ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXSwearing and film festivals.
4 weeks, 1 day ago - Alwyne Kennedy
I'll soon be shooting a short film, a dark comedy that has the F word a number of times. Do film festivals have a general policy when it comes to such language? Would I be excluding my film from entry?
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4 weeks, 1 day ago - Niki Jones
Not a film programmer here, but as far as I know – the vast majority couldn’t care less! Honestly, for a dark comedy, dropping the F bomb a few times is basically expected. Most festivals that show stuff like that are already 18+ blocks, so you’re not going to shock anyone. The only time it might be a concern is if you were trying to sneak it into a family-friendly slot, which… yeah, probably not. Otherwise, just go for it!
4 weeks ago - Alwyne Kennedy
Thanks, Niki.
3 weeks, 2 days ago - Tina Walker
I’d say the F-word is fine as long as it feels like real language, not just a gimmick. Day-to-day speech is full of swearing, and most programmers understand that. It only becomes an issue if it’s thrown in gratuitously or trying to shock rather than build the story. Then maybe the festivals might worry about their rep...
3 weeks, 2 days ago - Alwyne Kennedy
Thanks, Tina.