How to Get Your Short Screened at Film Festivals

If you liked this, please subscribe (and click the bell) and consider supporting us on Patreon: / filmmakeriq
You've finished your short film and it's GREAT! But now what? Here is a run down of some basic tips and strategies for entering your film into film festivals designed to save you money and maximize your festival experience.
Full write up of this course available here: filmmakeriq.com/courses/get-s...

[@petitio_principii]

Now make a movie about making a movie and having it on a festival and watching it there alone, a movie about loneliness. There's something kind of woody-allenesque to it.

[@RobinMikalsenVFX]

I'm sad to hear that no one showed up for your screening, I would have loved to just sit with and watch. Thanks for sharing John

[@lcdmonitor1981]

great way to come back from lunch a new Filmmaker iq episode

[@FilmmakerIQ]

We planned it just for you

[@lcdmonitor1981]

Filmmaker IQ I’m honored, by the way ever tried one of the 48 hr film project festivals? Been a team member of a few of those in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and seemed like a great way to dabble in the festival experience even as a hobby

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yes I've been involved with about 5 or so teams over the years. I'm not a terribly big fan of those things - they're fun in a way but also extraordinarily limiting.

[@herb_rolls]

I'm putting together my first short film right now and that ending bit made me tear up. I am so excited to enter post-production on my passion project and these videos are so helpful to me as I only have a BFA and never got to go to film school. I currently work in film production, funny enough, but due to COVID my colleagues aren't as free to answer every question I have. Thank you!

[@BlairPurvis]

I’ve been binge watching your entire channel. Loving every episode. Thank you for making these. You’re an absolute gem!

[@YoungTheFish]

Oh yeah, I remember sending my film to our local film festival... Montreal World Film Fest to be exact. They failed to secure the funds, the cinema that held half the events dropped out 3 days before the festivals. Majority of the screenings are canceled, including student films sections I was in. Students from as far as Russia and Israel flew here for nothing. It wasn't until some of us created a Facebook group, send out open letters, go onto radio stations talking about the incident, that the film fest finally scheduled a screening for all student films in a small cinema. I make an afford to attend every single day. Sadly, the majority of the time, I was the only one in the theatre, marveling at the crafts of the international talent.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Wow... that's insane. Festivals can be a tough thing to run....

[@YoungTheFish]

Well... The head of the festival refuses to publicize the budget so the government pulls the plug on funding. Not the first time this happened either. Message of the story: Go with Fantasia. At least Tarantino loves it.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I wouldn't put it past some fests to be straight up scams. Some fests are just dreams that are little too big and out of reach for the organizers. It's hard to tell one from the other. But putting on a festival is a big, daunting, and frankly thankless task. When you go to a good one - let them know how good a job they're doing!

[@marimarherrerias2978]

For my very first festival screening at some LA film festival, we were like 6 people, including me, my friend, and 3 nice people we met the night before. Tough way to learn that if you don't promote your film nobody will do it for you, expect for the friend who came with you :P

[@aran2457]

If anyone is interested of being part of a project where me and a friend of mine are the head of, tell me. We search for crew ;).

[@hernandezurbina]

great video, John! Thanks for posting!

[@oliviadance1174]

I love how you put it, that a film festival is a celebration that makes us most human! I used to view it as a competition, but the word “festival” literally means “a period of celebration”. That sits so much better with me!

[@Jesterswords]

Thanks so much for this excellent video and helpful, inspiring advice!

[@eastjesusco]

As always, a greatly informative piece done in a very engaging style. Also enjoyed hearing the Wilhelm scream in your opening! Always look forward to seeing (and learning from) your new videos when I get a notification. Thank you!

[@brandonjames2883]

Loved this video, very informational.

[@FeedMeMedia]

Great insight. Thanks John! Keep up the great work.

[@moviesovermatterproductions]

Thank you for being so honest about the Film Fest experience. Great tip to volunteer - that's brilliant! Another awesome video!! -Cheers

[@cinemakehinde9881]

Learned alot from this video! Thank you!

[@MrUberKewl]

Thanks for the very detailed information, the last half of this video was the best talking about championing your film. marketing it to the right film fests and more importantly just relaxing! Lots to learn, thanks once again!

[@ClashBerry]

Great as always John!

[@themoreyouknowfools4974]

This is really helpful. I like how supportive you are about taking a chance at the top film festivals.

