FILM FESTIVAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Short films or Shorts is an art. It gives you the freedom to explore the genre you cannot otherwise pursue in a feature film. There is a beauty in being able to tell a story in a short amount of time. It challenges you to showcase the most vivid thing you can imagine or dream in 40 minutes or less, and film festivals give you an amazing platform to broaden your exposure. Being in a film festival can be incredibly rewarding and finding the right one can be extremely tricky. The major question that comes to a filmmaker’s mind when thinking of a film festival is why submit? There are many reasons why one should consider entering a film festival. Other than being rewarding, film festivals offer following things:  Recognition Shorts featured in a film festival are curated by a panel of experts. Film festivals are attended by acquisition executives, talent scouts, and film journalists. Getting featured in a recognised film festival would mean your shorts is amongst the best and is viewed by the best.

Experience and Exposure Making a feature film requires a budget that is beyond most filmmakers but that shouldn’t be an obstacle to a passionate filmmaker. Film festivals are attended by thousands of people. It can give you the experience and the exposure a first-time filmmaker needs. Review Getting featured in a film festival can give you the experience of watching your film with others, gauge their reactions and gather feedback. This experience can be enthralling and numbing, and it will inspire you to dream bigger and work harder.

Networking The film festival is a gathering of filmmakers, film enthusiasts and people who work in the industry. It’s the perfect place for a budding filmmaker to be at. It gives you an opportunity to meet new people, share ideas and make friends. If all goes well you might collaborate with someone big on your next project.  Distribution Large and well-established film festivals are attended by acquisition executives who are there to shop for films and make a distribution offer. Getting your film distributed is a huge motivator and is one of the main reason to enter into a film festival. Q&As Film festivals give you a chance to share your experience with the audience who is always keen to meet the filmmakers.

Awards Winning a film festival is gratifying and holding a statue in your hand is a symbol of all the hard work you put in. A cash prize can give you the much-needed budget for your next project. And a fancy laurel is a great marketing tool as people know what to expect of you. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Then it’s time for you to submit but, before you do that do not forget to do the following things: The Film Festival The film festival you submit to can make all the difference in the world. To know what a film festival has to offer is important. A high ranked film festival will be attended by journalists, acquisition executives, and celebrities. They may give away awards, cash prizes or sometimes both.

Submit Early It’s important that you submit early to a film festival. One of the main reasons is the submission fee, which is low at the beginning and rises dramatically as the deadline approaches. Submitting early also gives you the advantage of planning your marketing strategy. It gives you a longer period to make your social media presence stronger which is all the more important as a festival keeps tab of it before selecting your shorts.  Submit the Best Remember that getting selected for a film festival can turn your life upside down, for the good. So, it’s important to post content that is worthy of being selected. Unless you feel you have made your best, it’s wise not to submit and waste the submission fee. Film Length Although there is no particular rule about the length of a shorts, they are generally preferred to be 40 minutes or lesser. A short film can also be as small as 15 seconds.

Content Shorts give you the freedom to recreate your dreams. They are a medium to express and impress in a short time, and so, it is important that your content gets straight to the point. Shorts give you a reason to dream in the middle of the day. It’s a medium to convey what you otherwise could not and film festivals give you the platform to share it with an audience that is as passionate about films as you are.

Join creative filmmakers platform – shortfundly now.