1. Evaluate and assess your film so you know what type of level and tier of festivals to target and submit your film to.
Before doing any festival submissions my golden rule is – know your film, know your festivals. The biggest mistake that filmmakers make is submitting their film to festivals that are not the right match for their film.
So how do you figure out which festivals you should submit your film to?
The first step is to perform in-depth research. Look online at previous festival programmes, make a note of the common themes and types of films which these festivals tend to screen. Review the trailers for these films. How high is the quality and execution of the selected films? What are the common programming topics (for example, do they have a strong focus on LGBTQ or Social Impact)?
Do they show a lot of films that have screened at festivals such as Sundance, Berlinale and Cannes? Do they tend to show a lot of celebrity driven films? Are any of their selections similar to your film? Do they screen good films which feature important stories that are ‘rough around the edges’ or are they looking for films which are of the highest standard of production & feature original storytelling? Ultimately, it all boils down to the key question: would my film belong here?
Look at the content contained within their programme – what type of genre and narrative themes are they selecting? Also review their mission statements as these are the places where they tell you what types of films they’re looking for.
2. Goals. It’s important to know what you want, be very specific and to plan your goals for the entire festival run. Overall, know how you want your film to help level up your career.
A clear set of achievable goals must be created before any submissions begin, as your goals will help you shape (and design) your festival strategy.
The first thing to do before setting any viable goals is to be tough on yourself and ask – do you have a festival viable product? Is your film strong in terms of the overall production quality, performances and story?
Are you an emerging talent offering something new and giving us a new way to talk about a topic? This is often a question which is best answered by your peers and those not attached to your film project.
The first question which you need to ask yourself is: What do you want to achieve from the festival circuit with this film?
Goals such as connecting with more industry professionals, networking, getting lots of press, acquiring sales and distribution leads, achieving successful exposure are all very attainable.
3. Budgets – know how much you have to spend on PR, marketing, submission fees and travelling to festivals that you want to attend.
Another common mistake which filmmakers make, which leads to getting rejected from film festivals, is forgetting to put aside money for PR & Marketing.
I recommend that you devise three different types of budgets and raise the funds for them as early as possible.
Budget 1 – Festival Submission Fees – You would be able to complete plenty of submissions with $1,000.00 USD and that could last you around 6 months by using it wisely and submitting to early or regular deadlines.
Budget 2- Deliverables – This budget consists purely of funds to cover the costs of your festival screening exhibition copies and marketing materials (poster, trailer, postcards and business cards). Festivals tend to prefer to screen films off of a DCP (Digital Cinema Package). Prices can vary depending upon the company, therefore, ensure that you shop around and get the best deal possible.
Budget 3 – Travel Budget – Definitely attend festivals for a) networking opportunities, b) feedback on your film, c) collecting any awards that you may win & d) creating content for social media.
It’s important to remember not to expect the festival to fund your trips as not all festivals will be able to cover your travel and accommodation costs.
4. Timeline: ask yourself how long do you want to travel the circuit for with your film? Plan for 6, 12 or 18 months?
A short film can travel for up to 2 years on the circuit. A feature film tends to be shorter especially if it gets distribution or gets picked up by a sales agent for world sales.
It’s important to remember that to get the most out of the festival circuit, you’d need to travel with your film as it tours the circuit so always plan for how long you can commit to.
5.Write down your list of 15-20 dream film festivals that you’d like to premiere your film at. Include all different types of premieres world, international & regional festivals etc.
Premiere Policies can be quite overwhelming for filmmakers as it can often feel like all festivals expect a world premiere however this is far from the truth – there are a small number that do, however there are a lot of festivals that don’t and the ones that do often require city, state or town premieres.
For further information on navigating the world of premiere policies download for free my ‘The Little Book of Premiere Policies’ via my E-Shop: https://www.thefilmfestivaldoctor.com/shop/
6. Research suitable festivals that will be a good match for your film and also research how to navigate the circuit and to get prepared for the journey.
The best places I’d recommend to research which festivals are a good fit for your film would be –
MovieMaker Magazine’s Top Festivals Lists these include – the top 50 Festivals worth their entry fee, top 25 coolest festivals and top genre festivals: https://www.moviemaker.com
Film Festival Alliance Directory. This contains a very detailed directory of festivals vetted by the organizers of this organization: https://filmfestivalalliance.org/filmmakers/film-festival-directory
BAFTA & Oscar Qualifying Festival list. These are the hardest ones to get into and the most sought after. You can find the PDFs of these lists via Google and the organizations websites.
Your Local Film Commission. Your local film commission will have access to a directory of festivals in your city & state that are close & local to you. For example, here in Texas we have the Dallas Film Commission & Fort Worth Film Commission who all offer comprehensive festival directory resources
I’d advise not to rely on researching via film freeway as there are a lot of fraudulent festivals on this site which I’d not recommend submitting to if you are now to the film festival world.
And of course, research the websites and social media feeds of all the festivals on your target list. Pay attention to their themes, their previous programming schedules and what types of films win the prizes that they have on offer.
