Why the order matters
A film can only world premiere once. If THE LONG DRIVE plays a small regional festival in March, it may no longer qualify as a world premiere for a larger festival in September. That's why festival strategy starts with the top targets and works down, and why producers wait for answers from the first tier before accepting anything else.
For a film seeking distribution, the sales agent usually leads the plan, because a premiere is timed to bring buyers into the room. For a film that already has a distributor, or a documentary with an impact campaign, the strategy may focus on audience and press instead.
A tiered plan with a budget
Every fee and cost below is an assumption for this example. Look up each festival's current submission fees and deadlines before building yours.
| Tier | Festivals | Submissions | Assumed fee each | Fee total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three premiere targets | 3 | $100 | $300 |
| 2 | Six second-wave festivals, submitted after tier 1 replies | 6 | $75 | $450 |
| 3 | Twelve genre and regional festivals | 12 | $50 | $600 |
| 21 | $1,350 |
Fees are the small part. Add the costs of being selected: a DCP and a backup for the premiere (assume $3,000), a publicist for the premiere festival (assume $10,000), travel and lodging for the director and two cast members (assume $6,000), and screeners and subtitles for international festivals (assume $2,500). That's $1,350 + $3,000 + $10,000 + $6,000 + $2,500 = $22,850, and it should go into the budget before the shoot, since the post budget is usually spent by the time the festival letters arrive.
Common mistakes
Accepting the first invitation is the classic one. A producer who's anxious about rejection says yes to a spring festival and gives up a better premiere. Set response dates for your tier 1 targets in writing and hold off until then.
Posting the film online, even behind a password on a public site, can also break eligibility at some festivals. Read each festival's rules on prior online exhibition.
Producers also forget technical requirements. Festivals specify screening formats, caption files, and delivery dates. Build them into the post schedule as deliverables, since a failed DCP at a premiere screening costs more than any fee.
Where it connects to the money
A strong premiere can lead to a distribution agreement with a minimum guarantee, which feeds the waterfall and investor recoupment. Investors will ask about the festival plan in the business plan, so keep the festival budget visible in the finance plan.