Sundance Film Festival marquee
By accessing www.UltimateFilmFest.com, which is the best perk of having purchased this book, you will find that I have included the most important festivals and detailed information to aid you in your decision to visit a festival or submit your film. In addition to listings of the top festivals requiring your attention, I have compiled lists of festivals that excel in certain areas. Throughout the film festival directory at www.UltimateFilmFest.com you’ll find the constantly updated rosters of what I consider to be the best film festivals in categories ranging from Documentary, Short, International, Touring, Underground, Video, Digital, Gay, Party, Vacation, and many more. There’s no doubt you’ll find the right match for your film if you use the tools provided on www.UltimateFilmFest.com. for complete instructions to accessing the online database.
VIRGIN PREMIERE
Protect your festival premiere status as you would your own virginity. (You know, when you were a virgin.) You can’t “world premiere” more than once, but if you are unsure about screening at a smaller festival first, consider showing in a TBA slot as a “work in progress.” You’ll get valuable feedback and leave with your premiere status (and virginity) intact.
Why not gamble on the CineVegas Film Festival?
When researching festivals to enter, your decisions should not be based solely on the data contained on www.UltimateFilmFest.com. Seek out other filmmakers’ opinions about how they were treated at each festival and the benefits to attending. No festival submission plan for any one filmmaker will be the same, so create a strategy based on your own research.
Now, I could have included detailed printed listings for every festival in the world in this book, but it would be ten thousand pages and weigh ten pounds and you wouldn’t be able to afford it or even carry it. And it would be out-of-date on the day it was printed. By providing film festival listings digitally via www.UltimateFilmFest.com. I have given you access to the most up-to-date information and research tools, so that you’ll now be able to plan the most effective route to your festival premiere.
Get a distribution deal.
Get good press and reviews.
Find investors for your next film.
Meet actors for your next film.
Network with fellow filmmakers and make friends for life.
Celebrate with your cast and crew.
Take satisfaction in seeing your film with a live audience and interacting with them.
Make money selling hats, T-shirts, and DVDs.
Get laid.
All of these are perfectly valid reasons for going on the festival circuit. But always focus on a few of these goals very specifically before you decide which festivals to go to. Some of these festivals are great for getting distribution, but others are better for getting laid. Whatever your goal is, be very selective about which festivals you apply to. There are just too many out there to apply to them all.
Good luck to you as you begin the journey to your festival debut … work hard, have fun, and if you see me, say hello and buy me a drink.
FIND THE RIGHT BUYER
Do your research on distributors or have the best people possible doing research on your behalf. Look at distributors and find out which ones have been successful with films that may fit your mold. Your representation should know who’s buying and what they’re looking for. They’ll all tell you that they’re looking for “good films,” but that definition varies greatly depending on the person. Bottom line: Having a great screening really helps.