[@stepawayful]

You and your channel are just fantastic. I spent 12 years in casting and one of my favorite projects was casting a short film by a USC film student. He wanted some recognizable talent, and boy did I (and his family's connections) deliver. Anthony Edwards, Marg Helgenberger, Ned Beatty, Conchata Ferrell - and they ALL worked for FREE! My point - aim high with casting because names make festival organizers sit up and take notice (of course, the film has to be good in its own right to begin with). It also helped that the project was shot in LA...

[@burgers8]

I love your last piece of advice. I've never been to a film festival before (other than at my college), but I have been to a one-act theatre festival before, and I can attest that everyone is there just to have fun and enjoy the craft that they all love.

[@mychalsimmons4177]

Your videos are Always, Always informative..... you save us so much money and embarrassment. Thank you Jon

[@kenzazineelabidine4765]

Thank you for this video. It's what I needed exactly to hear, much love and appreciation to you dear friend!

[@mychalsimmons4177]

AWESOME ADVICE JON

[@Burhapahar]

Your voice of experience is highly appreciated, brother Hess. All the best to fellow filmmakers. See you at Cannes

[@SymonSaysTV]

I second the motion. Exact same point of view by experience here. Thanks for the video John.

[@_youness_sabri]

I fkn love you man !! :D you are so great ! i really learn from you and you give a great motivation. thank you sooooo much !!!

[@Jokomanopo]

Thank you for opening up about a personal experience and inspiring me to make film

[@eddyjuillerat835]

Precious video mister Hess, thanks!

[@dickinsonpoker]

Thanks you so much. This video is gold.

[@NancyRuthMusic]

Thanks, I enjoyed this! I am in the process of submitting my first short documentary and it's a whole new world!

[@RossKierGuys]

Good work John! Very handy video

[@ravindrajahagirdar2701]

Truly truthful and honest. Very very helpful tips. Genuine. Thanks.

[@peacecheckproductions9708]

thank you for all of this info

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

This is great! I will remember this when I submit my films

[@bliiblaablue]

These might be one of the best advices for starting filmmakers, me included!

[@TheGabe473]

Keep on rocking John!!!!

[@redumbrella4218]

Great Job! Thank you!

[@pamelamahajan6040]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@filmsbydiek7316]

Truth bombs! :-) Thanks for making this bro!

[@dylanrogersfilm]

Grear advice. I know that volunteering does help and having formed a professional relationship with the festival founder whom I did graphic design for, I have a lifeline for festival related advice and filmmaking advice.

[@ah-ray]

The like to dislike ratio... Wait a minute! You can't devide by zero! This video is phenomenal :)

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Just wait, the brigade will come along soon enough.

[@RCAvhstape]

Posting a comment like this is basically begging trolls to downvote it. It's not even a superstitious jinx, it's an actual jinx.

[@ah-ray]

haha yes, now 462 to 1 (that guy that disliked haha) :)

[@duartesilva7907]

@@ah-ray they were drunk.

[@AsheeshKapur]

Good one . Well put.

[@SiHorrocks]

Great episode!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge about film festivals. Btw. eventhough we are a shortfilmfestival (for films shot on smartphones:) we fly in our winner filmmakers and give them free accommodation. Plus we watch all the submitted films with joy :) Anyway... keep up the great work! We love your channel.

[@andysmith5012]

Very good info. I wish I had this info a long time ago. I submitted my first film to the New York International Film and Video Festival and it was excepted. It cost $300 to enter at that time and I thought that was it. Then they started calling wanted to market the film, for $6000, ouch. I thought it was a scam and didn't have the money anyway and let it go. It was enough for me, at that time, to just have it accepted. I wish I had sent it to local festivals instead because NY was 1000 miles away. Still, the film did very well besides the NYIF&VF. It was picked up by Free Speech TV and actually earned money from that. FSTV aired it for over a year. It took off and it seemed like it was screened everywhere. Even had an Acadamy Award filmmaker call me several times wanting to do a project together. Then Public access TV picked it up and was playing it for months all across the country. I sold thousands of DVD copies and did many interviews around the world. It was illegally uploaded to KZbin and has been viewed tens of thousands of times there. Not bad for a first film. That was 2003. The little film I made was Arsenal of Hypocrisy. Kinda dated now.

