{"id":11237,"date":"2018-09-05T15:35:41","date_gmt":"2018-09-05T13:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/is-it-worth-premiering-your-short-film-in-a-regional-section\/"},"modified":"2018-09-05T15:35:41","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T13:35:41","slug":"is-it-worth-premiering-your-short-film-in-a-regional-section","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/en\/is-it-worth-premiering-your-short-film-in-a-regional-section\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it worth premiering your short film in a regional section?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am back after a few weeks off in August. This year it was a very special family holiday<\/strong>, with my daughter, who has just turned one. <\/p>\n

As usual, September has arrived with a lot of work and news. The busiest festival period<\/strong> is now beginning, and you can tell from the start: every day there are new replies, and some of them are really good. <\/p>\n

In these first few days back at work, there is one topic that, curiously, has come up several times:<\/p>\n

Is it a good idea to premiere a short film in a regional section?<\/strong> Is it better to wait for a “more important” selection?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that we are at the end of the year and the selections for some major festivals are already known, there are directors who are considering whether to keep persevering with these festivals or to start the run in sections considered somewhat “smaller” than what they had initially planned.<\/p>\n

The importance of the premiere often carries too much weight<\/strong> and can cause the start of distribution to be delayed significantly. Sometimes premiering in a regional or local section does not have to be a bad idea; it can be a great way to start the run. <\/p>\n

You can consider it especially if you have already been trying other festivals for a while without much luck, or if, in the distribution strategy you have planned, it will not harm other festival submissions.<\/p>\n

I have summarised some ideas on this topic in five key points<\/strong>, which you can keep in mind if you are asking yourself this question; it is a doubt that is coming up very frequently:<\/p>\n

#1 Think in terms of a medium-term strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before deciding whether it is worth premiering in a regional section you need to have a prior strategy<\/strong>, weigh up different options, and be sure that the premiere will not harm other festivals.<\/p>\n

For example, if you want to premiere in a section or at a bigger festival, submit as early as possible; this way you can find out sooner if you are not selected and start considering other options.<\/p>\n

#2 The premiere is important, up to a point
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As I said at the beginning, we should demystify festival premieres a little. Clearly, they are important, and I have spoken many times about planning them well. <\/p>\n

But, in certain circumstances, it may be more advisable to start getting selections as soon as possible<\/strong>. Keep in mind that a regional, national, and even international premiere can be compatible with other major festivals that do not require a premiere, such as Sundance<\/a> or Clermont-Ferrand<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, the point is not to obsess too much over the premiere. You need to take it into account at the beginning, but it is not about spending a whole year sending the short film only to a few festivals because you are waiting for that big international festival that never quite arrives. <\/p>\n

#3 Review the festival calendar carefully
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We should also put this decision into context by analysing the time of year<\/strong> we are in now. Looking at the calendar, the next A-list festival is Berlin<\/a>, which takes place in February and usually closes submissions in November; Rotterdam<\/a> is also still open, but in its second deadline <\/em>and it values the international premiere. <\/p>\n

If you are aiming for these festivals, the first thing is to analyse their programming lines carefully<\/strong>, as they have very different selection criteria; but if you are not going to try, there are not many reasons not to premiere in a regional section, except because in your strategy you have considered other festivals that value the world or national premiere, even if it is not a strict requirement.<\/p>\n

Keep it in mind especially if you have been sending your short film around for a while without results; on the other hand, if you are now in post-production and planning your initial strategy, then you can consider festivals that require an international or world premiere.<\/p>\n

#4 You keep the international premiere<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In line with the above, the advantage of premiering in a regional section is that you preserve the short film\u2019s international premiere<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For example, if you are now considering premiering in a regional section or doing so in the official section of the Gij\u00f3n Festival<\/a> (where there are short films of various nationalities), keep in mind that doing so in Gij\u00f3n may also mean the international premiere.<\/p>\n

In other words: taking part in a regional section does not close the door to taking part in Berlin, since the minimum requirement is international, but taking part in Gij\u00f3n does.<\/p>\n

#5 You start with promotion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another advantage of premiering in a regional section is that you can start promoting it<\/strong>; the audience attending the screening will be able to start sharing their opinions on social media, and you will be able to publish the first press releases.<\/p>\n

Festivals that support local or regional cinema often put a lot of effort into promotion\u2014an added advantage you may have compared to other festivals where the selection might go more unnoticed.<\/p>\n

Think it through carefully and seek help if necessary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ultimately, it is a decision that has to be consistent with the strategy you have defined<\/strong> and with your short film\u2019s possibilities.<\/p>\n

At first, consider all possibilities and do not dismiss a regional section without thinking it through very carefully first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am back after a few weeks off in August. This year it was a very special family holiday, with my daughter, who has just turned one. As usual, September has arrived with a lot of work and news. The busiest festival period is now beginning, and you can tell from the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[280],"class_list":["post-11237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-festival-strategy","tag-regional-section"],"yoast_head":"\nIs it worth premiering your short film in a regional section? - Ismael Martin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is it a good idea to premiere a short film in a regional section? 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