Why was my Film Rejected?

I thought that this article had a lot of useful information for anyone planning on submitting a film to a festival. Some of the things that it talked about were more common sense like, use a proper storytelling arc and use a independent professional editor. On the other hand, there were a lot of things it talked about that I had no idea were so important. One thing that is very important to the judges is the use of good camera shots. Making sure actors are properly in frame and keeping the handheld shots steady are major. Judges also keep a close eye on acting and lighting, so filmmakers should use proper actors for the role and have an experienced DP and Grip to help with lighting. One thing that the article mentioned that I found to be very true is keep your movie simple and do what can be successfully attained by the number and experience of the crew you have. Many films are lost because they are overly ambitious. The article also gives a bunch of small tips to remember when submitting a film. One tip that I thought was very simple but very important was to submit your movie in a nice DVD clamshell case in a bubble wrap envelope with some sort of promo item (film review, production still, etc.). After reading this article I now have a better idea of what kind of things to look out for when submitting a movie to a festival.
-Brad