[@TheGeorgeD13]

Yep. Locals are the way to go. And besides, the big festivals have scouts going to the smaller ones. Or at least they call people they know who've been to particular small festivals. I found out that this was a thing by being one of the people a friend of mine who worked at Sundance called me up one day after I went to a festival. He asked me about what shorts that stood out to me. I named two that I thought were spectacular (the rest, if I recall right, weren't all that great if you ask me). Apparently one of those films' director got good reviews from other people who saw the film at other local festivals and got the invite to the big leagues. Pretty cool.

[@nameeralashqar]

Thanks for this video, you are awesome

[@jonedgar1981]

I can't believe this s*** is free. What an age we live in! Thanks, Filmmaker IQ! Thanks, sponsors!

[@ChaseBolnick]

Great information!

[@FrameCrafts]

Thank you very much for this information

[@adogbone]

Happy New Years

[@XprPrentice]

I was very happy that the first short film I appeared in five fests, including our hometown one of Chicago, where it premiered. (I have no idea how big that fest is - it's not on your prestige list - but it would seem pretty good.) I see your convos with others about posting shorts online. I'm happy that this first film is around, so I can show it. But my second appearance in a short, which also played five or six fests, is no longer online because it was bought for distribution in Europe - which is cool and all, but most of us don't get residuals or anything from it, and now we can't show our work. More troubling is a grad student film I worked on. I was told that they planned to send to festivals - which means IMDB credit, the only "payment" really at work. But the director quit school, then the "composer" (of ambient sounds not music) wouldn't give the rights to wider-than-class distribution. So it's not even online. I was very proud of the work, and I'd like to share it. Do you have any solution to this conundrum? (The producer did send me the final cut, so I can use parts in my reel, but I'd love for people to be able to see the whole piece.) And, thanks again, for a most informative lecture, Prof. Hess!

[@skeletonfilms3650]

When he said festivals don’t market for you I totally agreed. I forgot to tell people about the film festival and only 15 strangers showed up but that was still pretty decent. The film before me had 50 people show up.

[@timespace.productions7513]

Congrats on yer babies!

[@rayfordem]

this was very helpful

[@neoray10]

Thanks for the info man , u thought that the film festival thingy was rocket science , you breaked it down for me

[@opticalpower]

GREAT JOB my friend ! YOUR KZbin CHANNEL IS GREAT !!! JUST KEEP GOING !! kader ,from Optical Power youtube channel ... Filmmaker,KZbinr... and Performer at the CIRQUE DU SOLEIL in Las VEGAS

[@joaquinhernandez6940]

I know exactly what you mean. I live in Illinois and I have been to my first film festival (The Bensenville Short Film Festival) taking place in a small movie theater.

[@simongentry]

ty so much!

[@LostUtopiaFilms]

I’ve been rejected by every film festival I’ve submitted to so far in my life (granted its only been about 6), but you hit on some things in this that I haven’t thought about. I’m really hoping to go to some of these events in 2018! How important do you think it is to have a website and/or Facebook page for your film? I understand it for features, but for shorts it seems a little short lived to me (I try to create multiple shorts a year).

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It's pretty much necessarily to have a website. Just get one from one of those prebuilt places like Wix or Squarespace. You could also just get a website for your production company and host all the shorts on that same site.

[@dylanrogersfilm]

I heard directly from the founder of Artemis Women in Action film festival in LA, whom I screened my firsr short with and was also doing their graphic design for at the time. Social Media pages: FB, twitter, Instagram YES! Having your own website, not as important. But you could do a simple website and use it as a template for other films or make one production company site for all your films.

[@aran2457]

If anyone is interested of being part of a project where me and a friend of mine are the head of, tell me. We search for crew ;).

[@HackMyControlSystem]

Great post. More (smaller) festivals should offer feedback if they require a submission fee.

[@jameshaldanemarketing]

Thanks Mate

[@marcoantoniofranco4666]

Thank you

[@carls.2649]

What a wonderful anecdote! As they say, it's funny now, huh?

[@calcetinmetalero]

Gracias!

[@TimothySchultz]

Sound advice!! :)

[@NEMIHEMERA]

Excelent!!!

[@petermartinfilmsofficial2125]

I have had great feedback on my short What About My Happiness which is a drama, 6 minutes in length on my channel. I done everything he said and more, still no luck with festivals! It does seem like wishing upon a star. I think sharing my projects online with the hope of building an audience is my only option at the moment. You can't help but feel jaded with the ambiguity of how to get in to a festival, even the free ones!

