Until very recently, there was only one procedure for film festival submissions. DVD copies were the only medium programmers had for screening.
Films were sent along with a paper form, which was filled out with the main details, signed, and taken to the post office.
During the busiest months, I remember taking entire boxes with more than 200 envelopes to the post office—it required very heavy manual work that has disappeared just a few years later. The change has been so radical that we never go to the post office anymore.
The shift from physical and tangible to intangible submissions has been thanks to the development of the internet and applications like Vimeo and submission platforms. This change has brought enormous ease to making submissions, but also a complication in terms of the different submission systems that have emerged.
Over these years we have experienced constant changes, which have led us to have several systems coexisting at the same time. Now each festival is free to choose the submission system it prefers, which forces directors, producers, and distributors alike to constantly adapt to changes in submission processes.
These 5 submission systems combine both physical and online submissions. I hope they are useful for organizing yourself and preparing the necessary materials for making submissions:
#1 Film Submission Platforms
The rise of submission platforms has been one of the main developments in recent years; their role has been fundamental in moving away from DVD copies. When the first platforms appeared, it was already possible to send screening links, but they have helped greatly to popularize submissions via the internet.
There are many variables for submissions through platforms. Some festivals use all the platforms on the market, others only two or three, and a few festivals use one of them exclusively. They are also often combined with other types of submissions. However, when a festival works with only one platform and offers the option of DVD submission, it is not really offering options, since very few directors have a DVD of their film.
When you start distributing your film, you will need to create an account on most of them; currently it is an essential step in festival distribution.
#2 Online Form with Link and Password
Despite the rise of these platforms, there are many festivals that use their own online form, where they usually include a specific field to enter the screening link and password.
There are many variants of this method, from festivals that use their own form and database, to others that resort to free applications like Google Forms, or form plugins designed for WordPress or Joomla (such as Contact Form 7).
There are also other paid options, such as the festival organization tools Eventival and Zone Festival that include form creation.
For these cases, you should have a Vimeo link with password ready, and if you are thinking about international distribution, do not forget the subtitles that you can upload to Vimeo as separate tracks.
#3 Online Form and Platform
There is an option that combines both possibilities. That is, you fill out an online form with your film’s details and submit the video through a platform. Few festivals use this option, as it does not make much sense.
The director, producer, or distributor has to waste time filling out the data in a form, complete the entry form, and pay the submission fee on the platform. Processes and data are duplicated, so it is not very productive for the festival.
#4 Fill Out a Form and Send a Link
This option mixes the “traditional” form with online submission. The festival has a form in Word, Excel, or PDF that must be filled out with all the details and signed. In this form, sometimes a field for the screening link is included, or it is simply sent by email along with the form.
This system requires the festival to have a table with all the films and update it manually; on the other hand, it can be positive to have everything recorded in the email itself. There are some variants to this system, such as the one used by the Plasencia en Corto Festival, which requests all materials, videos in mp4, and signed forms via WeTransfer.
There are several festivals that use this form and link system, such as D’A Barcelona, Filmadrid, and Novos Cinemas in Pontevedra.
#5 Fill Out a Form and Send a DVD
The most classic system, and the one many of us started distributing with. In this option, the internet is not considered for film submission and registration. In this case, a form is filled out and signed; it must be sent along with a DVD copy of the film. Although it may seem that this system has disappeared, there are still some festivals that maintain it. Recently, the Carabanchel Short Film Competition requested a form and DVD.
Also, the FID Marseille recommends sending a DVD, although it accepts an online form and a screening link.
In reality, the DVD is practically obsolete, and surely these few examples will change by the next edition, and we can speak of its definitive disappearance for film submissions and registrations.
Could We Have a Standard Festival Submission System?
The times when there was only one way to submit to festivals are now part of the past, and they will not return. We must learn to work with different submission systems for festivals and above all know how to adapt to new changes that may come in the future.
We are in a moment of evolution and constant change thanks to the internet. It would be a mistake to resist these changes; we cannot forget that at this time, continuous improvement and innovation are fundamental in any sector.