Guidelines for Submitting Films to Film Festivals: Insights from Industry Gatekeepers
Submitting a film to film festivals is a significant step for any filmmaker, offering opportunities for recognition, distribution, and growth. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you navigate this exciting journey.
Choosing the Right Festivals
Balancing accessibility, relevance, and prestige is crucial when selecting film festivals. Consider festivals like the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and many others, most of which can be found on IMDb. For unique and lesser-known festivals, the author recommends the International Film Festival Berlin (Berlinale), Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF), Bundes.Festival.Film, Ajyal Film Festival, DOK Leipzig — International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, among others.
The Importance of a Compelling Story
Your film's story must be told in a fresh and innovative way. Choose strong actors who can bring characters to life and pay attention to production design and details to make your film stand out.
Submitting Your Film
FilmFreeway is the go-to platform for submitting films to festivals, with around 99% market share. Fill out all details about your film, including genre, budget, cast, crew, and camera used. Uploading a trailer with your submission is worthwhile, even though screeners may not have time to watch them.
The Selection Process
Submitting to film festivals can be competitive. Top-tier film festivals may receive up to 10,000 submissions and only accept around 100 films, resulting in a 1% selection rate. Everything in the film is evaluated and given a score based on story, sound, performances, and production value.
Preparing for Festivals
The process of submitting to festivals and waiting for a response can take up to a year. Be judicious in your festival selections and complete everything within two years. Keep premiere status and prior screenings updated in your festival account. Mentioning previous films screened at a particular festival can help in getting selected.
Festival Perks and Costs
Film festivals do not pay filmmakers for screening their films, but some may offer accommodations, meals, and all-access passes for filmmakers who attend in person. The average cost to submit a film to a film festival is $35 to $45, with some festivals charging up to $85 for Oscar or Bafta qualifying festivals.
The Importance of a Professional Presentation
A film's poster, known as a One Sheet, should be eye-catching and professional. Keep cover letters and director's statements short and to the point. Pay attention to production design and details to make the film pop.
The Role of Film Festivals
Film festivals are essential for movie-making, but submitting to too many can be costly and time-consuming. Remember that film festivals are political and subjective, and a film may not be selected due to a variety of factors such as the festival's theme, location, length, screening blocks, and popularity.
After the festival run, filmmakers can submit their film to online platforms like Vimeo Staff Picks, Short of the Week, or YouTube channels like Alter, Omeletto, or Dust. Submitting to film festivals is just one step in a filmmaker's journey, and feedback received from festivals can be used to grow and improve their craft.