[@TheBrokenNtorn]

Film maker IQ! Hope you're doing well john

[@Rezaroth]

Thank you so much for the amount of information you put in this episode. Many things you talked about I have no idea about before. I have a question please, why long films are called features?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

In the old days, a trip to the movies would involve a short films, cartoons and newsreels. The Feature - was the big long movie you were _really_ there to see. Similar to comedy clubs who have a "Feature Comic" or "Feature Headline"

[@Rezaroth]

Thank you for clearing that out. Great :D

[@ramdevdirector6653]

U deserve a million plus subscribers 👍 soon u will 👍

[@ebnetube9371]

10Q bro,interesting

[@ramdevdirector6653]

U diserve million plus subscribers

[@MartinSage]

I graduated from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena. Every year Seniors enter the Short Film Contest. I won 2nd Woopie

[@cousinadventureepisodes1310]

I like it

[@avikesarwani5475]

I live in a small city in India film festivals are very rare in my city. Secondly i make non-English films or Hindi films so how can i can get my film screened in film festivals. You are doing a very good job for film-makers like me who have limited resource so thankyou for that .

[@johannes914]

You got yourself a new Patreon... Why did I wait son long ? ...

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+johannes914 thank you!

[@johannes914]

You are welcome. You survived a rabbit attack, you deserve it ;)...

[@wadeparker6499]

cool intro

[@NostalgiNorden]

Wohooo!

[@RedEyedHolloway]

Fantastic and down-to-Earth advice. Would you have a video or resource available for where fully CG Animated Shorts and Feature-length Films are screened at Festivals, and where to start doing my research for how to market those and other tips? Or, are the same principles of live-action Films the same, except the medium is just CG? Thanks for any help!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Well I think fully animated feature films is pretty rare. Lots of time and money needed to create a full feature of animation. But there are plenty of CG shorts out there. I think because the supply of animated short films is much smaller that you could probably get into quite a few more festivals with a decent product then if it was just a live short. When you do your research on sites like without a box or film freeway just use the words animated for animation in your search.

[@RedEyedHolloway]

Wow, that was an incredibly quick response! Thank you so much for even taking the time to view it, nevertheless answer! And yeah, I definitely know that adding up the time it takes to get to "feature length" (40 mins+) with Render Time can really start to add up to the many thousands in a Render Farm - not to mention the money it would take for Sound Design, Voice Actors, Music, etc. Seems like the same principles for entering into Festivals for screening Live Action films applies to Animated ones as well, it's just the medium is CG. That's interesting to know that Animated films may have an easier time getting in though, and with proper marketing, may get decent levels of exposure...I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks again for the tips! You are awesome! :)

[@bredmond812]

16:00 We can all learn from James Nguyen who made Birdemic. You know. You've seen it. Yeah, that one.

[@isaacbarlow8247]

What if you are submitting a script to a festival which I am doing this year.

[@TheTwick]

Is there any advantage (or the opposite) to uploading your short to the internet (KZbin or anything) prior to submitting to a festival? Would view counts help sell your film?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+TheTwick I don't think festival screeners take that into consideration.

[@Paul2]

Actually, a lot of film festivals don't want the film to be screened online prior to their film festival. Some don't, but to be safe, it's best to keep it under wraps if you want a film festival to screen your film.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+Polan that's generally the case with features but with shorts film festivals tend to be more relaxed about that

[@domagojvrsaljko6161]

What about uploading trailers only? You know, ''to build the hype'' and all that jazz?

[@samaraisnt]

@@domagojvrsaljko6161 Good idea!!

[@ah-ray]

I have a question, when submitting a feature to, for example, Cannes, do you need to find distribution before the screening or do you find distribution after it has been shown?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Festival and distribution are two separate things. Distribution for a film is done not at a film festival but a film market. Cannes is one of the few fests that has a concurrent film market with the festival. The idea is your film gets recognition at the festival, you can get interest from potential buyers at the market. That is the best I can tell you as it is outside my experience. A lot of festivals however may want you to "premiere" your film there - in that case you can't have previous distribution. Frankly, if you can get distribution for your film, you really don't need to run through festivals.

[@ah-ray]

Filmmaker IQ Thanks so much!

[@eddyjuillerat835]

No, you don't need. Talking from experience. In Cannes, you can chose to send your film to the short film festival OR the Cannes film market (the Short Film Corner). You get in easy on the market one but as said John, it's up to you to sell your film.

[@saintmacintoshreviews9441]

Does anyone know any film festivals that are happening from October 2018 to December 2018? Also, which festivals have little or no limits on content?

