Your film is ready. What a thrill! Congratulations!
You have worked long and invested time, money and energy.
You already know that this, unfortunately, is not enough. A long road of promotion awaits your film and this in most cases makes all the difference.
Now that you are part of this industry, you know how important it is to participate in film festivals. From networking to the opportunity to receive a reward which will then differentiate you inside the industry – a lot starts there.
Since participating in festivals ‘costs’ you (in addition to financial expenses) time and energy, it is very important to have your goals clear from the beginning. Different film festivals have different admission criteria, so try not to knock on the wrong doors all the time.
Here are 3 things you should consider when you decide to apply to a film festival:
- Which festivals focus on film genres like yours?
Since the festivals have different specifications, as a new film-maker, be careful to apply where your work is appreciated the most.
When you analyze the list of festivals, look at the specifics of each one. Spend some time on reading its history and see which movie genre is at the top of the list there. This way you will save yourself not only the time and cost of the application but also the ‘cost’ of disappointment.
- What are your goals in that festival?
Let’s assume that the festival where you applied welcomed and accepted your film. Congratulations, this is another important step for you. But, to get the most out of the journey, you should know from the beginning what to expect from that participation. Do you want to introduce more people in the film industry? To be exposed everywhere? Or simply use the ‘journey’ to promote yourself through social media by ‘sending’ the film to another country?
You can get a lot from a festival, but only after you have defined the goal correctly. Festivals have limited time and the only way for you and your film to return home successfully, is to focus on a certain goal. In this case, the journey will be worth it – even if you don’t get any prizes.
- Plan expenses much earlier
We are part of this industry for the 10th year in a row.
We have received thousands of applicant films and in addition hundreds of emails with the request to waive the entry fee.
We know the struggles but every festival has a board and some basic rules that can’t be broken.
The participation fee, even if it is small, can be hard to cover sometimes. But the fact that you have gone so far as to finalize a film, shows that you have decided to seriously enter this industry. This decision is sometimes accompanied by financial challenges – we know. Travel + other expenses will be added to the cost of the application, if the festival you applied for is far from where you live/work. Take care to think about this part very early on the process. Remind yourself of the value you will get from this journey and that the realization of your main goal will justify all the struggle. Plan your expenses as early as possible so that you can enjoy the journey.
Now that you have come this far, we remind you to apply to the 10th edition of WENIFF:
APPLY HERE!
If you have made a short film or documentary in the last 2 years, APPLY to be part of WENIFF’23.
HERE IS YOU CHANCE!
BONUS TIPS:
Be patient!
The film industry has many different challenges. It will not always be easy. Your application will be rejected, the costs will be high at times and your hard work may not get the recognition it deserves in the beginning. We encourage you to keep working, applying, documenting your stories. There is a reason why this dream is within you: you must follow it.
