Navigating the World of Film Festival Submissions

Let’s face it—the film festival landscape is changing. With virtual festivals popping up all over and streaming services turning your living room into a makeshift red carpet, things are a little different now. The world’s wide open, but that openness can be a bit of a minefield. Sure, there’s more choice, but with that comes the risk of falling into a trap. It’s a bit like trying to find a too-good-to-be-true deal on Marketplace—some are legit, but a lot of them are just looking to sell you a lemon.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the big international players—Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, Toronto, Venice and Berlinale. These festivals headline the Mount Olympus of Cinema, they attract Academy Award hopefuls and create independent film breakouts from across the globe. Even if you don’t get accepted, it’s often a great idea to attend these big festivals (or your country’s equivalent), as they expose you to such a diverse range of styles of filmmaking. Naturally, these festivals are at the top of most people’s submission lists. However, the submission fees for these top tier festivals can rack up quite quickly and often the odds of acceptance feel similiar to that of the lottery. That’s why it’s important to first and foremostly, create a budget. Work out how much money you are willing to spend on festival submissions and then the priority festivals you are interested in. Make sure to not just look at the aforementioned headline festivals because local festivals are gold for connecting with other creatives and smaller genre focused festivals internationally might be the key to building your global audience.

But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? For every reputable festival, there’s a host of scheming operations out there waiting to take advantage of hopeful filmmakers. You know the type—flashy, vague websites with promises that sound too good to be true. They’re the ones handing out endless awards like “Best Cinematography in Your Mate’s Eurotrip” and bombarding you with endless emails begging you to pay for their add-ons. Then there’s the chain of festivals. You submit to one, and before you know it, you’re getting discount codes for the same festival in other cities. You don’t need to submit to “Dash Cam Disaster Fest Brisbane” just because you’ve already entered “Dash Cam Disaster Fest Adelaide.” That’s not networking—that’s just a money pit. Also be warned if you see one person running multiple festivals across the country—or worse, globally. No way can one person manage ten festivals in every genre, unless one of they have discovered cloning technology. Any festival making big claims like it will get your film distribution or screenplay sold overnight might look tempting, but often their historical record is only a google away. Trust your gut—if something doesn’t sit right, walk away.

But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. The real festivals—the ones putting in the hard yards—are where you should focus your energy. Look for Festivals that offer genuine screenings, industry Q&As (not just people spruiking online courses), and events with the other filmmakers—those are the ones that deserve your attention. Look for festivals with photos of real life events and maybe even a few articles in the press. Reddit is a great place to look for advice, as people enjoy sharing their positive experiences. Also, If a festival can’t tell you who’s running the show or if their website only lists a “founder” with no team in sight, be wary. Legitimate festivals love to showcase their team.

Look, not every festival has to be a glitzy affair. Sure, some might have a website that looks like it’s stuck in 2003, but if the programming is solid, that’s where you want to be. Look for festivals that have programmed your style of film in the past, or cater to films of a similar length. There’s no point submitting a Béla Tarr epic in a microshort festival. Also be aware that some festivals require film screening to be a premiere, sometimes this just means locally and others want to be the first internationally. A premiere status is not a bad thing, nor is it a warning sign about a festival, it is just something you must factor in when planning a festival run. Sometimes you need to work out an ideal sequence of festivals for your film, rather than scattering your submissions.

At the end of the day, navigating the festival landscape can initially feel like walking through a maze with a blindfold. Do your research, steer clear of the dodgy ones, and focus on the festivals that truly care about filmmakers. When you find those, hold onto them—they’re worth it. Film festivals aren’t just about getting your film seen; they’re about building connections, having a good time, and sharing experiences with fellow filmmakers who’ve been through the same grind. Keep your head up, filmmakers—you’ve got this.