How to select the film festival that’s right for you
A checklist to narrow that list down from the overwhelming thousands of festivals available to just a select few.
Know your film’s genre and format
Most festivals are centered around specific genres like horror, documentary, short film, and animation, to name a few. Clearly defining your film’s genre and format will help you trim down the overwhelming variety of what’s available.
Use The Circuit
Hiike Independent’s The Circuit is designed just for this process. Instead of spending hours and days on researching thousands of festivals, The Circuit lets you browse curated festivals, compare deadlines and fees, and manage all your submissions in one place. Every festival has been vetted so you’re not starting from scratch.
Match the festival to your goals
Before you start submission, make sure to define what you’re looking for from your festival run. If you’re set on building your track record, start with filmmaker-friendly festivals that provide detailed feedback or exposure. Chasing distribution? Target festivals where distributors and buyers actively attend to acquire films. If your goal is to build community and network, smaller regional festivals often offer more direct access to programmers, fellow filmmakers, and press.
Understand your premiere requirements
The larger festivals typically require a world, national, or regional premiere while small festivals have no premiere requirements at all. If your film has already been screened publicly, there’s a chance you may be disqualified from certain festivals without realizing it. Be sure to verify premiere requirements before submitting anywhere.
Set your submission budget
Submission fees can be expensive, ranging from free to $150 or more depending on the type and deadline tier. Smaller regional festivals often charge between $10 and $30. If you plan to submit to 15-20 festivals, fees can add up fast. Make sure to set a realistic budget before you start submitting and look for festivals that offer fee waivers.
Research the festival’s track record
Do your research on these festivals. You can look up reviews from filmmakers who have previously submitted or attended. Word of mouth from fellow filmmakers is one of the most reliable sources of legitimacy and honest opinion.
Map out your timeline
Map out a simple calendar that details submission deadlines, notification dates, and festival dates to ensure you’re not over-committing or double booking yourself. Early deadlines typically offer the lowest fees, you don’t want to be the one submitting at the last minute because you didn’t have visibility on the date in time.
