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FILM FESTIVALS

February 19, 2008 at 16:50 PST
So you’ve made your first film and it’s a masterpiece.  Congratulations.

You want people to see it, and you want this to lead to the BIG BREAK.

Some pointers:

Get the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide (formerly the AIVF Guide) at Samuel French – it lists all the festivals throughout the world, outlining what festivals are out there, when they take place, how much they charge for entry, etc.  I recommend creating a spreadsheet of the festivals you intend to submit to, listed in order of deadlines.  If you are going to give your film a chance, you MUST SUBMIT TO AS MANY FESTIVALS AS POSSIBLE, because you will most likely be rejected A LOT.

A few thoughts on rejection:

• It sucks.

• Don’t take it personal.  Festivals choose films for their programs based on many factors- theme, length (IMPORTANT: shorts with a length of ten minutes or less are most desirable to festivals), format (this has changed a lot because most festivals now accept video formats, but check it out, many are still old school film only), and yes, nepotism.  For your film to be chosen by some of the most sought after festivals (Sundance, namely) you will need to know someone from the inside.  It’s awful, but true.  Submit anyway.

• Keep a file of rejection letters and note which festivals you can submit to the following year (some you can, some you can’t).  A film’s festival life is about two years, so if you really want to do it right, commit to this process for two years.

A place to get started:

Subscribe to withoutabox.com – it costs a nominal fee to join, but it’s a great resource for keeping up with festival dates. Plus it allows you to submit online, making the application proves a lot less repetitive.

Subscribe to indiewire.com – another great resource for keeping up-to-date with deadlines.

When you ARE accepted to a festival, if you can, GO.  It’s a great experience. You will make connections that will help you in the short term and long term.  Plus, it may be the only chance you’ll get to watch your film in a theater with other people.  Go ahead, feel like a badass.  Follow up with the people you meet there and begin building relationships.  This industry is all about relationships.

Festivals often cost money you don’t have, which is why you need to make friends with your credit card.  This is a tricky balancing act, and I don’t suggest you drown yourself in debt.  Please don’t – but use your discretion and risk a bit.  You’ve come this far.

A few thoughts on your BIG BREAK:

This happens sometimes to people, and I think perhaps it’s a lot of fun initially, but you shouldn’t expect it.  A career in film TAKES TIME, and it should because you need the training.  Use your festival experience as a building block for your entire career, do your due diligence, and be patient and humble.  The finest artists are made this way.

A quote from our good friend Anonymous:
“A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.”

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FILM FESTIVALS

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