As the post suggest I have a short film where I will be done with post production the 2nd or 3rd week of February-- and I have entered projects into film festivals and won awards in the past but that didn't lead to anything from a big studio or network, so this time around I'm strongly considering putting the finished movie on my youtube channel MindBenderEnt1 and not even going the festival submission route and saving myself about $2000 in those fees. And this way it will be available everyday all day for anyone to see and contact me if they want to hire me or do work with me.
Any thoughts from anyone as to whether this method is likely to garner more attention than a festival run? And yes I DO make quality films, so I'm covered in that department.
Can anyone in my network help out Artemus Cole with your experience?
Why not do both? Also webinar coming up about film festivals etc...
I don't think you can do both. I'm pretty sure posting your short online will invalidate it from any reputable film festivals.
Film festivals are not all tard with the same brush. There are some, that out of principle do not charge higher end fees, yet have good end publicity. Also the film does not have to be advertised/pitched in visual form, I’ve done pitches for shorts at screenwriters festivals in script form, but at the end of the day you need to get it out there.
Pierre is pretty much correct in that posting it online generally precludes acceptance at reputable festivals plus it has no/negligible upside. Additionally, lots/most festivals really are little more than con jobs. Fortunately there are a few truly reputable festivals remaining. Do your research and I think you can find a couple of festivals that can be of value for you but I advise against posting it online.
I agree with @Doug some festivals are little more than con jobs. Its the same in all walks of life. There is always going to be a market for people wanting to watch new film releases as they happen, always people who need teeth pulled, (dentists) and undertakers will certainly never go out of business. But finding a good choice in any field, through the myriad of availability, is the task in hand. I think Sundance have stood the test of time, and I love the concept of Moondance, in the way it breaks geographical boundaries, so you don't have to be physically present at a cinema screening. There are also many little known festivals, that survive on passion and turn out unique art, albeit not much world acknowledgment. I'm planning an online festival, done on line, where the public choose the shortlist of films. A heavy task that will take about two years because of the specially designed interactive website, and I know nothing about tech stuff so it will take a team. LOL. I set myself a test there!
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rent/sell it on Vimeo and other online platforms, then enter it into some smaller fests to get publicity for more rentals/sales. get on Film Freeway and you can scroll through thousands of festivals. these days, a lot of them are no longer asking to be the premiere festival for your film. i've even found some that will take a film that's a few years old. and there are some decent fests that have no submission fees! the game has changed with the onslaught of technology and so many filmmakers in the mix.
i just posted this one on my wall--no fees and they really encourage new filmmakers with weekly screenings and voting.
>>below is the link to the Lift-Off Sessions January 2019 film festival. you pay $12.50 to watch 107 films online during a one-week period. you also get the opportunity to vote for your faves. War Brides of Japan: The Race is a 5-minute short listed at #37.<<
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/liftoffsessionsjanuary4
www.warbridesofjapan.com #warbridesofjapan
#LiftOffSessions #LiftOffSessionsJanuary
#LiftOffFilmFestivals #SupportIndieFilm