How to Get Your Film into Film Festivals (Tips from a Festival Director)
Do you want to get your film shown at film festivals worldwide? In this blog, I’m going to share 5 tips on how to do just that.
As the founder of the Mile High Horror Film Festival, I’ve literally viewed thousands of film submissions over the years.
I’ve also been on the other end of the spectrum as a filmmaker. I’ve submitted my own films to countless festivals worldwide. Some of them were a success and others not as much. I know what it’s like to receive acceptance letters, win awards, and have a successful festival run. Conversely, I know how it feels to receive a disheartening rejection letter.
Tip #1: Tell a Compelling Story
You could have the most beautifully shot, most expensive film in the world, but if you don’t have a compelling story, you don’t have much. It helps to have 3 solid acts and a gripping climax. Ask yourself this question, why should people care enough to watch your film? Is there an inciting incident and a storyline that keeps people hooked? Can the average person empathize with the characters? Is your film predictable or does it give the viewer unexpected twists? Why should someone want to watch? For most films, the story trumps everything else in my opinion; it is the glue that keeps your audience engaged.
Tip #2: Production Value Matters
Although I think the story trumps a film’s production value, you can’t discount its power. Who doesn’t like beautiful cinematography and believable acting?
Poor acting, sloppy camera work or a terrible sound design can destroy a film. It’s distracting and can pull the viewer out of the film.
The audio is also fundamental. In many cases, it’s even more important than the visuals; after all, it’s half, if not more of the experience.
Production value is not everything, but it does matter. You don’t need A-list actors or a large budget to make a quality film, but you should make it as appealing as possible and not skip the fundamentals.
Tip #3: Submit to the Right Festivals
Before you spend money submitting to any festival under the sun, be strategic in pursuing the festivals that fit your goals. Why do you want to play at film festivals? Do you want to generate buzz for your film, build a name for yourself, network with others, compete for prizes, seek a distributor, or simply get your film shown on the big screen? Whatever your motivation, you should make sure the festivals you submit to match those goals. Research a bit about the festival before submitting. What types of films do they program? As objectively as possible, do you think your film would be a good fit? These are all questions that can be helpful in deciding where to submit.
Tip #4: Grow Thick Skin
Remember, never give up! One thing that can really help filmmakers is to realize that most people are viewing your work subjectively. What one person loves, another person might dislike or not like quite as well. There is no denying this; everyone views a film through a different lense in this respect.
For most filmmakers, it’s common to not get accepted into every single film festival where they submit. It takes a lot of time and money to enter festivals, so to receive a rejection letter can be quite disheartening.
Don’t let that fool you though and never give up! Just because one festival won’t play your film doesn’t mean it’s a failure. In fact, another festival might just play it; that’s most often the case!
The main thing is to take criticism lightly, learning from it rather than viewing it as a failure. Simply by making a film, you have succeeded. Not many people can even say they’ve made a movie.
And remember, you may indeed get into your ideal festivals; that is always possible!!
Tip #5: Submission Fees (To Pay or Not)
As a festival director, I can tell you that most film festivals rely on film submission revenue as an important part of their budget. Many of them receive countless entries each year from filmmakers who do pay the fees.
For this reason, many festivals will not waive the fee to consider an additional film.
However, there are exceptions with some festivals. For example, if you have a lot of buzz behind your film or if you’ve played that festival previously, it might be worth asking whether a fee waiver is possible. It really depends on the festival as to whether they will allow waivers.
The best way to ensure your film is actually considered is to simply submit through the proper channels and pay the fee if one is required.
Final Words of Advice:
There are many more tips I have for filmmakers submitting to festivals, which I’ll be sharing soon. Join my mailing list to be updated once that blog is published! -JOIN HERE–
