The submission fees are slowly being implemented in all types of festivals. More and more festivals are incorporating fees into the submission process. This process entails a radical shift in the entire festival distribution process. Now, it is necessary to manage payments, negotiate discounts, and gain a better understanding of each festival’s … Read more
Submission fees continue to rise at Spanish festivals, and especially at European ones. We could talk about an oil-stain expansion, a term used in the business world to describe slow but deep market-entry strategies in a specific market. We are facing a radical change that cannot be reversed. Once a festival introduces … Read more
Submission fees continue to rise, both in our country and across Europe—a slow but steady trend, with no turning back. In recent months, I have come across some new developments around this process. A review of the submission-fee situation The Gijón Festival opened its call for entries a few days ago with … Read more
This past weekend I was invited to the Elche International Independent Film Festival, where last Friday I gave a presentation on distribution. Among the topics we covered were the festival submission processes, with a special focus on platforms and the different payment models in festivals. These processes have evolved significantly with the … Read more
This past weekend I was at Donosskino, the new Donosti Short Film Festival, created this year by the Kristonkino collective. On Saturday, I gave a workshop on distribution at Tabakalera, and among the topics we discussed were festival entry fees and how to manage them. Fees are one of the most significant … Read more
The evolution of short film distribution has allowed for significant cost savings when submitting a film, such as eliminating mailing costs and copies on DVD, Betacam, or 35 mm. However, it has also generated new expenses that did not exist before, primarily derived from submission platforms and festival fees. Some time ago, … Read more
At the beginning of this year, 2017, we learned about the first casualty in the overcrowded submission-platform market. As of February 1, Uptofest has ceased operations. According to the platform, it has merged with Festhome, where the festivals that previously belonged to Uptofest are now open. This platform has been the first … Read more
It is increasingly difficult to find festivals without submission fees, where it is not necessary to make a prior payment to participate (entry fee). European festivals (and Spanish ones as well) are adopting these fees year after year. There are other festivals that, although they do not have fees, use a submission … Read more
Over the past year, the number of film submissions to festivals—many of them in Spain—has increased again. In recent months I have spoken with festival directors, who have seen how the number of films submitted has doubled and even tripled in just one year. This is an issue that has been widely … Read more
I have discussed festival submission fees several times, a trend that continues to grow. In Europe, each year there are new festivals that use fees with different pricing strategies, both to control the number of submissions and to have an alternative funding source. Whether we like it or not, it is an … Read more