Are Film Festivals Worth It in 2026? What the Latest Data Means for Filmmakers
HI
Hiike IndependentLoading...
Hiike Blog
Latest articles from Hiike
Apr 06, 2026
How to Submit a Film to Festivals Without Wasting Money
HI
Hiike Independent
The Smart Way To Get Into Film Festivals with Brynne Norquist & Tyler Knohl (Hiike Independent)!
HI
Hiike IndependentAre Film Festivals Worth It in 2026? What the Latest Data Means for Filmmakers
With distribution models shifting and fewer clear paths for independent films, a lot of filmmakers have been rethinking their film festival strategy. A new white paper from Eventive - looking at over 15 million tickets across 6,000 unique festival editions - gives a rare, grounded look at what’s actually happening.
HI
Hiike Independent
How to Submit a Film to Festivals Without Wasting Money
Submitting your film to festivals can feel expensive, confusing, and honestly a little chaotic - but it doesn’t have to be. This article walks through how to submit your film to festivals without wasting money, breaking down a smarter, more strategic approach. Happy Submitting!
HI
Hiike Independent
The Smart Way To Get Into Film Festivals with Brynne Norquist & Tyler Knohl (Hiike Independent)!
Have You Seen My Film? A Kinema Podcast
HI
Hiike Independent
Ken Meyer, A Conversation on Independence, Culture, & The Craft of Getting Films Made
Ken Meyer does not introduce himself with titles, yet his path is hard to miss. His career spans studio and indie worlds: he served as executive producer on Anora and has spent nearly two decades working on Steven Soderbergh’s independent titles: producing, executive producing, o
TK
Tyler Knohl
Big News, Filmmakers! Submissions Are Officially OPEN on Hiike 🚀
For the very first time, you can submit directly through Hiike to 3 amazing festivals: Artificial Intelligence Media Festival, Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, and Easthampton Film Festival
HI
Hiike Independent
What's Really Going On With Film Festivals Right Now? A breakdown of Keri Putnam's Harvard Independent Film Study and Eventive's Whitepaper
This has been a hot topic for a while now, and oftentimes if feels like the independent film world can’t quite keep up!
BN
Brynne Norquist
“I Got My First Check from Severance and Spent It on Festival Submissions" — A Conversation With Hudson Flynn
Last week I sat down with Hudson Flynn , who you might recognize from Season 1 of Severence . Yup, he was one of the activists against Lumon.
BN
Brynne Norquist
This 16 Year Old Will Run Hollywood Before We Know It
So, on Thursday, I was in Hawaii for a pitch competition (the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards— Hiike placed THIRD at Nationals!), but that didn’t stop me from talking to Caleb Reese Paul .
BN
Brynne Norquist
On The Cusp Of A Revolution? Seth Hallen on AI in Hollywood.
Article Written by Brynne Norquist
HI
Hiike Independent
How These Two Filmmakers Are Rewriting the Rules of Independent Film (And Winning)
Article Written By Brynne Norquist; Podcast Conversation with Cole Swanson, Braxton Prince, Tyler Knohl, and Brynne Norquist
HI
Hiike Independent
From Star Wars to Set Scheduling: How Herman Phillips Is Reimagining Production Software with Cinapse
When Herman Phillips was five years old, he was already hooked on entertainment tech. Inspired by Empire of Dreams—the Ken Burns documentary chronicling the making of Star Wars—he dove headfirst into stop-motion and VFX, which all eventually led him to start his own production co
BN
Brynne Norquist
SUNDANCE IS LEAVING UTAH? But They're Not The Only Major Festival To Do So This Year...
BREAKING: This morning, the Sundance Institute announced something many in the film world suspected was coming: the Sundance Film Festival is officially relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.
BN
Brynne Norquist
Inside the Mind of a Programmer: Festival Wisdom from Abby Wright
We sat down with Abby Wright—founder of Femme Filth Fest , Programming Fellow at Woods Hole Film Festival , screener for NFFTY and American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival , and the newest programmer and host for an upcoming screening series with a major genre festival (detail
BN
Brynne Norquist
Breaking the Cycle: SXSW Documentary Short Special Jury Award Winner Welcome Home Freckles By Huiju Park
Some films stay with you long after the credits roll, and Welcome Home Freckles is one of them. I first learned about the film at SXSW, where I hosted a networking breakfast for Hiike. That’s where I had the privilege of meeting the team behind Welcome Home Freckles . They had al
BN
Brynne Norquist
Coming soon
Hiike Hub is almost live — smart festival insights, filmmaker spotlights, and the future of film-tech, delivered weekly.
HI
Hiike Independent