Maximizing Exposure through Film Festivals and Screenings

Maximizing exposure through film festivals and screenings is a crucial strategy for independent filmmakers, especially those creating short films. A well-executed festival campaign can elevate your film’s visibility, advance your career by expanding professional networks, build industry credibility, and open doors to distribution opportunities. Here’s a deeper dive into how to approach this strategically, with actionable steps and a focus on relationship-building as a key to long-term success.

Approaches to Film Festival Campaigns

There are two primary approaches to launching a film festival campaign:

1. DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Approach

2. Agency-Managed Campaign

1. DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Approach

Advantages:

• Cost-Effective: The DIY approach is typically less expensive than hiring an agency. Filmmakers can spend anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 on festival submission fees, depending on the number of festivals targeted and the submission deadlines.

• Learning Opportunity: Handling submissions yourself allows you to learn the intricacies of the festival circuit, from understanding the types of festivals that align with your film to managing timelines and submission rules.

• Control: You maintain complete control over the selection of festivals and the overall strategy.

Challenges:

• Time-Consuming: Researching and submitting to festivals can be very time-intensive, especially without prior experience.

• Limited Network: Without established relationships, it may be harder to get into top-tier festivals or to navigate the subtle politics of the festival world.

How to Execute a DIY Film Festival Strategy:

• Utilize Submission Platforms: The most popular platform for submitting films is FilmFreeway, which lists all major festivals worldwide. It allows filmmakers to create accounts, upload screeners, and manage submissions.

• Research and Target Festivals: Begin by identifying the festivals that are the best fit for your film. Consider genre-specific festivals (e.g., horror films to FrightFest) and festivals that cater to your film’s narrative style or thematic focus.

• Plan for Premieres: Top-tier festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and BAFTA-qualifying festivals often require premieres. Structure your submission plan to target these festivals first. Once you know which top-tier festivals have accepted your film, move on to mid-tier festivals to extend your campaign.

• Spreadsheet Management: Organize your submission strategy in a spreadsheet, tracking festival names, deadlines, costs, submission statuses, and premiere requirements. This helps manage the process and ensures that you don’t miss any critical deadlines.

• Engage with Festivals: When accepted, take proactive steps to engage with festival organizers. Attend the festivals, participate in panels, and network actively. Personal connections can provide additional visibility and increase your chances of winning awards. As seen in the example of Kirsty Bell’s film A Bird Flew In, personal outreach to festival directors and involvement in festival events can provide a significant advantage.

2. Agency-Managed Campaign

Advantages:

• Leverage Expertise and Contacts: Agencies have established relationships with festival programmers, which can significantly increase your film’s chances of being selected, especially at prestigious festivals.

• Time-Saving: The agency handles the entire submission process, freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your film’s promotion.

• Strategic Planning: Agencies can provide tailored strategies based on their knowledge of which festivals will most likely benefit your film and career.

Challenges:

• Higher Cost: Agency fees can be significant, ranging from several thousand dollars upwards, depending on the level of service provided.

• Less Control: You may have less direct input into the festival selection and submission strategy.

How to Select an Agency:

• Contact agencies that specialize in festival strategy, such as FilmFest Platform, Submittable, or MoviBeta, to get quotes and compare services. Some agencies may offer a la carte services, such as festival strategy consultations or specific festival submissions, allowing you to maintain some control over the process.

Platforms for Festival Submissions

Here is a breakdown of popular submission platforms that can streamline the process:

1. FilmFreeway: Widely used, easy to navigate, and offers free submissions for some festivals.

2. World Film Communities Network (WFCN): Known for its community-driven approach and connections with festivals worldwide.

