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Tips for Submitting to Film Festivals

Published: 6 Aug, 2023

Distributing a movie in a film festival involves following a series of steps in order to exhibit and promote it on the occasion of events or audiences. Usually, this is a path that makes first-time directors worry (“first-time”, yes, because the love you feel towards your audiovisual work is so great that you almost feel it like your child), and it is no wonder! You have dedicated a lot of time getting everyone to value your work and you don’t really know how to distribute it.

Fortunately, there are professionals in the audiovisual industry who devote ourselves to pave the way for your little one so that it can gather momentum and fly as far as you wish. Get prepared for the steps you will have to follow to discover how to distribute your film in festivals and not die in the attempt, because after all it is not that complicated:

1. Search for Suitable Festivals

There is a wide variety of film festivals, each one with its own approach, theme, and selection criteria. Investigate different festivals (worldwide ones as well as more local ones) to find those that are adjusted to the genre, duration, and style of your work. And choose the appropiate categories!

2. Check out the Festival Rules and Regulations

It might seem obvious, but you would be surprised the amount of people who submit their work without even having read the terms and conditions of the festival, then loosing the opportunity to get selected.

Find out about the requirements of the selection you want to get registered to, and make sure your production meets them.

3. Contract Professional Subtitling Services

If you are going to submit your film to an international festival, you will need a .SRT file in the language required. With our agency being focused on audiovisual translation, you will be ensured to get a work that is up to your production.

Ask for your quote so that our team can take care of this task meanwhile you just relax.

4. Prepare a Synopsis and Promotional Material

Prepare an appealing synopsis and promotional material that highlight the most relevant elements of your production.

It can include trailers, pictures, posters, reviews, or any other element that could draw attention from the judges and the audience.

5. Leave the Process to a Film Distributor

The best ally of every filmmaker is a good distributor.

Agencia Freak is one of them. As soon as you contact them, they advise you on a selection of festivals for your production, facilitate the process of submission and promotion, develop a post-distribution strategy in case you get selected, and will make sure your work gets more visibility.

Your budget is tight? Auto distributing your production is also a viable option thanks to platforms such as Movibeta, an automated system that gives you the opportunity of submitting to hundreds of international film festivals for a reasonable price.

6. Take Care ofthe Quality of your Production

The quality of an audiovisual production is essential to stand out from the competitors. Make sure that the sound, the image, and the editing are well-groomed.

Besides, don’t forget to check whether your work meets the technical requirements set by the festival.

7. Be Patient and Persistent

Getting selected during film festivals can be a competitive and demanding process.

Don’t lose hope if you are not selected on the first attempt. Keep exhibiting your production at other festivals and take advantage of each opportunity to improve and grow as a filmmaker.

Trust your work and follow our advice. A thousand opportunities await you!