A couple of weeks ago I discussed the copies required for screening in festival distribution, for both short and feature films—that is, when our film has already been selected. Now it is time to address the copies required for submission. We must bear in mind that these copies are the programmers’ first contact with our film.
What would the screening formats for festivals be?
First of all, I need a private screening link on Vimeo (or another provider, but practically everyone uses it and it is the platform most widely accepted by festivals and platforms). On Vimeo we have the free option, which only allows files up to 500 MB, or Vimeo Plus, the most advisable option: for around €49.95 per year it increases storage to 5 GB per week.
On Vimeo we can easily use a password and change the URL to make it more user-friendly. We use Vimeo Pro, which allows HD playback in 1080p, but Vimeo Plus is sufficient for festival distribution.
Since last year it has been possible to upload subtitle tracks in SRT, a major step forward that allows us to use the same link for all festivals, as subtitles can be selected. Although there are directors who do not like the format Vimeo uses (it is incomprehensible that it cannot be changed), the advantages of this system more than make up for this limitation.
Advanced settings in Vimeo, where we can add subtitles and change the link URL.
This link is necessary for festivals that use their own online forms and for platforms that allow embedding the Vimeo link. We can also send it easily by email.
Secondly, it is advisable to have a screening copy available for download. In this case I usually use HD copies in 720p and around 500 MB. These copies are used mainly to:
- Upload them to festivals with video platforms such as Berlin, Locarno or Cannes
- Make downloading available to festivals that require it.
- Submission platforms that only offer the option to upload videos.
In this case we do need to have copies with burned-in subtitles, in each of the languages we have available. To download the files we can also use Vimeo, but if we use the subtitle option, it would only be possible to download the original clean video. I also like to have a different option with another provider, so we can host the download file on Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, etc.
In short, to start festival distribution, we only need:
- Screening link on Vimeo.
- Standard HD video file in 720p (at minimum) with burned-in subtitles.
- Download link on a service other than Vimeo (optional)
Before starting distribution, it is also advisable to have the SRT subtitles ready, at least in English.
As for DVD, we can say it has almost disappeared—but I say almost, as there are still some festivals that may ask for it, as is the case with FID Marseille.