Hello, my identify is Rebekah Louisa Smith and I’m a Movie Competition Strategist. I assist filmmakers get their movies seen in movie festivals world wide by creating for you the precise sort of technique and recommending the best-suited festivals to submit your movie to. I’ve helped hundreds of filmmakers worldwide get their movies seen & win over 3,000 awards. Under is a weblog I’ve written that provides 6 necessary methods to create your movie pageant technique.

To search out out extra about me, go to my web site The Movie Competition Physician – Creating Profitable Publicity Worldwide & observe on Instagram @rebekahfilmdr

1. Consider and assess your movie so you understand what sort of stage and tier of festivals to focus on and submit your movie to.

Earlier than doing any pageant submissions my golden rule is – know your movie, know your festivals. The most important mistake that filmmakers make is submitting their movie to festivals that aren’t the precise match for his or her movie.

So how do you determine which festivals you need to submit your movie to?

Step one is to carry out in-depth analysis. Look on-line at earlier pageant programmes, make an observation of the widespread themes and forms of movies which these festivals are likely to display. Overview the trailers for these movies. How excessive is the standard and execution of the chosen movies? What are the widespread programming subjects (for instance, have they got a robust give attention to LGBTQ or Social Affect)?

Do they present numerous movies which have screened at festivals similar to Sundance, Berlinale and Cannes? Do they have a tendency to indicate numerous superstar pushed movies? Are any of their choices just like your movie? Do they display good movies which function necessary tales which might be ‘tough across the edges’ or are they on the lookout for movies that are of the best commonplace of manufacturing & function unique storytelling? Finally, all of it boils right down to the important thing query: would my movie belong right here?

Have a look at the content material contained inside their programme – what sort of style and narrative themes are they deciding on? Additionally overview their mission statements as these are the locations the place they inform you what forms of movies they’re on the lookout for.

2. Objectives. It’s necessary to know what you need, be very particular and to plan your objectives for all the pageant run. General, understand how you need your movie to assist stage up your profession.

A transparent set of achievable objectives have to be created earlier than any submissions start, as your objectives will aid you form (and design) your pageant technique.

The very first thing to do earlier than setting any viable objectives is to be powerful on your self and ask – do you could have a pageant viable product? Is your movie sturdy when it comes to the general manufacturing high quality, performances and story?

Are you an rising expertise providing one thing new and giving us a brand new option to discuss a subject? That is typically a query which is greatest answered by your friends and people not connected to your movie venture.

The primary query which it’s worthwhile to ask your self is: What do you wish to obtain from the pageant circuit with this movie?

Objectives similar to connecting with extra trade professionals, networking, getting plenty of press, buying gross sales and distribution leads, attaining profitable publicity are all very attainable.

3. Budgets – understand how a lot it’s important to spend on PR, advertising, submission charges and travelling to festivals that you just wish to attend.

One other widespread mistake which filmmakers make, which ends up in getting rejected from movie festivals, is forgetting to place apart cash for PR & Advertising.

I like to recommend that you just devise three several types of budgets and lift the funds for them as early as potential.

Finances 1 – Competition Submission Charges – You’d have the ability to full loads of submissions with $1,000.00 USD and that might final you round 6 months by utilizing it correctly and submitting to early or common deadlines.

Finances 2- Deliverables – This finances consists purely of funds to cowl the prices of your pageant screening exhibition copies and advertising supplies (poster, trailer, postcards and enterprise playing cards). Festivals are likely to desire to display movies off of a DCP (Digital Cinema Package deal). Costs can fluctuate relying upon the corporate, subsequently, be sure that you store round and get one of the best deal potential.

Finances 3 – Journey Finances – Positively attend festivals for a) networking alternatives, b) suggestions in your movie, c) gathering any awards that you could be win & d) creating content material for social media.

It’s necessary to recollect to not count on the pageant to fund your journeys as not all festivals will have the ability to cowl your journey and lodging prices.

4. Timeline: ask your self how lengthy do you wish to journey the circuit for together with your movie? Plan for six, 12 or 18 months?

A brief movie can journey for as much as 2 years on the circuit. A function movie tends to be shorter particularly if it will get distribution or will get picked up by a gross sales agent for world gross sales.

It’s necessary to do not forget that to get essentially the most out of the pageant circuit, you’d must journey together with your movie because it excursions the circuit so at all times plan for a way lengthy you’ll be able to decide to.

5.Write down your checklist of 15-20 dream movie festivals that you just’d wish to premiere your movie at. Embrace all several types of premieres world, worldwide & regional festivals and so on.

Premiere Insurance policies might be fairly overwhelming for filmmakers as it will probably typically really feel like all festivals count on a world premiere nevertheless that is removed from the reality – there are a small quantity that do, nevertheless there are numerous festivals that don’t and those that do typically require metropolis, state or city premieres.

For additional info on navigating the world of premiere insurance policies obtain without cost my ‘The Little E book of Premiere Insurance policies’ by way of my E-Store:

6. Analysis appropriate festivals that can be a great match to your movie and likewise analysis learn how to navigate the circuit and to get ready for the journey.

The most effective locations I’d suggest to analysis which festivals are a great match to your movie can be –

MovieMaker Journal’s High Festivals Lists these embody – the highest 50 Festivals price their entry payment, high 25 coolest festivals and high style festivals

Movie Competition Alliance Listing. This accommodates a really detailed listing of festivals vetted by the organizers of this group

BAFTA & Oscar Qualifying Competition checklist. These are the toughest ones to get into and essentially the most wanted. Yow will discover the PDFs of those lists by way of Google and the organisation’s web sites.

Your Native Movie Fee. Your native movie fee could have entry to a listing of festivals in your metropolis & state which might be shut & native to you. For instance, right here in Texas now we have the Dallas Movie Fee & Fort Price Movie Fee who all provide complete pageant listing sources

I’d advise to not depend on researching by way of filmfreeway as there are numerous fraudulent festivals on this web site which I’d not suggest submitting to in case you are new to the movie pageant world.

And naturally, analysis the web sites and social media feeds of all of the festivals in your goal checklist. Take note of their themes, their earlier programming schedules and what forms of movies win the prizes that they’ve on provide.

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