A movie script all finished on the desk, actors chosen, location found, everything is ready for “Action.” After some grueling, agonizing and frustration weeks or months, the film is done. Credits, music, reviews from FlopNuts, everything is in place. What now, what is the next step to get this product onto the market to start earning the money, to make a profit? Many novice movie producers, who have had no introductory relative in the industry, will face this problem.
Promote
A sure way is to get the film promoted through the fastest way that reaches the most people in the shortest amount of time. Unless the young film maker is incredibly rich to pay for his own promotion, he needs help. Assistance arrives in the form of Film Festivals.
There is an “A” list, of course. To begin there may actually be begging for defeat. Anyone smart enough to make a movie, however, would also be smart enough to know that “A” list Film Festivals are for seasoned film makers.
Part Of The Competition:
Over the past couple of decades, a number of new Film Festivals have established themselves in different cities of the United States as well as other countries. Having produced a film of high artistic quality will support the decision to enter it into Film Festivals.
For a new film maker, unless his or her film is of exceptional quality, it may be a good idea to get an admission form for entering the movie in smaller, specific categories of Film Festivals. If the film is a horror film, a festival of horror films only may be the way to go. If no one in the US seems interested in this film submission, there are festivals all over the world from which to choose. One of the foreign Film Festivals may focus on different aspects of a film and select more advantageously. Expense of attending may be prohibitive unless already entered into the budget.
Once a film is selected to be evaluated, it probably won’t get a prize the first time around. It is a rare occasion to be a first submission and go home with a prize. Others have been there longer and have learned from the process and will most likely take recognition first. That doesn’t mean that the novice should give up. Quite the contrary; Film Festivals are often learning processes.
Fees:
Entering a film into a festival is not always free. Although the cost for it is not high, it should not be a surprise and should be budgeted in early. Twenty-five to fifty dollars will pay for an admission to a festival. Some Film Festivals are free for film makers. Those facts will have to be checked out at the time of the admission process. To have a film selected and possibly noted is worth the price of this fee. Even if the film is not within the top five selections, just to be selected has its pay off. The film may be noted by someone of movie industry prominence who may just be impressed enough by what he saw to take note. The key is not to give up.