Film Festival Secrets: Saving Money on Entry Fees
by Christopher Holland
Entry fees are the bane of filmmakers everywhere but railing
against them is a little like cursing the sun for rising each
morning. Most festivals put them in place to keep every schlub
with a camcorder from submitting his home movies, but for some
they are a significant stream of income. Film festivals aren’t
getting rich from this income but it’s unlikely they’ll be
abolished wholesale any time soon.
Here are a few things you can do to increase your chances of
festival play without spending unnecessarily.
• Be honest and realistic. If you’re a student who made a film
for under $500, it’s understandable that you don’t have a ton
of money for festival submissions. If your picture’s budget
was in the millions then you’re probably in a better position
to pay for a few entry fees. (You should have included them as
a line item in your movie’s budget.) Respect festival
directors enough to realize that they’ll figure out if you’re
just being cheap.
• Submit early. Many festivals have early deadlines with
reduced fees. Submitting early not only keeps your fees low,
but it also means that your film arrives during the slow
period of the festival’s annual cycle. The few films that
arrive that far ahead of the deadline are much more likely to
get individual attention from the actual programming directors
instead of being screened out by volunteer pre-screeners. Keep
in mind that most deadlines are postmark deadlines, not
delivery deadlines, so that can buy you a little extra time.
• Locate festivals without entry fees. There are many
festivals out there that charge no fees to filmmakers,
particularly those seeking films related to special interests.
I maintain a list of these on the web here:
http://filmfestivalsecrets.com/extras/no-fee/. Festivals
outside the U.S. are much more likely to offer no-fee
submissions so if you’re an American filmmaker, don’t forget
to look at festivals abroad. You always wanted to visit
Europe, right?
• Festival fee waivers exist, but they usually occur as part
of a specific negotiation between a festival programmer and a
filmmaker in whose work they are already interested. Some
festivals give waivers for particular reasons and others
refuse to give waivers at all. If offered one you should of
course take advantage of it, but keep in mind that the
festivals most likely to give fee waivers are usually the ones
that can least afford to give up the revenue. If you simply
must ask for some consideration from a festival, see if
they’ll extend an early deadline or grant you a small discount
to lessen the burden on your submissions budget. Above all, be
polite about your request and gracious when you receive an
answer – even if the answer is no.
• Erik Jambor, co-founder of the Sidewalk Moving Picture
Festival and executive director of Indie Memphis, advises
filmmakers to be honest and friendly when seeking waivers but
to realize that fee revenue is often directly tied to the
festival’s ability to perform its functions –- including
travel, lodging, awards and other perks for filmmakers. That
said, he does admit that waivers can be granted for the right
films. “Filmmakers who have received awards or recommendations
from festivals or programmers I know and trust are more likely
to be considered for a waiver, since they can essentially skip
’round one’ of our selection process. It is also important
that the request comes as an individualized message that
indicates a clear interest in my specific festival. Mass
emails asking for a waiver are pretty easy to ignore.”
• Negotiate with visiting festival directors at festivals
where your film is playing. If you’re lucky enough to play at
a large film festival where programmers are scouting for
material, it’s likely that some of them will approach you
after your screenings about your film and their festival. Be
sure to have screener DVDs on hand that they can take back to
their selection committees and ask directly: “Is there
anything else you need from me to be considered for your
festival?” If the answer is “no,” consider the fee waived. Be
sure to grab the programmer’s business card and follow up in a
week or so.
No one likes paying entry fees, but with some advance planning
and research you can avoid some fees altogether and minimize
the fees you do pay. For more festival insider tips visit
http://filmfestivalsecrets.com
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Chris Holland is the former marketing director of the Austin
Film Festival, a festival consultant for filmmakers, and the
current Director of Festival Operations at B-Side, an
independent film technology and distribution company. His new
book, “Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent
Filmmakers,” is available now. http://filmfestivalsecrets.com
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Copyright (c) 2009 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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