1.1 best film festivals • park city picture show Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is arguably the most well-known American film festival. Every year, more than 10,000 short and feature-length documentaries and narrative films submit for consideration. Now the fest has even added television pilots and VR/AR projects to the lineup. Of these 10,000, less than 200 films are selected for their debut. That’s less than 2 percent! So should you submit to the Sundance Film Festival when there is such a small chance your film will ever be seen?

Sundance 2019

A few things to consider … First, Sundance is known as one of the top documentary festivals. It also touts narrative dramas with a bit of star power. This festival is for directors who have honed their filmmaking techniques. This film festival also favors films that have been fostered in Sundance labs and fellowships. Another major consideration: Sundance tends to favor American films. You must get as specific as possible when choosing a film festival. Especially if you are a filmmaker with limited budget. In other words, do your homework. Does it sound like the Sundance Film Festival is right for you? The big question you should be asking yourself is, “What has the Sundance line-up and winners list looked like in the past?” If your film has a different theme or experimental element perhaps another festival is a better fit. If your film is selected, your path for distribution becomes much clearer.

THE FIVE TYPES OF FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERES PREMIERES at top film festivals Film premieres usually unfold in one of five different ways: World Premiere: First time film is shown for the general public. International Premiere: The first time your film is shown outside your home country. Continental Premiere: First time film is shown on a continent. National Premiere: First time your film is shown in a country. Domestic Premiere: First time film is shown in your own country City or Regional Premiere: First time your film is shown in a city. : First time your film is shown in a city.

It’s great to know that at least one of the programmers at the Sundance Film Festival watches every single film. But they won’t ever tell you why your film didn’t make the cut. Is their entry fee worth it? Absolutely. Without any shred of doubt, this is one of the best film festivals, period. But make sure you feel like your movie has what they’re looking for.

Entry Fee : $40-$110

: $40-$110 Noteworthy Winners: Whiplash, Fruitvale Station, Blood Simple

Whiplash, Fruitvale Station, Blood Simple Apply here →

1.2 best film festivals • indie ny Tribeca Film Festival At just 16 years old, the Tribeca Film Festival has quickly become one of the largest and most revered festivals in the world. Like the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival brings together film executives, filmmakers and movie enthusiasts from across the globe. To date, more than 3 million visitors have attended the festival, which generates more than $600 million annually. The mission of the Tribeca Film Festival is to bring independent films to the widest audience possible. Last year, out of the 8400 submissions, 1400 were accepted. Long odds? Of course. But that also means the odds of getting into the Tribeca Film Festival are significantly better than getting into Sundance. And are they worth the admission fee? You better believe it.

Entry Fee : $60-$500

: $60-$500 Noteworthy Winners: Roger Dodger, Let the Right One In, Green Hat

Roger Dodger, Let the Right One In, Green Hat Apply here →

1.3 top film festivals • bat city Austin Film Festival The coolest city in Texas also hosts the coolest film festival in the US. The Austin Film Festival is a filmmaker-favorite as it’s more writer-focused than many others. In fact, the Austin Film Festivals was initially called the Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference. So, if you’re submitting your project make sure your treatment and script are ready for showtime. Today, the Austin Film Festival still receives more script submissions than any other screenplay competition in the world.

A Conversation with Jason Reitman at the Austin Film Festival

Of course, with major hype comes major talent. Both Ivan Reitman and Cary Joji Fukunaga have won prizes for their films at the Austin Film Festival. In fact, Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, is well-beloved by the festival. His films Juno and Up in the Air both premiered at the Austin Film Festival. They would go on to garner several Academy Award nominations and wins. Worth mentioning that the Austin Film Fest shares a city with the powerhouse SXSW Film Festival. Austin takes place in fall, however, while SXSW occurs in late winter. So So get your EPK ready and head to Texas. The Austin Festival is certainly worth the submission fee. And the music, food, and hospitality don’t hurt either.

Entry Fee : $50-$85

: $50-$85 Noteworthy Winners: Juno, Up in the Air

Juno, Up in the Air Apply here →

1.4 film festivals 2019 • rocky mountain high Telluride Film Festival The Telluride Film Festival is held every year over Labor Day Weekend. It combines all the glamour of Tribeca, the western sentiment of Sundance and the prestige of Toronto. A former mining community, the Telluride Film Festival continues the town’s historic search for gold by only allowing films that make their world premiere at the festival. This means there’s a great selection of films accepted from both well-known filmmakers and independent artists. Michael Moore’s Roger and Me made its world premiere at the Colorado Mountains hideaway. Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi and Greta Gerwig’s Ladybird also made their debut at the Telluride Film Festival. Is it worth the submission fee? Absolutely! The Telluride Film Festival is a great opportunity for independent filmmakers to stand shoulder to shoulder and compete with Hollywood’s elite. Again, Telluride and many of the top fests, only want premieres so make sure to keep track of the submission dates and deadlines with a production calendar from StudioBinder. No white board, no problem. You can create the calendar with StudioBinder software in a few minutes. Then, drag and drop interface is one of the features, you just click and drag to create events.

Film Festival submissions made simple

Using a production calendar that automatically creates a timeline or gantt chart is the best way to keep track of all your submissions. So make your calendar and put Telluride at the top of the list.

Entry Fee : $45-$95

: $45-$95 Noteworthy Winners: Brokeback Mountain, Moonlight, Lady Bird

Brokeback Mountain, Moonlight, Lady Bird Apply here →

1.5 best film festivals • empire state New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival was started by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 1963 and has become a sought-after event for filmmakers around the world.

Roma was a recent offering of the film festival

Though studio films are chosen for opening night, closing night and centerpiece presentations, let there be no mistake: This is not a festival for studio-sponsored fare. The New York Film Festival is focused on independent filmmakers.

