Film Festival Strategies

Photo courtesy of Simon Ray via Unsplash

I’m right in the middle of entering my short film Hangry into various film festivals and so I’ve been thinking about festival strategies and what has worked for me over the years. I’ve read several articles and attended several panel discussions that offer up tips on film festivals: which ones to enter, what to avoid, how to get noticed, etc. Here’s a rundown of things that have worked for me. I’d be interested to know what has worked for you and what other advice you can give to fellow filmmakers.

BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR GOALS

• What are you trying to accomplish with your film? If you have a feature and you need distribution, your festival strategy will be different from the filmmaker who has a 5-minute animated short.

• A filmmaker already established in a market will have a different strategy from the filmmaker who wants to break in to a new market. The former might submit only to regional festivals, while the latter will want to submit in festivals located in the market he/she is targeting.

ALWAYS SUBMIT BEFORE THE EARLYBIRD DEADLINE

Not only will you save yourself a lot of money in submission fees by entering during the earlybird period, it also guarantees that more people will see your film during the screening process.

ASK OTHERS ON YOUR TEAM TO SPLIT COSTS

If your core team really believes in your film’s potential, see if they can help take on some of the costs associated with entry. You’d be surprised what people will say “yes” to.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A DISCOUNT

I’ve found this to be useful when applying to regional festivals. Sometimes festivals in your area are willing to support local filmmakers by offering discount codes on submission fees. Feel free to reach out and ask if the festival currently has any discounts.

RESEARCH EACH FESTIVAL

This is important. Not only will it help you find out if your film is the right fit for their festival, but it will also help you find out if the festival experience will be worth your time. So, be sure to…

• Find out what kind of films they have programmed in the past.

• Find out if they’re looking for anything specific in the current year.

• Find out if they offer any cash prizes.

• Find out if they offer any travel accommodations for attending filmmakers. Submitting to festivals can get expensive, but traveling to each festival can get really expensive.

• Find out if they give filmmakers opportunities to network. Sure, it’s great to attend a festival and watch a bunch of films, but you’re there to gain exposure for yourself and your work. That means getting in front of other filmmakers, jurors, journalists, etc. Make sure the festival has scheduled welcome receptions, luncheons, after parties, etc.

SUBMIT TO BOTH LARGE AND SMALL FESTIVALS

Let’s face it. You’re going to face a lot of rejection when submitting to festivals. Don’t take it personally. And don’t assume it’s because screeners and programmers didn’t like your film. I’ve had festival directors reach out to me and tell me how much they loved my film, but they just couldn’t find the right fit for it in their festival. So, be sure to submit to festivals both large and small. Larger festivals can get you the prestige you’re looking for, but can be more difficult to get into. But don’t dismiss or underestimate smaller festivals. They can be surprisingly well-attended, and the intimate size can lend itself to more quality one-on-one networking time with other filmmakers.

SEND A COVER LETTER

Even if the festival doesn’t require a cover letter, go ahead and write one. It doesn’t need to be long. I usually keep mine around 1-2 paragraphs. Thank the festival for considering your film. Mention why you think your film is unique, or why you think it will be a good fit for your festival. Mention something for which you’re especially proud. Share an interesting behind-the-scenes tidbit about the production. A cover letter is always a good idea.

LOOK FOR NICHE FESTIVALS

• Is your film a horror? There are plenty of horror-specific festivals out there.

• Comedy? Look for comedy festivals.

• Is your film’s story centered on minorities, international cultures, subcultures, religions? Yep, there are festivals for that as well.

I’ve come across film festivals that only programs films centered on autism and other festivals that ask for films about life in rural America, or films about wildlife.

There are plenty of niche festivals out there waiting for your film.

ONLINE FESTIVALS

Finally, don’t neglect online festivals. Although they don’t have live screenings, online festivals can provide you with valuable jury feedback, possible cash awards, and recognition that you can use to promote yourself and your work.

What other festival strategies have worked for you? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the Comments.