film festival experience...what to expect?
- Thread starter Paunch
- Start date
GoodLuck
Well-known member
I hate to say it but many festivals are huge disappointments. Many screenings end up fairly empty or full of mostly people involved in the project. You really need to spread the word yourself to assure you get people in the room. Even at larger fests they spam their posters all over the place to get people to their screenings. It's a challenge!
I've seen films win in their category and then I've talked to the filmmakers after and they've mentioned their screening was basically empty. So it even happens to the winners.
It just depends on the festival though, but my advice is the best aspect of a fest are the invites to the filmmaker networking meetings/events. And that requires staying up on the schedules of when what takes place.
The chance of meeting investors is very rare, again it depends on the fest, the most important people involved in a fest tend to be at the networking events. If there is a Q&A they would tell you in advance because a mic would have to be setup and provided with an alotted time limit for it. Many rooms play stuff back to back, and each screening tends to have a required schedule for the room, you'll have to contact the fest.
I've seen films win in their category and then I've talked to the filmmakers after and they've mentioned their screening was basically empty. So it even happens to the winners.
It just depends on the festival though, but my advice is the best aspect of a fest are the invites to the filmmaker networking meetings/events. And that requires staying up on the schedules of when what takes place.
The chance of meeting investors is very rare, again it depends on the fest, the most important people involved in a fest tend to be at the networking events. If there is a Q&A they would tell you in advance because a mic would have to be setup and provided with an alotted time limit for it. Many rooms play stuff back to back, and each screening tends to have a required schedule for the room, you'll have to contact the fest.
Last edited:
Barry_Green
Moderator
Festivals won't do anything for you. It's up to you to do everything for yourself, and the festival gives you the place to do it.
If you want your screening to be full, you'd better be out there hustling, handing out flyers, asking and begging people to go to your screening. Start contacting radio stations to see if you can get interviews. Contact the TV stations. Send out press releases. Work it.
Are investors there? Maybe. Will there be some room that you go to that says "enter here to talk to investors?" Absolutely not. But if you're working the room, meeting everyone, shaking hands, exchanging cards, etc., then you may run into someone. If you invite that someone to your screening, and they love it, then maybe something will come from it.
If your film is on a screening slot and you expect to show up and have a packed house -- no, that's not gonna happen. Not unless you MAKE it happen. It's not the festival's job; they've already done their job by making the screening slot available. But that's pretty much all they're going to do. It's up to you to fill the room, and fill it with someone other than friends & family!
If you want your screening to be full, you'd better be out there hustling, handing out flyers, asking and begging people to go to your screening. Start contacting radio stations to see if you can get interviews. Contact the TV stations. Send out press releases. Work it.
Are investors there? Maybe. Will there be some room that you go to that says "enter here to talk to investors?" Absolutely not. But if you're working the room, meeting everyone, shaking hands, exchanging cards, etc., then you may run into someone. If you invite that someone to your screening, and they love it, then maybe something will come from it.
If your film is on a screening slot and you expect to show up and have a packed house -- no, that's not gonna happen. Not unless you MAKE it happen. It's not the festival's job; they've already done their job by making the screening slot available. But that's pretty much all they're going to do. It's up to you to fill the room, and fill it with someone other than friends & family!
all festivals are different and it does pay to research ahead of time to understand if it is worthwhile to submit and then attend. I have some amazing experiences and some not so great and a lot has to do with the organizers and volunteers who work incredibly hard for very little. Beyond that, there are a few where industry attend, some that are really just audience festivals and some that are a cynical attempts to make money. You can save a lot of time by doing the research ahead of time.
If you don't know a lot about the fest (I am assuming) I would go with an open mind and introduce yourself to the staff and other filmmakers and see where it leads. Barry is 100% right about having to market yourself to get the most out of it. Some festivals will have packed houses even if you don't do anything, it really depends and you don't want to risk losing out on an opportunity. If it is a feature you need to go full out to get people in the theater. If you have a short, there is less pressure because you are either likely part of a program or you are before a feature (where most people decide to go for that not the short) In these case invite some people you have targeted as important along the way. Festivals like Cleveland, Woodstock, Nashville and Sedona, I had full theaters with people sitting in the aisles or standing, and that speaks to what awesome patrons these festivals attract. I met people in Cleveland that take their vacation each year to attend the fest and see 50+ films. Also the time you screen can affect turnout. Mornings are bad, evenings are much better.
