By Simon Fletcher
While it’s natural for passionate filmmakers to focus on the art of crafting movies, finding ways to get your work in front of viewers is usually sitting in the back of your mind like a clouded haze. Film festivals have always been a simple and effective way to get the sort of exposure many up-and-coming filmmakers want and need. There are big and small, international and local, genre-specific, foreign film festivals, and everything in between.
So where should you start? Starting locally is always recommended. People want to support local talent and want to see what that their community is creating. In this guide, we’ll explain some of our best tips for submitting your film to local film festivals.
Create a Compelling Poster
The purpose of a compelling film poster is to stoke the curiosity of the public. You want to give people a reason to watch your film. To do so, you can design (or get some help to design) a graphic and work with creative printing services to bring it to life. While it might be possible to print your own poster, using a printing company will elevate the physical print and ensure that your poster is up to professional standards. Whether you’re in the process of making your first or hundredth movie, creating a high-quality movie poster appeals to decision-makers at movie festivals and boosts your chances of snagging some screen time.
As far as the poster design goes, brush up on the fundamentals of making a movie poster. You will want to include the title, primary cast, director’s name and release date. It’s also important to know if there are any size requirements at the film festival you’re pitching to. If there are no guidelines, 686 mm by 1016 mm is always a safe choice. Lastly, make sure your poster showcases aspects or themes of your movie and that it’s as visually appealing as possible.
Thanks to easy-to-learn graphic design tools like InDesign, Adobe Express and Illustrator, making a movie poster is easier than ever, no matter how much experience you have.
Find the Right Pitching Opportunities
When making a film, it’s essential to know your audience. You might have created the greatest horror movie of all time, but you likely won’t have much success if you submit it to a local festival that only accepts romantic comedies. Read up on what sort of work various festivals accept and submit your film accordingly.
Pitching competitions are another great opportunity to see your film on screen. Many of these contests are open to first-time directors, which is ideal if you’re just starting in the industry. Make a list of all the suitable competitions in your area, read up on their requirements and start pitching.
Prepare Essential Documents
When pitching to a film festival, you’ll have to submit several essential documents relating to your movie. We’ve discussed the importance of posters, but you’ll also need to refer to the film festival submission criteria to learn what other documents to include. You may need to prepare application forms, scripts and consent forms signed by your actors. Often, there will be a submission fee, so you might need to submit proof of payment, too.
Besides submitting the correct documents, you’ll also want to follow the prescribed formatting. Some film festivals may require you to print out your application papers and mail them in physically, or others might be fine with electronic submissions. Make sure to use the right paper size and label your packaging appropriately if they’re provided.
Shoot and Edit a Trailer
It’s one thing to describe your film in words, but it’s another to demonstrate it to the judging panel at a local film festival in video format. When pitching to film festivals, it always helps to have a well-produced trailer to impress judges.
There are several things to keep in mind when shooting a teaser trailer. First, you’ll want to be short and sweet: keep your trailer below a minute. You’ll want to give a taste of your movie without giving away too much of the plot. We also recommend learning about different ways to structure your trailer, like how to provoke curiosity. While the trailer isn’t the whole movie, it still needs to tell a cohesive story.
Focus on the Themes and What The Film Adds to the Conversation
Films are works of art. And communicating the value of an artwork without showing the piece itself is a bit like trying to write about the beauty of a tree. Instead, focus on other ways to engage interest, like discussing the themes of your film and what your narrative adds to the conversation of the theme or social issues.
Selection committees want to include films that make an impact, and films do this through provocative scenes, controversial characters or playing on a theme in an interesting way. Try to include what makes your film unique in the trailer and synopsis.
As film is a visual medium, you can try to showcase iconic scenes in your trailer. Draw inspiration from your favourite films, but make sure to add your own twist. The best way to get your film accepted by a local festival is to make a great movie that adds to the conversation of trending themes, so make sure to dig into your work and find the essence of what it is saying when applying to a film festival.
Whether you are a first-time director or have been in the industry for decades, there’s no better feeling than seeing your movie on screen. Submitting your movie to local film festivals is a great place to start for all filmmakers. You’ll either gain exposure and viewers if it’s accepted, or you’ll know what you need to work on if it’s rejected.
In this guide, we’ve taken you through some key steps to take when pitching to a film festival. Make a compelling film poster and trailer and highlight what makes your film special to give yourself the best possible chance of seeing your movie on the big screen.
