Festivals and why they are good for promotion

Film festivals are a great way to really get your film out there. For example: every January, all film lovers’ eyes focus on the screens at Sundance film festival to see the best in independent and documentary films. Also unknown filmmakers hope that the festival becomes a launching pad for their career. 

Four Reasons to Attend Film Festivals

1) Do a deal

The primary reason for submitting your film to a film festival is to have it screened in front of acquisition executives who will ‘discover’ your film and make you an offer on the spot. If you are attending one of the smaller festivals, it is unlikely that this will happen. Film buyers travel through the major and mini-major festivals and would only consider a side trip to your screening at a smaller festival if you carefully planned the publicity surrounding your screening. They might reasonably ask why you had not been accepted into a larger, more convenient festival.

 2) Win awards

If you read bios of filmmakers, you will often see the phrase ‘an award-winning filmmaker’, but the names of the awards are never mentioned. That is because there are only three awards worth naming on a CV. The obvious one would be an Oscar, followed by Cannes and then Berlin film festival. Many festivals offer awards to any filmmaker attending their festival as a means of attracting entries.

3) Sit on a panel / do Q&As

At film festivals you can also sit on a panel. This will help your public speaking skills, but you can then claim that you were directly involved with the festival. Alternatively, agree to a post-screening Q&A. Audiences are always keen to 'meet' the filmmakers and a personal appearance will help sell tickets.

4) Getting reviewed

Film journalists really do not enjoy film festivals. Suppose your first film festival is a small regional film festival. The local weekly newspaper will have a film journalist who creates the weekly centre spread on films from the press kits supplied by the major distributors. But with the film festival approaching, they will have to watch all the films entered into the festival and write reviews. As a producer or director, you want a good review, and hope and pray that the pictures you sent to the festival with your press kit are attractive enough to get printed in the newspaper.

 All of these aspects of film festivals are all incredibly important ways in promoting your films. It is really a way of building an audience and to gain the experience of coming into contact with a range of different filmmakers too. 

Cannes film festival awards that filmmakers can get

1- Award for best director

2- Award for best screenplay

3-Jury prize

4-Award for best actress

5-Awards for best actor

6-Artist technician

7-Special distinction

8-Palme d'or

9- Uncertain regard

10-Cinefondation

11-Camera d'or

There are many awards that can be won by filmmakers and this creates a great opportunity to get further into the film industry.