An advert for the 56th annual film festival

The main competition for feature-length narratives offers about 25 to 35 films every year. There are additional opportunities for experimental and documentary films.

Entry Fee : $25-$85

: $25-$85 Noteworthy Films: The Big Chill, Chariots of Fire, The Social Network

The Big Chill, Chariots of Fire, The Social Network Apply here →

1.6 film festivals 2019 • chi-town Chicago International Film Festival It’s appropriate that the Chicago International Film Festival is one of the most esteemed festivals in the US. Filmmakers flocked there following the World’s Fair in 1893, seeing something special in the Second City that still holds to this day. It’s not afraid to take chances, has no restrictions on premieres, and carries a great energy that reverberates throughout the event. Amores Perros and Hunger are two of the former winners of the festival if that tells you anything about the festivals selections. Amores Perros and Hunger are two of the former winners of the festival if that tells you anything about the festivals selections.

Edison premiered his kinetoscope at Chicago’s first film festival

The festival has several categories for submission including an International Competition, New Directors Competition, Docufest, Black Perspectives, Cinema of the Americas, and Reel Women. If you’re looking for a well-known competition that demands nothing but great cinema, the Chicago International Film Festival is definitely worth the submission fee.

Entry Fee : $20-$200

: $20-$200 Noteworthy Films: Delicatessen, Amores Perros, Hunger

Delicatessen, Amores Perros, Hunger Apply here → ​ ​

1.7 top film festivals • desert style Palm Springs International Film Festival For more than 30 years the Palm Springs International Film Festival has taken place in the Coachella Valley where the sun is always shining. But it’s not just the weather that brings attendees from far and wide. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is a major launching point for new filmmakers.

Take a look at the selections of The Palm Springs film Festival

Hordes of industry bigwigs descend on the desert-set film festival to view nearly 200 film screenings, tributes and special presentations. Not from the US? No problem! Palm Springs welcomes projects from all over the world. In fact, more than 70 countries were represented in 2018! It’s important to note that no short films are screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. There are plenty of shorts-only festivals and big name festivals that accept short films, but the Palm Springs International Film Festival is for features only.

Entry Fee : $75-$95

: $75-$95 Noteworthy Films: Dallas Buyers Club, Manchester by the Sea

Dallas Buyers Club, Manchester by the Sea Apply here →

1.8 top film festivals • deep south Atlanta Film Festival Currently in its 43rd year, the Atlanta Film Festival is one of the largest and longest continuously running festivals in the United States. The Atlanta Film Festival is also one of the 20 Academy-qualifying festivals for narrative, animated and documentary shorts. It’s also a tough one to get into. Out of more than 7600 submissions this year, only 300 films from 50 countries were screened. Of course, if you have a great film, those numbers are no reason not to submit! In fact, the Atlanta Film Festival is well-known for showcasing filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ community members, female-centered movies and experimental films. They also feature amazing prizes in every category. Is it worth the submission fee? Definitely. MovieMaker Magazine called the Atlanta Film Festival one of the 25 coolest festivals in the world and we agree. Is it worth the submission fee? Definitely. MovieMaker Magazine called the Atlanta Film Festival one of the 25 coolest festivals in the world and we agree.

Entry Fee : $15-$90

: $15-$90 Noteworthy Films: El Mariachi, The Cabin in the Woods, Winter’s Bone

El Mariachi, The Cabin in the Woods, Winter’s Bone Apply here →

1.9 film festivals • california Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a 34-year-old institution along California’s sun-drenched coast. It screens a diverse lineup of more than 200 films with nearly 10,000 people attending from all over the world. The movie festival caters to its international fans with sections devoted to Nordic regions, Israeli offerings, and both Latin American and Asian filmmakers. Of course, there is no shortage of celebrity sightings. But there are also many seminars with industry executives and film professionals. Is it good for independent filmmakers? Simply put, yes. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is another Academy-Award qualifying opportunity that extends an open hand to indie filmmakers. It also hosts some of the industry’s biggest independent distributors.

Entry Fee : $35-$100

: $35-$100 Noteworthy Films: I, Tonya, The Salesman

I, Tonya, The Salesman Apply here →

1.10 top film festivals • island vibes Nantucket Film Festival The Nantucket Film Festival is only 23 years old and has already become a major event on the United States festival circuit. Started as a festival to showcase screenwriting and storytelling, it is still committed to shepherding writers with its Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competition. The annual contest provides winners with an all-expenses-paid writer’s retreat and private consultations with Showtime executives.

The Nantucket Film Festival

The films that screen at the Nantucket Film Festival lean towards strong narrative storytelling. Previously accepted submissions include Captain Fantastic, Brave, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Still, with only 800 to 1000 submissions, the odds your film will be seen are pretty good.

A writer-focused film festival

Among the awards at the Nantucket Film Festival is the Adrienne Shelly Foundations Excellence in Filmmaking Award. Each year it’s granted to a female filmmaker for an outstanding narrative or feature film. Just one of the many reasons the Nantucket Film Festival makes our list of film festivals worth the entry fee.

Entry Fee : $25-$75

: $25-$75 Noteworthy Films: Searching for Sugar Man, Captain Fantastic, Margin Call

Searching for Sugar Man, Captain Fantastic, Margin Call Apply here →

1.11 enter film festivals Slamdance Founded in 1995, Slamdance prides itself on being by filmmakers, for filmmakers. It has a raw, low-budget emphasis and its films aren’t afraid to push limits. Paranormal Activity premiered at the festival, as did the Seth Gordon video game documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Paranormal Activity premiered at the festival, as did the Seth Gordon video game documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.