Cannes (Submit short to which Big Festivals first)?

I'm a newbie.. shot a student film and completed editing process. My plan was to submit to the biggest festivals first.. Because Cannes, for instance, says you must premier your film with them...

"Films that have not been presented at any other international motion picture event;
If the film (feature or short) has been selected in an international section (competitive or not) of a festival, it becomes ineligible for the Festival de Cannes. A selection is international if it presents films from different countries."

So in that case.. should I just submit my film all over or wait for Cannes to accept my film and play my film first... seems a bit ridiculous to plan my entire festival circuit around one festival... Otherwise, I'll be missing submitting my film this year to several other rather big-name festivals. What are your guys thoughts?

My film, by the way, was completed in September 2012 and is a student sci-fi/experimental/human-rights 15:00 short narrative.

I was going down this list..

1. Cannes Film Festival
2. Sundance Film Festival
3. Toronto Film Festival
4. Berlin Film Festival
5. South by Southwest
6. Telluride Film Festival
7. Nantucket Film Festival
8. São Paulo International Film Festival
9. Tribeca Film Festival
10. Austin Film Festival
11. Venice Film Festival
For more intimate and supportive niche film festivals, check out these:
1. Marfa Film Festival *
2. Slamdance Film Festival
3. San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival
4. Terror Film Festival
5. Eerie Horror Fest
6. Boston Irish Film Festival
7. American Black Film Festival
8. San Diego Asian Film Festival
9. Screamfest Horror Film Festival

INTERNATIONAL

Festival de Cannes
Toronto International Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The American Film Market
SXSW South by Southwest Music and Film Interactive
Telluride Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
Nantucket Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival

http://www.screenwritingfor********...t-film-festivals-to-enter-your-film-or-script
 
Submit wide but some of the smaller ones you can catch on the end of next year.

We are submitting to many of the same festivals. Maybe I'll see you at a few??? Keep me posted on what you get.
 
Be honest with yourself about the quality of your film. If you truly believe it is good enough for the highest profile festivals like Cannes and Sundance, wait for them. If you have any real doubt, submit to everything else.

Although if you end up getting into everything else you submit to, maybe your film was good enough in the first place for the big ones, but I think overall you'll be proud to have gotten into any at all.

Good luck :)
 
seems a bit ridiculous to plan my entire festival circuit around one festival... Otherwise, I'll be missing submitting my film this year to several other rather big-name festivals. What are your guys thoughts?
I agree with you.

Have you seen the short film accepted in competition at Cannes?
How many shorts screened at Sundance have you seen? What
about Berlin or Toronto or South by Southwest? How does your
film stand up to them? Is it considerably better?

How many total festivals do you have the money to enter?
 
Thanks guys.

Sorry, Rik, I didn't see your last public reply. I have not seen other films and have no reason to believe my film beats out all the others. I can only say that my film is very unique nobody has ever done anything like it.. will officials fall head over heals?? Probably not lol

But I'm still trying to grasp this international film circuit concept. I'm close to Cleveland (in Chicago).. so should I submit to the Cleveland International Film Festival? What about the Atlanta International Film Festival... will submitting to these festivals immediately take me out of the running from other major festivals .. forget Berlin.. what about Sydney and other major Festivals in the world and bigger ones in the States like Telluride...

Man do i feel lost lol

Oh, YES, I have the funds... But not to travel to all of them... just the more local ones.. Sundance/Slamdance, California, Arizona maybe... but probably not overseas... so by not being able to go.... is it pointless submitting to (less likely to network if I'm not there)?
 
By submitting you do not take yourself out of the running. Your film can
play in hundreds of festivals - there are no limits. You seem to be concerned
about "premiere" status. Some festivals want premiere's so if your film plays
or has been accepted in another festival you will lose out on the "premiere"
If you enter, say, the top seven as a premiere and you get accepted into four
of them then YOU make the decision which one you will allow to premiere
your movie.

One thing you really should do is go to film festivals. I am always stunned
by how few filmmakers ever attend film festivals. I don't understand. There
are not only great movies to watch but you can make connections even if
you don't have a film playing. Chicago has several festivals and there are
others within a days drive. I can't understand why you don't go so you can
see what films are accepted.

