How to avoid fake/scam film festivals - warning signs and red flags

[@MRob6971]

One good thing to lookout for is when they charge $300-$400 to get a trophy after you win an award. Otherwise, they just send you a free digital pdf certificate.

[@HamishDownie]

Thank you for talking about this. I've been scammed a couple of times and sometimes it's not until you have been burned that you realise that there are very few real festivals out there

[@pisceanbeauty2503]

This reminds me of vanity/predatory journals in the research and science world.

[@cheekster777]

Thank you.

[@defnotkevin]

This is really informative!

[@Indietrix]

Thanks Kevin! There aren’t enough accessible resources on the festival circuit imo

[@nadikim1740]

can you post these videos as audio only on audea? would really appreciate just the audio! love your stuff btw, keep pushing out content

[@Indietrix]

That’s a good idea! I actually do have a podcast (also called indietrix) but not put this stuff there yet.

[@babatundelawal7137]

Thank you!!!!!!

[@Indietrix]

Thanks for the comment!

[@bottlebrushmedia]

Bang on!! Great post! I have been trawling Filmfreeway for just over a year and entered a couple of my short docos in numerous festivals. After a while I began to see the pattern emerging which you've drawn attention to so well. One thing that has been quite astounding is the number of festivals which have existed less than three years! So many and many have all the apparent scam traits you mentioned. The ones where they are allegedly offering awards for just about every and any genre that ever existed and has been going for one or two years! Seriously? My first thought was how are they possibly going to watch all entries with a critical eye? Impossible. I started doing the deep dive into this shadowy world and after digging deeper was intrigued by the number of reviews some festivals received. I mean one was in it's 'second year' and had 138 reviews!!! Then running the cursor over the profile pics of those who had apparently posted their review of said festival and their full profile doesn't even open. Then I go and do google searches of some of the socalled reviewers and in an age where any film maker with any serious aspirations must have a reasonable social media footprint right? There were actors and directors who'd posted reviews who just do not appear in a simple google search. I picked up a few cheap laurels for 'official selection' and allegedly won a couple of awards but I'm going to be far more selective because having 'cheap' laurels from obscure festivals may actually make me look just a tad stupid to be honest. It's also a point worth noting that well recognised festivals charge a lot more for entry. You get what you pay for I guess. But I certainly don't want to dimish the efforts of the many small and legitamate festivals which are one man bands making a real effort to give some of us lesser mortal film makers an audience, albeit small but an audience at least. Great post and mirrors much of my experience over the last year of dabbling in the festival scene. And finally I wrote a very considered post on Trustpilot about my filmfreeway experience and my doubts about some of the festivals and Filmfreeway managed to get Trustpilot to take it down!!! So there you go!! :P

[@Indietrix]

Hey great, glad you managed to get some taken down! IMO the best way to check quality for smaller festivals is to attend before submitting - at least then you know they actually have an event 😅

[@bottlebrushmedia]

@@Indietrix yep absolutely. I've decided in my search to ignore any festivals which have been in existence for less than five years. I've just encountered on "Your way International Film Festival" which in its first year has 60 categories!!! Sixty!!! and amazingly has 36 glowing reviews already! and they want $34 for entry. No chance!!! LOL You were spot on.

[@allangoncalves1453]

Do you plan to upload some short movies/vídeo here?

[@Indietrix]

When I started the channel, that was the main idea - we’d make shorts and tutorials. Quickly didn’t work out that way! I’ve been thinking about uploading specific scenes and discussing elements of how they were done - like, how do you block a scene, how do you write a shotlist etc. If you’d like to just see the films, most of them are on my Vimeo: vimeo.com/willwebbful

[@allangoncalves1453]

@@Indietrix I saw the blanket films video, I liked a lot!! hope you do the other idea, for sure people will like