better hurry. From the ordinance:

MANDATORY ORIENTATION SESSIONS

    All applicants must attend a mandatory orientation prior to submitting an application for funding. Applications from applicants that have not attended an orientation will not be considered.

    MCAD will conduct a morning and evening orientation.

    Orientations will be held at the El Paso Museum of History on April 5, 2018 at 9am and 5:30pm.

Whoa, you already missed this morning’s session. You’ve still got a shot at 5:30, unless, maybe, you’ve got a life.

There are lots of other bureaucratic obstacles standing between you and the grant. And there are few things artists enjoy more than dealing with bureaucracies.

Either the fix is already in or the program is built to fail.

3 comments

  1. Like everything else in this town, it’s all just theatrical. The fix already in and all the application/interview rigormarol is just for show.

  2. Oh my goodness! l’ve only got a few hours to submit my application so l better get moving. l already have some working titles for my movie, so if l could just have a little drum roll, please…..(15 seconds later) OK, l guess l don’t need a drum roll, dammit! ln my poorly manicured, high blood pressured fingers, l am holding The Top Ten Movie Titles That Best Describes El Paso:
    10) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the end of Texas
    9) The Bike Path less traveled
    8) 50 Shades of Stupid
    7) How to waste money and influence no one
    6) Mission Impossible 6: El Paso’s Bright Future
    5) The Wizard of Oligarchy
    4) Ballpark 911
    3) My Big, Fat, Gruesome Budget
    2) The Little Trolley That Could…..Not
    1) It’ All Good! – the greatest fairy tale ever told

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