[@VainCape]

Sorry I have to admit, that I recently discovered this channel and have been using it to fall asleep for my afternoon nap. I don't what it is about your videos but they're perfect for putting me in a slumber. Thanks, I suppose.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

As long as you leave the ads running - we're cool with that.

[@OutandAboutwithTrev]

I use the music score from Twilight to send me into slumber!

[@levmyshkin8366]

A Mere Pigeon Sometimes I type something that shows what a self absorbed asshole I am.

[@IIPARSAII]

Do you allow your videos to be translated into other languages and available to other people?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

We allow community submitted closed captions. But please don't reupload our videos without our permission.

[@IIPARSAII]

Thank you for the answer, ok

[@zakariaabed3593]

Thanks this was really helpful ! So is it normal to participate in film festivals when my film is already posted on social media platforms ?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It depends on the festival and what tier m their rules are.

[@zakariaabed3593]

@@FilmmakerIQ Thanks

[@ifazhowl5381]

Hey ik you didn’t cover this, but I am planning on making a dcp for my short and I heard if you don’t use 1:85:1 or 2:35 it will end up pillarboxing. My camera only shoots 3:2 and was just wondering what you may suggest. Should I change aspect ratio in post or just keep it in its original ratio. Some festivals don’t even accept 3:2 from what I’ve seen. Would love the advice and thank you.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

You need to deliver the specs that are asked of you. So if it must be 1:85 or 2:39 then that's what you have to deliver. Create your pillar boxes in post but deliver the aspect ratio you are asked to.

[@ImaginaryShadows1]

Thanks so much for the advice, I submit my short film to 24 film festivals already. Around the Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York and one in Los Angeles. I hope I have better film festival experience than yours. I will market the hell out of my short film in the film festivals

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Break a leg!

[@mudaralnasar3182]

How did it go?

[@jefffsfff1783]

I made a cg short and would like to just drag and drop it somewhere. Is this possible? I don't care where - I just want to do something with it!

[@juanvilchez965]

I'm a filmmaker from Nicaragua (Central America) any advice?

[@KBFilms2]

Is it okay to post your film on a site like youtube or vimeo and still submit to festivles i heard that some festivals will boot your film if they find you put it out online?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Depends on the film festival. For shorts, they usually don't care.

[@skeletonfilms3650]

the only film fest I have had a film screened in was on its first year and was a huge mess

[@chrisangelwalker2830]

so, do you normally have to pay the submission fee even if you don't get accepted?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Oh yes

[@ginotarabotto]

Hi, how important is the shorts movie poster when submitting?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Zero importance when submitting. It might be useful if you get selected to screen but it won't make or break your screening.

[@neilgraciasco.filmsproduct8842]

Will my short film be accepted in a festival if I have released it on KZbin beforehand?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Depends on the rules of the festival. But generally, short films don't have a a "premiere" requirement

[@WhirlOmar]

I wish someone would talk about getting your film technically ready for film festival projections.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Every festival has their own requirements, just follow their instructions

[@guillermoochoa3604]

Hi! Please, can you provide a Short Films Fests ranking by visitors or help by addressing me where to find it? Thanks!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Doesn't exist

[@eshum1]

Should you have a private screening beforehand with cast and crew? If so, they probably won't come to the film festival which would leave you with an empty theater, right?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Up to you. Cast and crew often go to the festival screenings multiple times... Remember that a festival isn't really about watching movies, it's all the stuff surrounding the movie and often times cast and crew want to be part of that.

[@eshum1]

@@FilmmakerIQ do you usually have a private screening for your cast and crew or do you forego that and instead invite them to a festival if you get selected? I know they want to see it... just trying to choose how to show it to them without making it available to share. To be on the safe side.

[@GhanchakkarVideos]

why your channel does not have the verfied channel sign(right click, kind of nike logo or idk i not able to explain excetly that sign) next to your channel name while having over 2 lacks subscriber ??

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I didn't even know there was such a thing...

[@pedroalvarenga234]

Is it okay to release a trailer and behind the scenes online before submitting to Festivals?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yes most festivals would encourage this

[@pedroalvarenga234]

@@FilmmakerIQ Thanks a lot.

[@bredmond812]

3:48 Nuts. That means i can't get my shorts screened at a film festival. Then again, I guess my shorts would get screened at a film festival. See what I did there? Double Whammy!