Most filmmakers starting their careers aim to make a feature film. Despite the rise of short films and other formats, the audiovisual industry continues to be built on films longer than 70 minutes.
The need to make feature films and the democratization of production tools has led to a very curious situation. Nowadays, you can make a short film or a feature film without much difference in budget or production resources. Duration no longer determines the type of project; there are short films with much larger budgets than some ultra-independent feature films.
Due to this situation, I am seeing more and more cases of feature films born in the editing room—productions that started as a short film but, gradually and by the director’s decision, have been extended to 60 minutes.
While this is more difficult in fiction, it is more common in documentaries. Often, projects are approached without a clear idea of the duration; in the editing phase, the film is defined until it becomes a feature, a medium-length film, or a short film.
In the production phase and especially in editing, once all the material has been recorded, the budgetary impact can be manageable. It is not like before, when shooting on 35 mm made it impossible.
Now you only have to consider that post-production processes may be slightly more expensive, as more time is required, but the increase in expenditure may be worth it for many directors.
After all, you are making a feature film.
But be careful. You may encounter several problems in distribution; it is in this phase where having a short or a feature film changes everything, and you might find yourself in unexpected situations.
I see it as increasingly necessary to be clear about the consequences of making a feature film instead of a short, especially when facing the distribution phase.
It is important to have all possible facts at hand so that you don’t get any unpleasant surprises when it is already too late.
Here are five considerations you might want to keep in mind:
#1 The cost of entry fees
This is the first unpleasant surprise you will encounter. Submission fees for feature films can be double the price of short films.
Spending on fees can generate higher costs than the production itself, especially for very low-budget films.
For example, at the Berlinale, the fee for a short is €60 and for a feature it is €150—more than double. At Sundance, the difference is smaller; for the early deadline, it is $40 compared to $65 for a feature.
Furthermore, most feature film festivals charge submission fees; therefore, it is a cost you must include in your budget—you cannot ignore it.
There is another circumstance you should not forget. In the world of short films, it is easier to negotiate a discount or a waiver (payment exemption), as some festivals try to support emerging directors. However, with feature films, we are in a different league; it is a more industrial environment and, therefore, much more difficult to negotiate a submission fee.
#2 Fewer festivals and fewer selections
There are fewer feature film festivals; it is a smaller circuit than for short films. Not only that, but feature film competitions usually have fewer selected films than short film competitions.
Some festivals may select 10 feature films compared to 20 or 30 short films. Therefore, the chances of building a strong festival circuit are drastically reduced. The feature film festival circuit is much more competitive.
#3 You compete in the official feature film sections
In line with the above, another element that is sometimes overlooked: you compete with directors or films that may have had great success at other festivals.
With a feature film, you could be competing in the same section as the latest Palme d’Or winner from Cannes or the film that won the top awards in Berlin, as well as the latest film by a very prestigious director.
Be careful with this; it is true that there are very small, low-budget films that have achieved great success at international festivals and have stood up to large productions.
But your project, which was born as a short film and which you are now thinking of extending into a feature, might not be at the level required to achieve certain success on the circuit.
#4 Duration
The concept of a feature film is relative; you can extend your short to 60 minutes to turn it into a feature, only to find that many festivals will consider it a medium-length film or even a short film.
Check this post I wrote a while ago about film duration limits. There are festivals like IDFA Amsterdam that only consider films to be features if they are at least 70 minutes long; in Italy, films under 70 minutes are often considered short films.
#5 It will be your debut feature
Finally, a more personal reason. If it is your first film, you will be making your debut feature.
Will you have the resources to make the most of the debut film circuit?
There are many festivals for first films that you should take advantage of; if you don’t, it will be more difficult for your second or third film. After the fourth, you are no longer considered a new director.
Indielisboa, for example, is one of the few festivals for new directors that accepts up to a director’s third film. Most festivals of this type only accept your first or second film.
There are other festivals, such as Locarno, where short films are only admitted to competition from directors who do not already have a feature film, as they are looking for new directors. Therefore, in this case, if you already have a feature, you will not be able to participate with short films in Locarno.
If you are sure, go ahead
In any case, if you have thought it through, are sure that the time has come to make your debut feature, and that the short film project you shot can be turned into a feature, go ahead.
Plan a festival strategy well, allocate the necessary budget, and start moving through the festivals.
It is about being clear about your goals and fighting to achieve them.
Good luck!