Tell me about Film Festivals

Anyone ever been to one?
Did you go as an audience member or as an artist?
Even if you didn't get chosen, have you ever submitted something?

What was it like?
Is it worth the money to go?
How many of the movies did you have a chance to see?
Did you meet anyone cool/famous?
What's the energy there like?(Laid back, hectic, hoity-toity, etc.)

To entrants:
What kind of films does the festival heads look for?
Any hints on standing out in the waves of applicants?
Did you get accepted?
Why, why not?
What happened after you got accepted into the festival?
What should I steer clear of when working on my film? (Themes, genres, cliches, topics, styles, etc.)
Did you score your film or leave it ambient?
Which should I choose? Does it matter in the end?