How to Attend Film Festivals to Get Your Indie Film Seen

One of the best ways to get your indie film seen it at a film festival. Festivals are a breeding ground for financers, industry insiders, production companies and lovers of indie films. Take the time to explore the various film festivals to help promote your indie film project.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Apply for admission to a film festival, such as Sundance. Each festival you wish to attend will have guidelines for accepting your film. For example, Sundance has different categories for submitting films such as U.S. and international short films and then a separate category for documentaries. After that, there are 10 Festival categories, such as Dramatic Competition. There will be a deadline and entry fee for each submission and, typically, your film should not have been premiered at any other film festival.

2. Keep up with the press for each festival. This will help you see how you can promote your film. Many times, festivals announce new areas for submissions each year. For instance, Slamdance has a new category for music video submissions. In addition to new categories, film festival organizers offer new programs for networking and career development programs.

3. Attend a film festival to get financial backing for your project. An independent film project can be a good investment for a financer, and many times individuals looking for such projects will attend a film festival. In turn, indie producers looking for backers also use the festival to market their film and seek backing for it.

4. Study up on the basics of getting a financer. Only accredited investors can invest in film projects. Make sure a prospective financer is an accredited investor by the standards set up by The United States Securities and Exchange Commission. They require that an entity has a net worth of $1 million or an annual income of $500,000 or more, for a few years, in order to be deemed an accredited investor.

5. Research all the festivals to see if they would be a good fit for your movie. As many filmmakers you have a budget and expenses to consider. With that in mind, you want to be able to get the most out of the film festival experience. The major film festivals are Sundance, Tribeca and the Toronto film festival. But many popular cities across the country and abroad host film festivals such The Philadelphia Film Festival, Philadelphia, PA and Raindance Film Festival, London, UK.

Tips & Warnings

• You need to realize that the large film companies do not produce independent films. Rather, the filmmakers themselves, outside sources, or a small group of producers, finance many indie films. Apply on time to meet the deadline for having your film screened. This can get the one-of-a-kind exposure it needs.