Every week I talk to directors or producers who are starting to distribute their films, and who write to me through the blog to discuss their doubts and the mistakes they believe they are making in festival distribution.
Some of these mistakes tend to be repeated over and over again, even if the projects are very different.
The distribution process is not usually given much thought; this is one of the fundamental problems. It must be acknowledged that there is not much training, nor is it studied in most film schools.
Therefore, when you start to promote your film you don’t really know where to begin and doubts start to pile up. So, over the last few days, I have compiled five of the most frequent ones:
#1 Not having materials ready
Although it is very obvious that you have to prepare the promotional materials and copies before starting distribution, they are sometimes neglected.
Having a website, or a download link for these materials, and a viewing link before starting is essential. These materials also help with promoting the film on social media, which is increasingly important and should not be overlooked.
Regarding work copies or work in progress, there are few festivals that accept them and they are usually international premiere festivals; the vast majority require sending a finished copy, therefore, it is much better to wait until the film is finished.
You have to be very patient and start distributing at the right time.
If you are lucky and selections begin soon, you will have to send these materials and copies. Delays in these shipments, or not having the copies ready, can lead to problems with the festival. You have to be careful.
#2 Working with only one or two platforms
This is one of the most common mistakes brought about by changes in distribution. There are many directors who register on only one or two platforms, submit to a significant number of festivals all at once, and that’s it.
But it turns out there are many submission platforms and hundreds of festivals that do not use them.
If you limit yourself to a single platform, you are not only reducing your film’s distribution possibilities, but you are also learning very little and not creating your own list of festivals for the future.
#3 Not preparing a distribution budget
In this other post, I talked about the estimated distribution budget. One of the most common mistakes is not thinking about these expenses before starting to promote your film.
We know how important it is to have a production budget, so… why don’t we do the same with distribution?
I believe the problem lies in the possibility of distributing a film at zero cost. Yes, it is possible; you don’t pay submission fees or platform fees, and you send the copies via links. But keep in mind that you will be missing out on many opportunities, and there is a cost in time and labor that you should budget for.
Nowadays, it is advisable to always make a small budget, both for platform expenses and submission fees, as well as for copies and travel to festivals.
Failing to do so also means reducing possibilities and not being aware of distribution needs.
#4 Not creating a distribution strategy
On many occasions, you start promoting your film to Class A festivals, or only the most important ones, or to all those you see open on the submission platform. But there is no defined strategy.
To start promoting your film, it is important that you know it well, both its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the festival segments where it can stand out.
Conducting this preliminary study is fundamental to validating the festivals where it might work and, if it doesn’t go well, being able to draw conclusions. Creating a good distribution strategy is increasingly important. Don’t forget that more than 10,000 films are moved around the world every year.
#5 Not traveling to festivals
Getting your short film selected in 200 festivals but not traveling is useless. You have to be clear about that. The goal of festival distribution is the promotion of your film and of yourself as a director or producer.
It makes more sense to be selected in 10 festivals and travel to 5 than to be in hundreds of festivals and not do so.
Attending festivals allows you to meet other directors, learn about their programming lines, and meet the audience. The life experience and learning involved in visiting festivals is the best part of the circuit.
Therefore, set aside some budget for travel, create a strategy keeping in mind that you can travel, and do so with promotional materials for the short (cards, flyers, etc.) in addition to a backup copy for the screening on a flash drive—it never hurts.
In conclusion
I hope this summary of mistakes has been useful to you; it is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather a compilation based on my experience after talking with directors starting out with their first short films.
What other mistakes do you consider you have made? What would you not do again if you were to start promoting your film from scratch?
Best of luck with the distribution!, and get ready for the coming months; they are the ones that accumulate the most selections in the year.