In recent years, submission fees at European festivals have been increasing and have become one of the most significant changes in festival distribution. This is a trend coming from the United States that is timidly being adopted, but in a very heterogeneous manner, depending on the countries and categories of these festivals.
In the United States, fees are one of the most important sources of funding for film festivals, since in many cases they are non-profit organizations. Charging fees allows them to generate income directly and based on the number of submissions. Prices vary according to the proximity of the submission deadline, with several price points: Early deadline, Regular deadline, Late deadline, and in some cases the Extended deadline.
These prices can increase up to 50% between Early and Late, so it is important to pay close attention to dates and establish a proper festival strategy. We can also find cases of free deadlines or single pricing.
These payments make distribution in the United States very expensive, since in addition to the usual shipping costs, these fees must be added (although shipping costs are now almost non-existent, or limited to payment for some submission platforms). In some cases, festivals can invite directly and make an exception to the payment, known as a “waiver,” or they can offer discounts.
The case of the Sundance Festival can serve as an example; this would be its pricing structure:
We see how the submission price for a short film doubles to $80 in the Late deadline, being more expensive than submitting a feature film in the Early deadline at $65. Additionally, it should be noted that Sundance usually announces the selection at the end of November, so the chances of selection are reduced.
A European case, paradigmatic of the recent evolution of fees, is Curtas Vila do Conde, which has always been free until a few years ago. The structure it applies is very similar to the American one, but with changes in pricing. The “Early deadline” in January is €7, compared to €12 in March, at the submission closing.
The payment of fees makes the submission process more expensive, and there are many festivals that are not in favor of applying them. But… Why do they exist? What are the reasons that lead festivals to charge fees? These could be some of the reasons:
- Income is directly linked to the number of submissions, making it an important source of funding. Therefore, it allows them to hire more programmers or simply pay them.
- It limits the number of submissions, as it requires better planning of the festival strategy and consideration of whether our film has a chance of entering the competition.
- Freedom of organization and programming: by obtaining income derived from the festival’s own activity, dependence on public funding (such as from municipalities) is reduced, allowing the festival to be maintained based on the criteria of the team managing it.
We will see how submission fees evolve in Spain, where there are already festivals that are gradually applying them. It is clear that we are facing a process that can only grow.