Ready to submit to film festivals, but really not sure where to start? Well, you’re on your way to making an excellent move for your new film career. Film festivals are an excellent way to get major exposure for your indie film. But with so much competition out there, you need to make sure your film stands out above the rest.
HOW TO SUBMIT TO FILM FESTIVALS AND GET ACCEPTED
Independent filmmaking can be tricky. You may have the best film ever made, but if festival judges and programmers don’t know that, the festival audience will never get the chance to view it. You have to take certain steps in order to win a fair chance for your indie film. These 3 tips will give you a leg up when researching how to submit to film festivals:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR FILM IS A GOOD FIT
Every film isn’t the best fit for every festival. Do some research on the film festival you’re considering for your indie film. Remember, this is an important step in your film career and shouldn’t be taken lightly! Ask yourself questions such as:
- What are the reviews like from attendees of past festivals?
- What types of films are primarily accepted?
- Does the festival focus on short films, documentaries, etc?
- Is there a genre preference for this festival?
- What’s the target audience of the festival, if any?
If your indie film doesn’t seem to be a good fit for this particular film festival, don’t start tweaking your film trying to make it work. Simply find another one that’s a better fit. Then, submit your film to film festivals that cater to your type of film.
2. SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO FILM FESTIVALS EARLY
Every film festival has a time frame during which you’re allowed to submit your film for consideration. However, the closer it gets to the submission deadline, the more filmmakers there will be submitting their work.
This will leave those in charge of choosing films swamped. It’s just too hard for your film to stand out under these conditions, so the sooner you figure out how to submit to film festivals, the better your chances are of being chosen.
Plus, who knows how fast slots will fill up for the festivals you’re interested in? Your categories (short films, documentaries, comedies, horror films, children, rated PG-13) may be all filled up if you take too long. Not to mention, many film festivals offer applicants early bird submission fee discounts.
3. ONLY SUBMIT A FINISHED FILM
There are film festivals that allow applicants to submit “works in progress.” But indie film experts advise against doing such a thing. Always submit your film as a finished product. Rough cuts aren’t what you want the festival’s panel to use when judging your work.
LAUNCH YOUR FILM CAREER THE RIGHT WAY!
Ready to make a film good enough to be accepted by film festivals? Why not look into getting into a film school like F.I.R.S.T. Institute and launch your film & video career? We can teach you how to submit to film festivals, and more importantly, how to make a movie worthy of submitting! You’ll learn filmmaking techniques, equipment, and skills to help you produce a great film. Visit F.I.R.S.T. Institute to learn more about starting your film career today.
