Indie festivals?

A

asparagui

Member
I guess my first feature is done. I was wondering if anybody knew of any festivals where a low budget/no name actors film actually might have a chance. I'll probably wind up self-distributing in the end, but I wouldn't mind at least trying to enter a festival or two. I just don't want to spend more money on entry fees than I did on the film. I shipped a copy off to Slamdance today, anybody know any other/similar places to try?

A friend of mine suggested trying some foreign film festivals, anybody have any suggestion/ideas in that direction?

Thanks in advance.
 
You might want to get Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide. It's got lots of tips and lets you know about a lot of the different festivals as well as their requirements.

You should also get a Withoutabox account (it's free). It makes entering festivals a lot easier. It also offers an extended entry deadline for a lot of festivals.
 
What is your film about? Call and talk to festival organizers about yourself as a filmmaker and about the movie you have. Pick the right festival for your movie. See what other films each festival chose and what films did well in particular festivals. If your film is very artistic, send it to the top festivals. If it's so-so, try small festivals.

Personally, I send my films to one or two festivals and if they're not accepted, I don't bother sending them to more festivals. I asked the same question you asked a few weeks ago. Nobody replied.

I ended up sending my film to one festival. My last film I sent to 4 festivals and I lost $200. That was a major setback for me, because I generally get into production with that kind of money. LOL

My philosophy is if you're not using name actors, you should make movies at no-budget. By no-budget I mean you don't draw up a budget, because if you fill in a feature film budget sheet, you'll end up with $100,000 easy, and then your contingency is going to be another $10,000 (10%) and that means now your budget is over $100,000. So it's best not to write a budget. That way you'll make the film for what you'll make the film.

Oh, and if you don't have name actors it's best not to borrow money. That's another rule I have; therefore I don't ask investors for money.

Good luck.
 
Blaine said:
You might want to get Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide. It's got lots of tips and lets you know about a lot of the different festivals as well as their requirements.

You should also get a Withoutabox account (it's free). It makes entering festivals a lot easier. It also offers an extended entry deadline for a lot of festivals.
Click to expand...

I think a friend of mine might have that book, looking at the cover. I'll try to steal it next time I see him.

I have a withoutabox account, but with the sheer number of festivals in the system I don't really know how to separate out what I'm after.

filmman said:
What is your film about? Call and talk to festival organizers about yourself as a filmmaker and about the movie you have. Pick the right festival for your movie. See what other films each festival chose and what films did well in particular festivals. If your film is very artistic, send it to the top festivals. If it's so-so, try small festivals.

Personally, I send my films to one or two festivals and if they're not accepted, I don't bother sending them to more festivals. I asked the same question you asked a few weeks ago. Nobody replied.

I ended up sending my film to one festival. My last film I sent to 4 festivals and I lost $200. That was a major setback for me, because I generally get into production with that kind of money. LOL

My philosophy is if you're not using name actors, you should make movies at no-budget. By no-budget I mean you don't draw up a budget, because if you fill in a feature film budget sheet, you'll end up with $100,000 easy, and then your contingency is going to be another $10,000 (10%) and that means now your budget is over $100,000. So it's best not to write a budget. That way you'll make the film for what you'll make the film.

Oh, and if you don't have name actors it's best not to borrow money. That's another rule I have; therefore I don't ask investors for money.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

All valid points. I brought this one in for under a grand, not counting my time of course. :D

I guess my theory would be that if I'm gonna wait three months for a rejection letter from these guys I might as well have two or three in the mail. ;)

I don't know a good description for it. It's mostly an amalgamation of things I've done in my short films. They're over here http://www.universe42.com/movies/

Thanks for the responses.
 
Good info above. And when you get a chance, look at:

http://www.filmfestivalworld.com/#

Too often, our gurus give excellent advice only to find out the question was misleading (like whether it's a short, odd genre, etc). At any rate, these lists might interest you.

