{"id":11397,"date":"2017-11-29T13:54:49","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T12:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/3-keys-to-start-distributing-a-documentary\/"},"modified":"2017-11-29T13:54:49","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T12:54:49","slug":"3-keys-to-start-distributing-a-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/en\/3-keys-to-start-distributing-a-documentary\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Keys to Start Distributing a Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are just starting to distribute a documentary<\/strong>, it is advisable to take into account some preliminary considerations, not only to plan the festival circuit<\/strong>, but from the post-production process, and before finalizing the final edit.<\/p>\n

There are some elements that are specific to documentary festivals<\/strong>, and that differentiate them from other genres, such as animation or fiction.<\/p>\n

Considerations such as final duration, budget for submission fees, and whether you are making a short, medium-length, or feature film, as well as premiere requirements, are key factors you should take into account at the beginning of distribution.<\/p>\n

#1 Premiere Requirements<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most important documentary festivals usually have international or world premiere requirements<\/strong>, therefore, for documentary distribution it is advisable to start with a first phase of selective submission<\/a>, where you reserve the world or international premiere.<\/p>\n

The number of festivals that value the premiere is usually higher in documentaries than in other genres<\/strong>, such as animation. There are cases like IDFA Amsterdam<\/a>, Visions du R\u00e9el<\/a>, CPH:DOX<\/a>, and Sheffield Doc\/Fest<\/a>, which value above all the world premiere, and if not, the international and European premiere. <\/p>\n

Along these lines, many of them also have a national requirement in their countries of origin; some examples would be Hot Docs<\/a> and Montreal<\/a> (Canada), Cin\u00e9ma du R\u00e9el<\/a> (France), Popoli<\/a> (Italy), Leipzig<\/a> (Germany), DocLisboa<\/a> (Portugal), or It’s All True<\/a> (Brazil), among others.<\/p>\n

This requirement means you will have to plan a national premiere strategy carefully, and take care of international distribution. Keep in mind that a selective strategy<\/a> for a long time may mean that selections are significantly delayed. <\/p>\n

#2 Duration<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the characteristics that defines documentary distribution is duration<\/strong>. While in fiction and animation it is common for short film festivals to have a maximum duration of 30 minutes, in the case of documentaries most festivals have a maximum requirement of 40 minutes for short films, and from there they can be considered medium-length or feature films, depending on the festival. <\/p>\n

This means that, while in a fiction short with a duration over 20 minutes distribution becomes complicated, in the case of documentaries there is not as much of a problem; programmers are usually more accustomed to longer durations.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, there are many festivals that accept everything from short films and feature films to medium-length films<\/strong>. The duration limits are more diffuse. There are usually no festivals exclusively for feature films or short films; they are documentary festivals. <\/p>\n

The quality of the film is more important than its duration, which means that a documentary medium-length film has more distribution possibilities at festivals than a fiction film. However, the definition of feature film or short film depends on each festival; thus, for example, a medium-length film can start from 30 or 40 minutes, and up to 50, 60, or 70 minutes; from these durations they are usually considered feature films. <\/p>\n

These considerations are important to take into account regarding the budget<\/strong> and submission fee expenses<\/strong>, since depending on the duration one rate or another applies; for just a few more minutes the distribution of a documentary can become almost twice as expensive, in fees alone.<\/p>\n

#3 Submission Fee Expenses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As with premiere requirements, festivals specialized in documentaries usually charge submission fees<\/strong>, more so than in animation and fiction. This has been one of the most significant changes in recent years; many of them did not charge until recently, especially in Europe, but gradually they have been creating these fees. <\/p>\n

Therefore, you should take into account a preliminary budget<\/a>, both for specialized festivals and others that, being generalist, have documentary sections that you could consider.<\/p>\n

Let us look, for example, at the expenses of the festivals I mentioned above, with national premiere requirements:<\/p>\n