HOW-TO, Techniques, & Best Practices Channel

Working the Festival Circuit Like a Pro

By Phil Hall
posted Jun 3, 2009, 16:39

Working the Festival Circuit Like a Pro: Four Point Strategy for Optimum Results

So you want to put your new movie into the film festival circuit? Well, this could be an exercise in emotional and financial frustration if you don�t plan your festival strategy carefully. The festival circuit is overstuffed with events, and many of these happenings are less than accommodating to first-time filmmakers. Needless to say, it is easy to get lost (and, sometimes, ripped off) if a festival strategy isn�t properly developed and executed.

When it comes to putting your film into festival play, there are four key elements that you need to address in order to gain the fullest success possible for your endeavors. Defining your goals in advance. Put simply: Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from getting your film on a festival schedule? For new filmmakers, a festival play date is the first step of being acknowledged as a serious creative artist. An industry standard for acknowledgement, whether we�d like to admit it or not, is being listed in the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and that can happen if your film is included in an IMDb�s qualifying festival. By being part of such a festival, you can get your film (and, in turn, yourself and your collaborators) into the IMDb.

Fortunately, for many filmmakers, the IMDb is relatively liberal in determining qualifying festivals. For example, the somewhat unfortunately named 2006 production The Connecticut Poop Movie snagged its IMDb slot solely through its being scheduled for the Wild River Film Festival. If you never heard of that festival (a smaller Minnesota event), that�s okay � the IMDb heard of it, hence that movie�s inclusion in the database. Check out IMDb to determine which festivals make their cut and which don�t.

If you are using the festival to snag a distribution deal, then you need to focus on events where acquisitions directors and influential industry-types (media, sales reps, agents, etc.) are known to attend. If you are just seeking out awards for your work, then be certain to aim for festivals that have ceremonies honoring their schedule�s finest. And if you just want to be seen � well, there�s no shortage of festivals to make that relatively simple dream come true.

However, you need to recognize that the festival circuit should only be a finite strategy, defined by clear limitations in the time devoted to festival play and the money needed to accomplish this goal. It is too easy to get stuck with one film on the festival circuit for years � anything more than six months on the circuit becomes tiresome and expensive.

A word about �expensive� � you must budget your strategy in advance, taking into consideration entry fees, the costs of packaging and sending films for festival reviews, and also the costs involved if you choose to attend a festival. If you lack the funds for any of these, take a break and replenish your bank account until you can afford to proceed. Don�t ask festival programmers to waive their fees � that�s painfully amateurish and no professional will take you seriously.

Researching the right festivals. Once you understand what you want to achieve and tools you have to make this dream happen, start researching the festivals that would fit your needs. If your film falls into a certain genre due to its subject matter, you may want to consider focusing heavily on niche festivals. It seems every niche has its own festival, and you�ll have a better chance getting screen time by seeking out an event that�s specifically aimed at celebrating films in this genre.

Try to do as much research as possible on the festivals that pique your interest. A simple Google search can dig up the past media coverage for these festivals, and you can also find comments from various filmmakers who were involved in these events (don�t be shy about e-mailing them directly for their thoughts and tips). If you have specific questions about a festival, feel free to ask the event�s programmer about what you can expect from participating in this happening. Actually, friendly and sincere inquiries are a great way to introduce yourself to the powers behind the festivals � and in the event you decide to enter their festivals, the programmers will already know who you are before your film is received at their offices.

Working the festivals to your advantage. If you are accepted into a festival, you need to be an active participant in the event. Make yourself available to the festival organizers and their PR team at three key levels:

� Have DVD screeners and highresolution photos from your film available, so the organizers can play up your title in their promotion of the event.
� Find the time and budget to be present at the actual festival, and volunteer to be available for interviews with the media covering the event. If there are Q&A sessions following the screenings, be ready to face the audience to talk up your work.
� Play up your participation in the festival via your website, social networking webpages, blog, and/or e-mail newsletter alert � and let the festival team know about this. This helps build the PR on the festival and shows the event organizers that you are eager to help spread the word.

If you are attending festivals where sales reps, media representatives and distributors are present, make sure you come prepared with DVD screeners, press kits and business cards that you can hand out. But don�t be too pushy or obnoxious in getting before these people � if it is easier for them to see your materials after the festival, get a business card and mail your material to their office when the festival is over.

Honestly reviewing what you achieved. Whether you�ve been rejected or accepted to a festival, always take the time to study what took place and what you can learn from this. If you�ve been rejected from a high number of festivals, take a frank look at what went wrong. If you are only aiming for major festivals like Sundance and SXSW, where the competition for acceptance is heavy and fierce, there�s an excellent chance you were lost in the shuffle. But if smaller festivals with less competition are also turning you down, you may need to revisit your film (or get an outsider�s opinion) to see if people are viewing the work in a way that you never considered.

If you have been successful in getting into a festival, however, use your postfestival time to determine if your goals were met. Did you win any awards? Did you get quality media coverage that you can incorporate into your media and marketing kits? Did you make any connections at the event? And, of course, did the audience like the film? If your response was negative to most or all of these questions, something went wrong and you may need to revamp your strategy.

But if most or all of your answers were affirmative, then your festival time was wellspent and successful.

This article may not be reprinted in print or internet publications without express permission of StudentFilmmakers.com.

Check out this article in the May 2008 print edition of StudentFilmmakers magazine, page 40.

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