Video Production and Script Publicity
Benefits of Entering Your Movie in Film Festivals & Contests
Nov 12, 2009 Christine Pollock
It’s been years in the making, and now you are ready to debut your film to the public. But wait, where do you begin? Try entering your movie into a film festival. There are thousands of film festivals in the world, and different ones offer different perks.
Film Festival Benefits for Filmmakers
Go to a website such as Withoutabox.com to find a list of film festivals and sift through the list to see which festivals catch your interest. Check the criteria to make sure your film matches up and meets a festival’s standards. Some festivals highlight short films and others look for feature-lengths movies. Determine the target age group of the film festival you are interested and filter through the application fees. Keep track of the ones that meet your budget.
If a film festival you are interested in has a website, go to it and see what they offer independent producers. Some film festivals offer film reviews and other publicity options to their independent filmmakers. Language is no barrier if your film has subtitles. Enter your movie into film festivals around the world to increase your name recognition.
Contests for Scripts and Movies
Film festivals are a great way to publicize your film, but they are not your only option. You can also enter contests. Some contests even allow you to submit a script before it’s made into a film.
Then again, as you review film festival criteria in the previous step, you might notice that some film festivals sponsor their own script and video production contests. Film festivals, such as the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media-KIDS FIRST! film festival, hold contests where independent producers and writers have the opportunity to attend an awards ceremony and win prizes ranging from cash to scholarships to distribution deals. This also gives your movie or script more publicity in magazine coverage, and you can add the award to your product packaging for more recognition.
Meet Actors and Other Talent
As you attend film festivals and awards ceremonies for contests, seize the opportunity to network with professionals in the industry. These venues are prime occasions to gab with others interested in the film making business. You might even find actors or musicians or artists who want to collaborate with you in you next venture.
Some solid research and a decent product will get you far in the movie industry. Let your work speak for itself and reach audiences around the world using film festivals and contests as stepping stones for low-cost publicity.
23rd Cleveland International Film Festival
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