8. Be present, mentally and physically, at your film’s festival premiere. Many festivals have concurrent industry and educational conferences. “Stay for as long as you can and make the most of the festival experience,” recommends Toronto International Film Festival director of programming Kerri Craddock.
Clint Bowie, director of programming for New Orleans Film Festival, encourages filmmakers to bring as many members of the film team as possible. This not only amplifies your film’s presence at a festival, but it also puts your whole team in a position to take advantage of “opportunities to grow professionally and advance future projects.”
And of course, “enjoy yourself,” says Paul Sturtz, a co-founder/co-conspirator at True/False, which is pioneering an awesome “Pay the Artists!” initiative offering $700 to each feature filmmaker representing their films. “We’re told this is the most fun you’ll have in the entire process.”
9. Be open to new friendships and collaborations. It might be tempting to go into a festival with blinders on, focused only on your film and its success. But festivals are proud of the communities we create. We don’t just select movies; we are selecting a cohort of moviemakers. Festivals have alumni networks that can offer great connections and support even after the festival is over. At the LA Film Festival, we invite all the feature filmmakers in the competition sections to a two-day “retreat” where they are able to relax and connect with one another in a genuine way before the hustle and bustle of the festival. So many filmmakers who meet at these retreats become lifelong buddies and collaborate together on future projects.
10. K.I.T. (Keep in Touch) We always want to hear about your film’s successes, and awards, and the impact it is having in the world. With enough notice, we might also be able to promote the film on our social media channels when the film is released into theaters or on VOD. MM
CutA. Picture locked, color corrected, sound mixed B. Between a fine cut and picture lock, without color correction or sound mix C. Rough cut (within a month away from being picture-locked) D. Rough cut (within six weeks to two months away from being picture locked, possibly with missing scenes, pickups, etc.) |
Premiere Status (Features)A. World premiere B. North American premiere / International premiere C. U.S. premiere D. Regional premiere |
Premiere Status (Shorts)A. World premiere B. North American premiere / International premiere C. U.S. premiere D. Regional premiere |
|
| Busan International Film Festival | A, B | D (Asian) | A, B |
| Hot Docs | D | D, but B for competition | D |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | D | A for competition, D (European) for others | A for competition, D (European) for others |
| Locarno Film Festival | B | A, B | A, B |
| LA Film Festival | D | A | D |
| Los Cabos International Film Festival | A | A for Mexican, D for other (Latin American) | None |
| New Orleans Film Festival | B | C for competition, otherwise none | None |
| Seattle International Film Festival | A | D | D |
| Slamdance Film Festival | B | None | None |
| South by Southwest | B | A | E |
| Sundance Film Festival | B | A, B | None |
| Toronto International Film Festival | D | B | B |
| Tribeca Film Festival | B, C | A, B | D |
| True/False Film Fest | B | None | None |
Entry Fee Waived for Special Circumstances? |
Travel and Accommodation Covered? |
|
| Busan International Film Festival | N | Y, World and international premieres only |
| Hot Docs | Y | Y |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | N | Y |
| Locarno Film Festival | Y | Y, some sections |
| LA Film Festival | Y | Y |
| Los Cabos International Film Festival | Y | Y |
| New Orleans Film Festival | Y | Y |
| Seattle International Film Festival | Y | Y, feature film directors only |
| Slamdance Film Festival | N | N |
| South by Southwest | N | N |
| Sundance Film Festival | N | Y |
| Toronto International Film Festival | Y | Y |
| Tribeca Film Festival | N | Y |
| True/False Film Fest | Y | Y |
Fee: Feature |
Fee: Short |
Total Number of Films in Most Recent Program |
|
| Busan International Film Festival | none | none | 300 |
| Hot Docs | $55-150 | $25-55 | 170 |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | $70 | $40 | 252 |
| Locarno Film Festival | $100 | $30 | 200 |
| LA Film Festival | $50-100 | $30-60 | 60 |
| Los Cabos International Film Festival | none | none | 40 |
| New Orleans Film Festival | $40-75 | $30-65 | 50 |
| Seattle International Film Festival | $50-115 | $35-85 | 262 |
| Slamdance Film Festival | $50-100 | $40-60 | 30 |
| South by Southwest | $60-110 | $40-75 | 125 |
| Sundance Film Festival | $65-110 | $40-80 | 125 |
| Toronto International Film Festival | $55-115 | $25-85 | 300 |
| Tribeca Film Festival | $55-110 | $40-60 | 85 |
| True/False Film Fest | $30-75 | $20-35 | 38 |
Submission Platform |
Episodic Content Accepted? |
Augmented or Virtual Reality Content Accepted? |
|
| Busan International Film Festival | Festival’s Own | N | N |
| Hot Docs | Festival’s Own | N | Y |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam | Festival’s Own | Y | Y |
| Locarno Film Festival | Festival’s Own | N | N |
| LA Film Festival | Film Freeway | Y | N |
| Los Cabos International Film Festival | Festival’s Own | Y | N |
| New Orleans Film Festival | Film Freeway, Withoutabox | Y | Y |
| Seattle International Film Festival | Withoutabox | N | Y |
| Slamdance Film Festival | Withoutabox and Festival’s Own | Y | Y |
| South by Southwest | Festival’s Own | Y | Y |
| Sundance Film Festival | Withoutabox | Y | Y |
| Toronto International Film Festival | Withoutabox | Y | Y |
| Tribeca Film Festival | Film Freeway and Festival’s Own | Y | Y |
| True/False Film Fest | Festival’s Own | N | Y |
This article appears in MovieMaker‘s Complete Guide to Making Movies 2017. Featured image from Hot Docs 2016, photograph by Sophia Burke.
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