If you are just starting to distribute a documentary, it is advisable to take into account some preliminary considerations, not only to plan the festival circuit, but from the post-production process, and before finalizing the final edit.
There are some elements that are specific to documentary festivals, and that differentiate them from other genres, such as animation or fiction.
Considerations such as final duration, budget for submission fees, and whether you are making a short, medium-length, or feature film, as well as premiere requirements, are key factors you should take into account at the beginning of distribution.
#1 Premiere Requirements
The most important documentary festivals usually have international or world premiere requirements, therefore, for documentary distribution it is advisable to start with a first phase of selective submission, where you reserve the world or international premiere.
The number of festivals that value the premiere is usually higher in documentaries than in other genres, such as animation. There are cases like IDFA Amsterdam, Visions du Réel, CPH:DOX, and Sheffield Doc/Fest, which value above all the world premiere, and if not, the international and European premiere.
Along these lines, many of them also have a national requirement in their countries of origin; some examples would be Hot Docs and Montreal (Canada), Cinéma du Réel (France), Popoli (Italy), Leipzig (Germany), DocLisboa (Portugal), or It’s All True (Brazil), among others.
This requirement means you will have to plan a national premiere strategy carefully, and take care of international distribution. Keep in mind that a selective strategy for a long time may mean that selections are significantly delayed.
#2 Duration
One of the characteristics that defines documentary distribution is duration. While in fiction and animation it is common for short film festivals to have a maximum duration of 30 minutes, in the case of documentaries most festivals have a maximum requirement of 40 minutes for short films, and from there they can be considered medium-length or feature films, depending on the festival.
This means that, while in a fiction short with a duration over 20 minutes distribution becomes complicated, in the case of documentaries there is not as much of a problem; programmers are usually more accustomed to longer durations.
Furthermore, there are many festivals that accept everything from short films and feature films to medium-length films. The duration limits are more diffuse. There are usually no festivals exclusively for feature films or short films; they are documentary festivals.
The quality of the film is more important than its duration, which means that a documentary medium-length film has more distribution possibilities at festivals than a fiction film. However, the definition of feature film or short film depends on each festival; thus, for example, a medium-length film can start from 30 or 40 minutes, and up to 50, 60, or 70 minutes; from these durations they are usually considered feature films.
These considerations are important to take into account regarding the budget and submission fee expenses, since depending on the duration one rate or another applies; for just a few more minutes the distribution of a documentary can become almost twice as expensive, in fees alone.
#3 Submission Fee Expenses
As with premiere requirements, festivals specialized in documentaries usually charge submission fees, more so than in animation and fiction. This has been one of the most significant changes in recent years; many of them did not charge until recently, especially in Europe, but gradually they have been creating these fees.
Therefore, you should take into account a preliminary budget, both for specialized festivals and others that, being generalist, have documentary sections that you could consider.
Let us look, for example, at the expenses of the festivals I mentioned above, with national premiere requirements:
- Hot Docs has a submission cost ranging from $25 to $55 for shorts and $55 to $150 for features and medium-length films.
- Montreal has a cost of CAD $40 at its regular deadline.
- Cinéma du Réel has a small fee of €7.
- Popoli also has a single fee of €10.
- Leipzig, the fee is €35.
- DocLisboa has a scheme inspired by American festivals, with three payment dates, ranging from €7 to €18 for international films.
- It’s All True is the only case among these festivals that does not charge a submission fee.
Additionally, Visions du Réel, with a European, international, and world premiere requirement, charges a fee of CHF 20; at Sheffield Doc/Fest with the same requirement, prices range from £20 to £30 depending on the submission date, with a £10 difference between short films up to 30 minutes and medium-length and feature films. In the case of CPH:DOX, with a similar premiere requirement, it charges a fee of €10 for short films, also up to 30 minutes, and €20 for features and medium-length films.
Plan Your Distribution
When you are about to start promoting your documentary, plan specialized festivals carefully, but also take into account documentary sections at more generalist festivals, where the maximum duration limit is usually 30 minutes for short films, although there are also festivals up to 60 minutes.
Additionally, depending on the subject matter, you can consider other festivals related to human rights or with a more social focus.
Review the final cut and duration carefully, as it also influences distribution expenses; do not forget this. As you can see, distribution costs can change significantly if we are talking about a film over 30 or 40 minutes.
Do you have experience distributing documentaries? Are you just starting to plan your distribution now?
I look forward to your comments!