If you are starting to move your film through film festivals, you must take entry fees into account. They have become so widespread that you cannot afford to ignore them in your distribution strategy, especially if you do not want to miss out on opportunities.
One of the best strategies for dealing with fees is to work with early deadlines and reserve some type of premiere, whether world, national, or regional. It is a good idea to take note of the call for entries opening dates and submit as soon as possible.
A reference in this regard are film festivals in the United States, whose entry fees have served as a model for Europe.
To help you keep them in mind and submit by the early deadline, I have reviewed seven American festivals, which I have grouped into three categories: general, fantastic, and documentary film festivals.
All of them are Oscar-qualifying for the short film selection and still have their first or second call for entries open:
General film festivals
AFI FEST
Organized by the American Film Institute and held in Hollywood, it is one of the most important festivals in the United States. You can consider it for short films as well as feature films and documentaries. As is now common in many festivals, it also has a virtual reality section.
It has a Los Angeles premiere requirement, but only for feature films. Short films are considered up to 30 minutes for fiction and 40 minutes for documentaries. The early deadline is open until March 31, with a fee of $40 for shorts and $60 for features.
The call for entries will open on March 1, so keep it in mind to submit as soon as possible. It is held in November.
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival is another of the most important festivals in the United States, focused on screenwriting and narrative within cinema. The call for entries opened on December 6, and the first submission deadline is March 30.
It accepts all types of films, from shorts to features. Although it only has a Texas premiere requirement, it values world and US premieres.
The entry fee is $50 for all sections, and submissions can be made via their own web form, Filmfreeway, or Withoutabox.
St. Louis International Film Festival
St. Louis has also had its call for entries open for a few weeks. The early deadline is currently open until March 31. The fee for feature films is $55, while for short films it drops to $30. Keep in mind that prices double from the early to the late deadline.
The festival is organized by Cinema St. Louis in Missouri, along with other festivals such as QFest St. Louis, dedicated to LGBTQ cinema in April, and the Saint Louis Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Film Festival, which is scheduled for its first edition in May and also has a call for entries open until March 30, but at the regular deadline.
Submissions for the St. Louis International Film Festival can be made through the Filmfreeway platform. It takes place from July 13 to 22.
Fantastic film festivals
Fantastic Fest Austin
The city of Austin is one of the most important for cinema, hosting several prominent festivals in their segments. In addition to the Austin Film Festival, the Fantastic Fest call for entries is now open for the early deadline, as is the Other Worlds Austin Festival.
In this case, feature films are considered from 70 minutes and short films up to 30. The early deadline ends tomorrow, February 22. The minimum premiere requirement is a Texas premiere (similar to the Austin Film Festival), but with a very clear preference for world and US premieres.
The submission platforms are Withoutabox and Filmfreeway. It is held from September 20 to 27.
Other Worlds Austin
It is more focused on science fiction; although it is a young festival (with only four editions), it has grown significantly and is truly worth it. The early deadline is March 31, with a fee of $25 for short films and $30 for features.
The submission platforms are Filmfreeway and Withoutabox. It takes place from December 6 to 9.
Documentary film festivals
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
In the field of documentary film, the Hot Springs Festival held in Arkansas is one of the oldest in the United States. The call for entries opened on January 22.
The early deadline closes on March 1, with a fee of $40 for shorts (up to 40 minutes) and $50 for features. It also has sections for virtual reality and sports. Regarding premiere requirements, there is a preference for world premieres, which is very common in documentary festivals.
This case is an exception, as the early deadline closed on February 16; the regular deadline is now open until March 23, with a fee of $40 for shorts and $70 for features. Submissions can be made through Filmfreeway and Withoutabox.
This is the most important documentary film festival in New York and a good option for a US premiere. There is a preference for world or US premieres, and they specifically look for the most recent documentary productions. It is held from November 8 to 15.
Take note of the dates
Here is a summary of the deadline dates so you can plan easily:
- Fantastic Fest – February 22
- Hot Springs – March 1
- DOC NYC – March 23 (regular deadline)
- Austin – March 30
- AFI FEST – March 31
- St. Louis – March 31
- Other Worlds – March 31
Good luck with your film’s distribution!