You should have several copies of your film with you to give to people that can not see the film. If not, get cards and send them out when you get home. have business cards made. Have postcards made with your films poster and the times it is playing. Have a facebook account, and facebook the people you connect with.
Find out what workshops or panels there might be. You can learn a ton at a festival and make great connections that way.
Go to all the parties if you can. Don't segregate yourself with just the other filmmakers, plenty of time for that at the after hours. make sure you talk to the people who support the fest. It is a big deal for the folks in many of these communities (particularly the smaller fests) to have filmmakers come to town and there is nothing worse than some shmuck snubbing them because they have had the heady experience of seeing their film on the big screen. Introduce yourself to the other filmmakers, you should have the same badge as an easy way to identify them.
find out if there is a press person that works for the fest that can set up interviews. there should be plenty of contact before hand with a festival once you have been made an official selection. If not, this is usually a bad sign.
Go see a few films, the Q&A's are interesting and informative. It also is fun to talk to the other filmmakers after seeing their film. When you do your Q&A, just try to relax and have fun with it, it gets easier the more you do it. Anticipate some basics like, how did you come up with the idea, how long did you shoot, cost etc. Have at least one anecdote you can share. Indy audiences are rooting for you, this isn't a tobacco executive 60 minutes grilling, its fun.
Enjoy the accomplishment. most people don't get the chance to have their work celebrated in life and it is a honor and privilege. good luck
If you don't know a lot about the fest (I am assuming) I would go with an open mind and introduce yourself to the staff and other filmmakers and see where it leads. Barry is 100% right about having to market yourself to get the most out of it. Some festivals will have packed houses even if you don't do anything, it really depends and you don't want to risk losing out on an opportunity. If it is a feature you need to go full out to get people in the theater. If you have a short, there is less pressure because you are either likely part of a program or you are before a feature (where most people decide to go for that not the short) In these case invite some people you have targeted as important along the way. Festivals like Cleveland, Woodstock, Nashville and Sedona, I had full theaters with people sitting in the aisles or standing, and that speaks to what awesome patrons these festivals attract. I met people in Cleveland that take their vacation each year to attend the fest and see 50+ films. Also the time you screen can affect turnout. Mornings are bad, evenings are much better.
You should have several copies of your film with you to give to people that can not see the film. If not, get cards and send them out when you get home. have business cards made. Have postcards made with your films poster and the times it is playing. Have a facebook account, and facebook the people you connect with.
Find out what workshops or panels there might be. You can learn a ton at a festival and make great connections that way.
Go to all the parties if you can. Don't segregate yourself with just the other filmmakers, plenty of time for that at the after hours. make sure you talk to the people who support the fest. It is a big deal for the folks in many of these communities (particularly the smaller fests) to have filmmakers come to town and there is nothing worse than some shmuck snubbing them because they have had the heady experience of seeing their film on the big screen. Introduce yourself to the other filmmakers, you should have the same badge as an easy way to identify them.
find out if there is a press person that works for the fest that can set up interviews. there should be plenty of contact before hand with a festival once you have been made an official selection. If not, this is usually a bad sign.
Go see a few films, the Q&A's are interesting and informative. It also is fun to talk to the other filmmakers after seeing their film. When you do your Q&A, just try to relax and have fun with it, it gets easier the more you do it. Anticipate some basics like, how did you come up with the idea, how long did you shoot, cost etc. Have at least one anecdote you can share. Indy audiences are rooting for you, this isn't a tobacco executive 60 minutes grilling, its fun.
Enjoy the accomplishment. most people don't get the chance to have their work celebrated in life and it is a honor and privilege. good luck
Chris Light
Veteran
it's just like being in a band. same rules apply. why i left the music industry for this, i'll never know...