Good luck, Michael

---------

ATTENDANCE
1 Tribeca Film Festival 465,000
2 Rotterdam International Film Festival 355,000
3 Montreal World Film Festival 350,000
4 Toronto International Film Festival 340,843
5 Berlin Int'l Film Festival 340,000
6 Buenos Aires Int'l Independent Film Festival 260,700
7 Rio De Janeiro Int'l Film Festival 223,000
8 Festival of Deauville American Cinema 200,000
8 Pan African Film Festival 200,000
8 San Sebastian Int'l Film Festival 200,000
8 Shanghai International Film Festival 200,000
12 Pusan International Film Festival 198,603
13 Locarno Int'l Film Festival 192,600
14 Sao Paulo Int'l Film Festival 180,000
15 Kerala International Film Festival 175,000
16 Melbourne Int'l Film Festival 170,000
17 Seattle International Film Festival 160,000
18 Mar del Plata Film Festival 150,000
18 Short Shorts Film Festival 150,000
18 Sitges Int'l Film Festival Catalonia 150,000
21 Vancouver Int'l Film Festival 148,360
22 Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival 135,759
23 Sydney Film Festival 132,500
24 Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival 132,000
25 Int'l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 131,214
26 Fantasporto Oporto Int'l Film Festival 130,000
27 Goteborg Film Festival 122,400
28 Belgrade Int'l Film Festival 120,000
28 Comic Con Int'l San Diego 120,000
28 Molodist Film Festival of Kiev 120,000
MEDIA ATTENDANCE
1 Cannes Film Festival 4,376
2 Berlin Int'l Film Festival 3,696
3 Generation 3,600
4 Venice Film Festival 3,500
5 Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival 2,000
5 Moscow Int'l Film Festival 2,000
7 Pusan International Film Festival 1,695
8 Bangkok Int'l Film Festival 1,630
9 Mar del Plata Film Festival 1,500
9 Netherlands Film Festival 1,500
11 Tribeca Film Festival 1,300
12 San Sebastian Int'l Film Festival 1,138
13 Shanghai International Film Festival 1,109
14 Locarno Int'l Film Festival 1,048
15 Tokyo International Film Festival 1,000
15 Toronto International Film Festival 1,000
17 Sundance 900
18 Sitges Int'l Film Festival Catalonia 859
19 New York Film Festival 700
20 London Film Festival 670
21 Dubai Int'l Film Festival 650
22 FESPACO Panafrican Film Television 633
23 Filmfest Munchen (Munich) 600
23 Torino Film Festival 600
25 Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival 581
26 Gen Art 560
27 Rotterdam International Film Festival 541
28 Prix Ars Electronica 533
29 Sofia Int'l Film Festival 500
29 Stockholm Int'l Film Festival 500
29 Viennale Vienna Int'l Film Festival 500
29 WorldFest Houston Int'l Film Festival 500
FEATURES SCREENED
1 Goteborg Film Festival 450
2 Buenos Aires Int'l Independent Film Festival 338
3 Rotterdam International Film Festival 337
4 Rio De Janeiro Int'l Film Festival 300
5 Seoul Int'l Cartoon Animation Festival 290
6 Montreal World Film Festival 282
7 Hong Kong Int'l Film Festival 280
8 Seattle International Film Festival 270
9 Sao Paulo Int'l Film Festival 268
10 Toronto International Film Festival 261
11 Melbourne Int'l Film Festival 252
12 Sitges Int'l Film Festival Catalonia 250
13 Sydney Film Festival 245
14 ERA NEW HORIZONS Int'l Film Festival 243
15 Moscow Int'l Film Festival 240
15 Shanghai International Film Festival 240
17 Berlin Int'l Film Festival 237
18 Vancouver Int'l Film Festival 232
19 Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival 218
20 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 209
21 Int'l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 200
21 Mar del Plata Film Festival 200
21 Tokyo International Film Festival 200
24 International Istanbul Biennial 194
25 Thessaloniki Int'l Film Festival 182
26 Fantasporto Oporto Int'l Film Festival 180
27 Singapore Int'l Film Festival 171
28 Calgary Int'l Film Festival 170
28 Locarno Int'l Film Festival 170
30 Sundance 167
SHORTS SCREENED
1 Holland Animation Film Festival 700
2 Anima Mundi Int'l Animation Festival 611
3 Tampere Film Festival 600
4 Jerusalem Int'l Film Festival 550
5 Gijon Int'l Film Festival for Young People 508
6 Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film 480
7 Rio De Janeiro Int'l Short Film Festival 462
8 Int'l Short Film Festival of Berlin 451
9 Rotterdam International Film Festival 445
10 Sao Paulo Int'l Short Film Festival 437
11 Hiroshima Int'l Animation Festival 408
12 Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival 400
13 Hamburg International Short Film Festival 389
14 International Short Film Festival Oberhausen 375
15 Sitges Int'l Film Festival Catalonia 350
16 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 344
17 Fantoche Int'l Animation Festival 317
18 Uppsala Int'l Short Film Festival 315
19 DOK Leipzig 307
20 Message to Man Int'l Documentary 305
21 Belo Horizonte Int'l Short Film 300
21 Palm Springs Int'l Short Films 300
23 Onedotzero Digital Creativity Festival 295
24 Anifest Int'l Animated Films 284
25 ERA NEW HORIZONS Int'l Film Festival 279
26 Int'l Short Film Festival Leuvan 271
27 Annecy Animation Festival 259
28 LAlternativa Independent Film Festival 250
29 Australian Int'l Animation Festival 248
30 Exground Filmfest 245
OLDEST
1 Venice Film Festival 1932
2 Cannes Film Festival 1946
2 Festival Int'l del Cinema di Salerno 1946
2 Locarno Int'l Film Festival 1946
5 Edinburgh Int'l Film Festival 1947
6 Pula Film Festival 1949
7 Montecatini Terme Short Film Festival 1950
7 Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival 1950
9 Berlin Int'l Film Festival 1951
10 Columbus International Film and Video Festival 1952
10 Int'l Filmfestival Mannheim Heidelberg 1952
10 International Film Festival of India 1952
10 Melbourne Int'l Film Festival 1952
10 San Sebastian Int'l Film Festival 1952
15 Trento FilmFestival 1953
16 International Short Film Festival Oberhausen 1954
16 Mar del Plata Film Festival 1954
16 Sydney Film Festival 1954
16 Taormina FilmFest 1954
20 DOK Leipzig 1955
21 Corona Cork Film Festival 1956
21 London Film Festival 1956
21 Nordic Film Days Lubeck 1956
21 Valladolid Int'l Film Festival 1956
25 CINE Golden Eagle Film & Video Competitions 1957
25 San Francisco Int'l Film Festival 1957
27 Bilbao Documentary & Short Films 1958
27 New York Festivals 1958
27 Prix de l’Âge d’Or 1958
30 Cartagena Int'l Film & Television 1959
30 Festival dei Popoli 1959
30 Moscow Int'l Film Festival 1959
30 Rochester Int'l Film Festival 1959
 
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