ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXDocumentary short film festivals - Advice
3 years, 3 months ago - Dominic Lester
Hi.
I am in the final stages of finishing a 20 min documentary about a female photojournalist who started her career in the male dominated industry in the 1970's. She travelled the world and being a woman gave her the rare opportunity to take pictures that men couldn't.
I should be finished in about 6 weeks and I have no experience of the "short film circuit" in regards to documentaries. I don't even know what questions I should be asking you here but the first would be.
Can anyone recommend good festivals to enter?
I was planning on using Film Freeway to apply and distribute is there some better way?
Sorry for the vague questions but any advice shared would be greatly appreciated.
Dom
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3 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
Go to festivals in your area. Go to the art house cinema, ask what festivals show documentaries there. (Or showed them in the past). And the film schools might know some too.
Okay, now when you see some great short films, look at the start of them. They will say which festivals they won.
There are also lists of academy qualifying and bafta qualifying festivals linked here in the SP resources. https://shootingpeople.org/resources/
If there is anywhere you want to travel to, that might be worth it. You don't need film festivals, but they can be fun ways to network and connect with fans.
(Personally, I would just go to Youtube, but if my co-filmmakers wanted to do the festival circuit, I would definitely go for local first, then BAFTA and Academy qualifying.)
Response from 3 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa SHOW
3 years, 3 months ago - Dominic Lester
Thank you, very useful
Response from 3 years, 3 months ago - Dominic Lester SHOW
3 years, 2 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
Another warning, try the official websites of the festivals to make sure you have the actual festival.
https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/it/festivalul-astra-film-tinta-unui-atac-tip-furt-de-identitate-pe-platforma-filmfreeway
Some of Romanias top festivals have suffered identity theft on FilmFreeway. (These are famous, long standing festivals, and British documentary makers were among the victims of the fraud.).
I hope FilmFreeway fixes this, but if there is a loophole then anyone can be spoofed. I guess you could get your money back if it happens, but the inconvenience of thinking you entered a festival when you in fact missed the deadline could be annoying.
(I saw this through the festivals facebook page.)
Response from 3 years, 2 months ago - Vasco de Sousa SHOW
2 years, 11 months ago - Marina Uzcategui
Hello, Dominic
Also check Female topic festival considering your main character it's female. It's a lot of festivals dedicated exclusively to women characters. ALso, I have some friends that will be super interested in watching its international group of female photojournalists in the main cities *London, New york, etc. They have a group on Facebook, it will be super good to connect with them. :)
More than happy to connect with them.
Marina
Response from 2 years, 11 months ago - Marina Uzcategui SHOW