3. Festhome: Offers a large file upload capacity, making it ideal for high-quality screeners.

4. Submittable: A versatile platform that supports various creative submissions beyond film.

5. Shift72: Specializes in online and hybrid festivals, perfect for virtual screening opportunities.

6. Shortfilmdepot: Focuses on short films and offers streamlined festival submissions.

7. Click for Festivals: Provides insights into lesser-known but impactful festivals.

8. MoviBeta: Known for its efficient management of festival submissions.

9. Docfilmdepot: Tailored specifically for documentary films.

10. FilmFest Platform: Offers a range of features, including festival recommendations and submission tracking.

Building Relationships: The Hidden Key to Festival Success

One often underestimated element of a successful festival campaign is relationship building. Engaging directly with festival programmers, directors, and other filmmakers can significantly boost your film’s chances of being selected and awarded. Here’s how to make the most of these opportunities:

• Attend Festivals in Person: Whenever possible, attend the festivals where your film is screening. Not only does this show your commitment, but it also provides opportunities to network.

• Participate in Panels and Q&A Sessions: These platforms allow you to present your vision directly to audiences and industry professionals, creating lasting impressions.

• Leverage Social Media: Use social media to connect with festivals and attendees. Share behind-the-scenes content, tag festivals, and engage with other filmmakers’ work. This visibility can lead to additional opportunities.

• Follow Up Post-Festival: After a festival, follow up with any contacts you made. Whether it’s a simple thank you note or continued engagement on social platforms, maintaining these connections can lead to future collaborations and festival invitations.

A First Flights' Case: Maximizing Exposure through a Strategic Festival Campaign – A Bird Flew In by Kirsty Bell

Film Overview:

• Title: A Bird Flew In

• Director: Kirsty Bell

• Genre: Noir

• Festival Run: 18 months

• Achievements: 15 awards and 8 nominations

Campaign Strategy: The film A Bird Flew In by Kirsty Bell serves as a prime example of how a meticulously planned DIY festival campaign can achieve significant success, even without the backing of a professional agency. The film's journey demonstrates the importance of strategic planning, careful festival selection, and proactive relationship building.

Key Steps in the Campaign Strategy

1. Research and Festival Targeting: Kirsty Bell, along with Sarah Poole, began the campaign by conducting thorough research on potential festivals. They meticulously analyzed each festival’s profile, focusing on which would be the best fit for their film’s noir style and thematic elements.

   • Targeting Top-Tier Festivals First: They identified major festivals that aligned with their film’s genre and narrative, such as BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying festivals. Their initial focus was on top-tier festivals to gain early prestige and momentum.

   • Genre-Specific and Niche Festivals: They also looked for festivals that catered to their specific genre, ensuring their film was presented to the right audiences. This targeted approach meant they were selective rather than submitting blindly to any festival available.

2. Organizational Tools: Kirsty and Sarah used a simple but effective tool: a spreadsheet. This document became the backbone of their campaign, allowing them to keep track of:
   This method ensured they met every deadline, managed costs effectively, and adapted their strategy based on which festivals were showing interest.

   • Festival names, submission deadlines, costs, and premiere requirements.

   • Submission statuses, including which festivals had accepted or rejected the film.

   • Notes on festival feedback and communication with organizers.

3. Submission Platforms: The primary platform used was FilmFreeway, which provided access to a vast network of festivals. By centralizing their submissions through this platform, they could efficiently manage their application process, track payments, and handle correspondence with festival organizers.

4. Phased Festival Approach: The campaign was structured in phases to maximize the film's exposure and maintain momentum over the course of 18 months.

   • Phase 1: Top-Tier Festivals: They initially targeted prestigious festivals, submitting the film to high-visibility events that could potentially launch the film into wider acclaim.

   • Phase 2: Mid-Tier Festivals: After receiving responses from the top-tier festivals, they moved on to mid-tier festivals across different territories. This approach ensured they continued gaining screenings and awards, sustaining the film’s profile.

   • Phase 3: Niche and Local Festivals: Toward the end of their campaign, they targeted more niche and regional festivals, allowing the film to reach diverse audiences and close out its festival run on a strong note.

5. Proactive Engagement and Networking: A crucial element of their success was direct engagement with festival organizers. After their film was selected, Kirsty and Sarah personally reached out to festival directors, introducing themselves and expressing their desire to attend the screenings. Kirsty didn’t just passively wait for acceptance; they actively nurtured relationships with festival teams.

