I'm a newb to film festivals and I'm noticing that a lot of festivals only accept 16mm or 35mm formats. I'm shooting with a canon xl2. What do I have to do to get to these formats? Thanks.

Almost all festivals accept digital formats. And all of them accept DVD as a screener.

My suggestion is to enter only the festivals that don't require film prints ( I think
there are only 2 or 3 that require film) and enter all the others. A film print is very,
very expensive.

But that's not what you asked. To get your video to film you will need to do what
is called a "film out" or film transfer. Places like Post House (http://www.posthouse.com/), Alpha Cine (http://www.alphacine.com/) and
Cineric (http://www.cineric.com/) do this.

If you are seriously planning on transfering to film it's essential that you contact
the lab BEFORE you start shooting to better understand their requirements.

Dutchboy,

If you do decide to transfer your digital video to film you may also want to consider dvfilm (http://www.dvfilm.com/services.htm) in Austin, Texas. I agree with dirctorik that it is essential to contact the transfer house before you start shooting. This will ensure a smooth transfer.

Hope this is helpful,
Dave

Thanks for the info. I'm not planning to transfer to film. I was just curious. As long as I can submit to festivals in digital format I'm all set.

Which festivals did you see that only accept 16mm or 35mm formats?

I'm always looking to broaden my knowledge of festivals.