Stop Submitting Your Film Everywhere

Film festival submissions can become emotional.

You've finished something you're proud of.

You want people to see it.

Then the submission spree begins.

Twenty festivals.

Thirty.

Fifty.

Sometimes more.

And suddenly the filmmaker has spent hundreds or thousands of dollars without ever clearly defining what they wanted the festival circuit to accomplish.

I think filmmakers should be much more strategic.

Before paying any submission fee, ask:

Why this festival?

Maybe it has strong industry attendance.

Maybe it qualifies your film for something meaningful.

Maybe it specializes in your genre.

Maybe it serves your cultural community.

Maybe it's located where you want to build professional relationships.

Maybe its programmers have a track record of discovering filmmakers.

Maybe winning actually means something.

Maybe you simply love the festival.

Those are all legitimate reasons.

But “I found it on a submission platform” isn't enough.

Every film doesn't belong at every festival.

And every festival isn't equally valuable to every filmmaker.

Think of your festival strategy as a portfolio.

You might target:

A few major reach festivals.

A strong group of respected regional or genre festivals.

Festivals where your film has a particularly strong fit.

Festivals where you can realistically attend and network.

Festivals that offer specific opportunities aligned with your objectives.

And maybe a few calculated long shots.

Then budget accordingly.

Most importantly, think beyond the selection email.

If you're accepted, what are you going to do with the opportunity?

Can you attend?

Who should you meet?

What press can you generate?

What other filmmakers are screening?

What distributors, producers or programmers will be there?

What content can you create around the experience?

How do you keep those relationships after the festival?

A screening should be the beginning of an opportunity, not merely another laurel graphic.

Festivals can be powerful.

They can create community.

They can validate work.

They can discover talent.

They can create memories filmmakers never forget.

But they work best when the filmmaker enters with an objective.

Don't submit everywhere.

Submit intelligently.

Film Faster Question: What are the three things you want your festival run to accomplish?