   • Participating in Panels and Talks: Whenever possible, Kirsty volunteered to participate in panels, Q&A sessions, or any discussions that would enhance their visibility. This not only showcased their commitment but also positioned them as active contributors to the festival communities.

   • Relationship Building: By consistently engaging with festival organizers and attending events in person, they developed valuable relationships that likely influenced the festival's perception of their film. This personal touch often gives filmmakers an edge in award considerations, as it highlights their dedication to the festival circuit.

Key Results

• Award Wins and Nominations: The strategic festival run of A Bird Flew In led to significant recognition, resulting in numerous awards and nominations. Below are some of the key highlights that showcase the effectiveness of their targeted approach:

  • Santa Monica Film Festival (2021): The film received an Honorable Mention for Best International Feature Film, emphasizing its global appeal.

  • Capri, Hollywood (2021): Kirsty Bell was honored with the Capri European Director Award and the Capri Special Award for Best Long Feature, underscoring her directorial prowess and the film's strong narrative impact.

  • Barcelona Planet Film Festival (2022): Kirsty Bell won Best Woman Filmmaker, while Sergio Delgado received Best Man Cinematographer, highlighting the film's exceptional direction and visual storytelling.

  • Raindance Film Festival (2021): The film was nominated for Best UK Feature, a prestigious recognition that positioned the film among the top UK independent films of the year.

  • Vancouver Independent Film Festival (2022): Kirsty Bell was awarded Best Female Directing in a Feature Film, and Sergio Delgado won Best Cinematography in a Feature Film, reinforcing the film’s technical and artistic excellence.

  • Roosevelt Island Film Festival (2022): The film won Best International Film (Feature) and Kirsty Bell was named Best Female Filmmaker, validating the film’s impact on the international stage.

  • New Renaissance Film Festival (2022): The film won Best of Fest, one of the festival's highest honors, demonstrating the overall strength of the film’s storytelling, direction, and production.

  • Women’s Director International Film Festival (WDIFF) (2022): The film took home the award for Best Feature Film, further establishing its status within female-led filmmaking circles.

  • Stockholm City Film Festival (2022): Julie Dray’s performance was celebrated with the Best Actress award, showcasing the film’s strong acting credentials.

• Enhanced Industry Profile: The visibility gained from their successful festival campaign significantly boosted Kirsty Bell’s profile as a filmmaker, opening doors for future projects and collaborations.

• Networking and Relationships: The direct connections made with festival organizers and other industry professionals helped build a network that could be leveraged for future projects, ensuring the filmmaker’s continued presence in the independent film community.

Lessons Learned

1. Strategic Planning Pays Off: A well-structured festival strategy, with clear phases and targeted submissions, can yield remarkable results even on a limited budget.

2. The Importance of Personal Engagement: Building relationships with festival organizers and participating actively in festival events can provide an unseen advantage, often translating into more awards and industry recognition.

3. Effective Use of Tools: Simple tools like spreadsheets, combined with platforms like FilmFreeway, can streamline the process and provide a clear overview of the campaign, helping filmmakers make informed decisions.

4. Phased Approach to Submissions: Tackling top-tier festivals first and then moving down to mid-tier and niche festivals allowed the campaign to maintain momentum and consistently keep the film in the public eye.

Conclusion

The case study of A Bird Flew In exemplifies how independent filmmakers can maximize exposure through a strategic and well-executed film festival campaign. Kirsty Bell and her team effectively blended research, organization, and proactive relationship-building, transforming a DIY festival strategy into a highly successful campaign without relying on expensive agencies. This approach demonstrates that a successful festival strategy is not about submitting to as many festivals as possible, but about making targeted submissions, engaging strategically, and nurturing relationships with festival organizers and industry professionals.

Whether you opt for a DIY approach or work with an agency, the core objective remains the same: maximize your film’s exposure, connect with key industry players, and leverage each screening opportunity to enhance your career. This story serves as a blueprint for filmmakers looking to use festivals to boost their film’s visibility and career prospects. By focusing on strategic engagement and relationship-building, you can turn a successful festival campaign into a powerful long-term career advantage.