Eric Vollweiler is based in Upstate NY he began his career in the entertainment industry with many internships on Broadway and Equity theater in Public Relations and Marketing, casting for extras for motion pictures, TV shows, commercials, industrials, and voice-overs and film festivals since 1995. Eric’s main passion has been producing and marketing film festivals and entertainment events which he believes his education in the Manhattan club scene and his two internships in the Nantucket Film Festival in Cape Cod MA and the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah has created the path to working on over 75 film festivals and entertainment events from 2005 to today all over the US, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Eric just launched the Vollweiler Agency which focuses on selling sponsorships, advertising, booking entertainment professionals, celebrities, and social media for film festivals and entertainment events.
FMM: What are some of your favorite film festivals and entertainment events over the past 16 years?
My Favorite film festivals and entertainment events have been the Film Stage & Showbiz Expo which took place in Manhattan, The “Great New Wonderful” Premiere in Manhattan, the Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem, NY, The Saratoga Springs International Film Festival, The Princeton Independent Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, The Silverlake Film Festival, San Pedro International Film Festival, Seal Beach Film Festival, Artemis Woman in Action Film Festival, Pan African Arts and Film Festival, The Independent Filmmaker Day during the Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, The Moving Pictures Magazine event during Tribeca Film Festival, Indie Slate Magazine event during the Sundance Film Festival and Artists United event during the Sundance Film Festival. These are some of my favorites because of the locations of where the events were and the success of how many attendees came.
FMM: What will people notice about you? What are your strengths?
My job is all about risk-taking. The reason I love what I do is to celebrate the filmmakers and performers. I am selling entertainment to businesses and corporations which is a positive interaction with the audience members who are attending. I am also educating up and coming filmmakers and performers through diversity. Which is so important to me, because I believe all cultures, religions and sexual practices have a right to tell his or her stories through a camera. Independent film is the one outlet that provides that opportunity.
FMM: Your most recent event produced was the Independent Filmmaker Day virtual event which panelist included some of the most notable names in the entertainment industry such as Ice-T (Law and Order SVU), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist) Graham King (Producer of Bohemian Rhapsody), Richard Dreyfuss (Stand By Me) and others. Tell us about this event and what it meant to you.
Independent Filmmaker Day is very important because it teaches all levels of filmmakers and performers the ins and outs of filmmaking and the entertainment industry through the top producers, screenwriters, and performers. The audience in general would not have the chance to communicate with the panelists and the online/virtual events now give the audience that chance. I am looking forward to producing the next 4 events and hopefully by the end of the year we can have them live as we did from the beginning.
In 2021 I’m working on the Cinema Verde International Environmental Film Festival virtual/online February 13-16 based in Gainesville Florida, the 6th Independent Filmmaker Day virtual/online, March 24-25, the 6th Artemis Woman in Action Film Festival virtual/online April 22-25 based in Los Angeles, the 7th Independent Filmmaker Day virtual/online June 23-24, the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival virtual/online July 16-31 based in Washington DC, the Woods Hole Film Festival virtual/online taking place July 31 through August 7 based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the 8th Independent Filmmaker Day taking place September 11-12 location TBA, the Lake Placid Film Festival taking place October 23-27 in Lake Placid, NY and the 9th Independent Filmmaker Day December 7-8 and location still to be announced.
They can reach me by LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter by searching Eric Vollweiler or my new companies website www.vollweileragency.com. The best email address is evfilmfestivals@gail.com.
