{"id":11664,"date":"2017-02-21T13:59:11","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T12:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/class-a-festivals-to-premiere-your-first-feature\/"},"modified":"2017-02-21T13:59:11","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T12:59:11","slug":"class-a-festivals-to-premiere-your-first-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ismaelmartin.com\/en\/class-a-festivals-to-premiere-your-first-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"Class A Festivals to Premiere Your First Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past weekend, Carla Sim\u00f3n’s feature film Summer 1993<\/strong><\/em> won the prestigious Best First Feature Award<\/strong> at the Berlinale<\/strong>. This is great news for Spanish cinema and for the film’s trajectory, as well as, of course, for its director. Carla Sim\u00f3n is the first Spanish female director to receive this award. <\/p>\n

Achieving recognition like this is very important for a first-time director. I have taken the opportunity over the last few days to review the festivals that have specific awards and sections for first-time directors at Class A festivals<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

These festivals are those accredited by the FIAPF as Competitive Feature Film Festivals<\/em><\/a>;<\/em> they are world-class international premiere festivals and should be your first options when planning your film’s strategy.<\/p>\n

When you are a director with your first or second film, good festival planning is important, as this is a condition that only occurs at a very specific moment in your life as a director and must be seized. Along these lines, I already spoke about festivals for debut films at a national level<\/a> and festivals for new directors starting in November<\/a> of last year. <\/p>\n

Among Class A festivals, there are 6 that have sections or awards for debut films at an international level, while others are limited by country:<\/p>\n

#1 Berlinale<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We begin with Berlin<\/a>; although it does not have a specific section for debut films, the Best First Feature Award<\/strong> is cross-sectional, and all films from the competition as well as other sections such as Panorama<\/em>, Forum<\/em>, Generation<\/em>, or Perspektive Deutsches Kino<\/em> are eligible. In the case of Summer 1993<\/em><\/strong>, it participated in the Generation<\/em> section (where it also won the Generation Kplus Grand Prix of the International Jury<\/em><\/strong>). <\/p>\n

This award comes with \u20ac50,000, which is split between the director and the producer. Only films with a duration of over 60 minutes can participate. The deadline for registration was last October 31, with an entry fee of \u20ac150. <\/p>\n

#2 Cannes Critics’ Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the case of the Cannes Film Festival<\/strong><\/a>, there is no specific award or section within the festival dedicated to debut films. This gap is filled by Critics’ Week<\/a>, organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. Directors with their first or second film<\/strong> can participate for this award. <\/p>\n

They must also have a duration of more than 60 minutes and must be world premieres, whether fiction or documentary. The registration deadline is next March 10, and it has a cost of \u20ac120. It takes place from May 18 to 26, 2017. <\/p>\n

#3 Venice International Critics’ Week <\/strong>(update)<\/h2>\n

As in Cannes, the Settimana Internazionale della Critica di Venezia<\/a><\/em> takes place in Venice, organized by the Italian Association of Film Critics. Only debut films, both fiction and documentary over 60 minutes, can participate. The prize for this section is \u20ac5,000. <\/p>\n

The deadline for registration is next June 1, and it has a cost of \u20ac40. It is held during La Biennale di Venezia<\/strong>, from August 30 to September 9. <\/p>\n

#4 San Sebasti\u00e1n International Film Festival<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In this case, there is indeed a specific section for debut films: the New Directors<\/strong> section<\/a>. The director’s first or second film<\/strong> can participate, and it has the same prize as the Berlinale<\/strong>: \u20ac50,000 to be split between the director and the film’s distributor. <\/p>\n

The premiere requirement is a world premiere, and the registration fee is \u20ac70. It takes place from September 22 to 30 of this year. <\/p>\n

#5 Locarno Film Festival <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Along the same lines, the Locarno Festival<\/strong><\/a> features the Concorso<\/strong> Cineasti del Presente<\/strong><\/em>, a section dedicated to first and second films, both documentary and fiction. The first prize in this section is 40,000 CHF (\u20ac37,582), also to be split between director and producer. <\/p>\n

Films with a minimum duration of 60 minutes can participate. The deadline is until June 2<\/strong>. The registration fee is \u20ac130 for feature films. It takes place from August 2 to 12. <\/p>\n

#6 The Montreal World Film Festival<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In Montreal<\/a>, there is also a specific section for debut films, but only the director’s first film is admitted and it must be fiction. The registration deadline will be next July 10<\/strong>, with an entry fee of $150 CAD (\u20ac114.46). <\/p>\n

The festival will take place from August 24 to September 4, 2017.<\/p>\n

#7 Black Nights Film Festival<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The P\u00d6FF<\/a> takes place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and has a specific competition for debut films with a duration of over 60 minutes. Although the minimum premiere requirement is European, priority is given to world and international premieres. <\/p>\n

The Best Film Award in this competition is \u20ac5,000, also to be split between the director and the producer. It takes place from November 17 to December 3. The registration deadline is next August 17<\/strong> and it has an entry fee of \u20ac50. <\/p>\n

Other Class A festivals <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are other festivals that have sections and awards dedicated to debut films, but with participation limited to a geographical area, as is the case with the Karlovy Vary Festival<\/a>, dedicated to first and second films from Central and Eastern European countries, Turkey, and countries of the former Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

In this regard, the Tokyo<\/a> (section Asian Future<\/em>) and Shanghai<\/a> (section Asian New Talent Award) festivals have a specific award for debut films from the Asian continent.<\/p>\n

Summarizing the sections and awards for debut films at these festivals:<\/p>\n