So you've completed your film and you want an audience. It's time to submit to film festivals. If you.ve never sent your work to a film festival before, start small. There are literally hundreds of micro-cinema programs that would be more than happy to look at your work. For a good comprehensive and consistently updated listing of film festival deadlines across the globe sign up with festival e-mail lists such as www.withoutabox.com, www.indiewire.com, or www.filmfestivals.com. Also, check out film festival listings in film magazines such as Filmmaker, the Independent, and Micro/film.
The advantages of starting with smaller festivals are that you will gain experience, you have a greater chance of being accepted, their entry fees are more reasonable, and often, if you contact the programmers of the festival, they may waive the entry fees for students on a tight budget. It never hurts to ask. Also, don?t forget to submit to festivals outside of the U.S. They are typically better funded than American fests, so they often do not charge entry fees.
Always take a look at the festival's mission statement if they have one available. You may find that they have certain content restrictions, or specific themes and/or genres that they prefer. Obviously, you wouldn?t want to send a romantic comedy to a horror film festival. If they do not explicitly state what kinds of submissions they seek, try to find a list of movies they have screened in the past to get an idea of the tastes of the programmers.
As programmers of a short film festival in Chicago, we have a few pointers regarding what to include with your submission. Don't blow a lot of money on creating festival packets. Keep in mind that they may just end up in the trash. We often find that the expense of the promo packets filmmakers send to us is inversely proportionate to the quality of the movie. In other words, fancy promotional materials for an independent short are almost always a bad sign. Your work should speak for itself.
This doesn't mean you can't include a few supporting items. A still from the movie is very useful. A single representative photo is fine, or a postcard if you've made one. Postcards are cheap to print in large numbers (try Stamp Graphics in Chicago), and are great promotional tools. Any reviews from past screenings of the film are also welcome. We always like receiving supporting materials on a single CD, including a typed description of the movie, the filmmaker's bio, contact information, and an image. It's immensely helpful when creating our show catalogue. This may not be true for all festivals, however. If in doubt, ask the programmers.
Check the festival guidelines to find out what formats they accept. Most festivals will accept either VHS or DVD screeners. If accepted, the festival organizers will probably ask you to send a better quality copy of your movie. Don't go to the expense of sending a Beta SP tape or a film print, for example, unless the festival accepts your work. Festivals generally do not return submission materials.
Fill out the submission form completely. And finally, do not send any submission in a fiber filled envelope. Bubblepacks work best. Fiber filled envelopes can cause static electricity and damage equipment.
Submitting your work to small film festivals is a great way to find an audience, and to begin to become recognized as a filmmaker. Relationships created with the curators of these events can often last for your entire career and lead to future opportunities. Remember, let your work speak for yourself, and don?t spend too much energy on fancy supporting materials and packaging. Save the flashy promotional stuff for your premiere. Expect plenty of rejections, but just keep submitting. With the number and variety of events that have sprung up in past years, you're sure to find one that will accept your movie.
Kristie and Usama Alshaibi are a filmmaking, multimedia duo who also organize the Z Film Festival. Usama's latest film (produced by Kristie), the documentary Nice Bombs was awarded the Best Documentary Award at the 2006 Chicago Underground Film Festival