Anyway, I hope you have that dilemma - your movie is accepted into four
or five festivals as a premiere and you have to choose which one you will
allow to show your movie. Once that is over then you can enter all the
festivals you can afford. It looks great to have "Official Selection" from a
dozen or more festivals on your films resume.

Now...

Go to a film festival! don't be among the many filmmakers who don't ever
go unless one of their films is playing. Support other filmmakers they way
you hope people will support you.
 
Thank you for the in-depth explanations, Rik... But I guess the question I still have is... "Which festivals are worthy of premiere status"? Are there only like 5 including Berlin, Cannes... after that I don't even know which ones require that your film is Premiere. And my concerns all came about due to Cannes rules "Thou shall not send film to any other international film festival!" .. well, so if I send to Nantucket, am I doomed? But like you said, I don't mind waiting until next year to send my film to every other festival... but in that case, I don't know which festivals to start with this year...

As an example, I see Ann Arbor International Film Festival coming up this week... "Cinequest", and "Cleveland International Film Festival" too ... Are any of these worthy of "Premiere status" in the USA?

Does anyone know specifically which festivals I should send my film first? Is there a Premiere Festival List?

Appreciate any responses.. know this may be getting redundant but hopefully some of this information can help others.. also, i'll post a couple links I find in due time that others can reference.

Cale
 
One more thought on this "Premiere Status" or festivals worthy of "Premiering" ...

On the Withoutabox description of The Cleveland Int'l Film Festival, it is said, "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® has named the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) as a qualifying festival in the category of Short Films."

If a festival is a 'qualifying festival' for the Academy, then does this translate into more publicity and therefore a worthy festival to premiere your short film?
 
I don't know this for sure, but it seems silly that Cannes means you cannot even simply SUBMIT to other festivals... But even if the act of submitting somewhere else gets you disqualified from Cannes, I don't see how they would ever find out. The other festivals that you submitted to aren't affiliated with Cannes, and they will contact you privately about wanting to show your film, at which point you could politely decline.

As far as which festivals being worthy, that's just a matter of opinion. There's no accurate list of festivals ranked best to worst. But, I can remember which festivals I had heard of before I ever got into filmmaking, and I think any festival that has a household name within non filmmaker circles is a good bet:

Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, South by Southwest, Telluride, Tribeca
 
If a festival is a 'qualifying festival' for the Academy, then does this translate into more publicity and therefore a worthy festival to premiere your short film?
It means the AMPAS accepts films at a qualifying festival into the running
for "Live Action Short Film". If a film gets a n Oscar nomination that does
men some publicity. But quick, without looking it up, name last years
winner of the "Live Action Short Film" Oscar.

See. You don't know the film or the filmmaker so there isn't much publicity
for even the winners. Name ONE film or filmmaker who has won a "Live
Action Short Film" Oscar in the last 20 years. Without looking it up.

HERE'S A FULL LIST of the qualifying festivals.


And my concerns all came about due to Cannes rules "Thou shall not send film to any other international film festival!" .. well, so if I send to Nantucket, am I doomed?
I have the rules right in front of me and I can't find that requirement. Is
this a "myth" you have heard and believe or do you have this in writing
somewhere. Perhaps you have misunderstood Article 3. Or maybe I am
wrong. Please point me to this rule so I can offer better advice.

If Cannes is your goal then submit to them first. If they do not select your
film then move on to other festivals. If they do then you can enter other
festivals that do not require premiere status.

As an example, I see Ann Arbor International Film Festival coming up this week... "Cinequest", and "Cleveland International Film Festival" too ... Are any of these worthy of "Premiere status" in the USA?
All three are worthy.

What, exactly, is your goal? You want your film to premiere at a major festival?
Is that what you're holding out for? The "world premiere"? Is your primary goal
to qualify for an Oscar? You need to define your goal. You can't just founder around
wondering what is best if you don't have a specific goal. I know, I know, you want
the stay open to every, single possibility....

Here's what you do: submit your film to the top ten
Sundance
Toronto
Cannes
AFI
Tribeca
Seattle International
Los Angeles
Telluride
SXSW
Berlin

If one of them accepts your film as a premiere your concerns are over. If three
or more accept it you have a wonderful dilemma to ponder. If none of them
accept your film then you start the process of entering as many of the non
premiere-statis festivals as you can afford. If you enter 40 and get into 10 that's
great!
 
Thanks DirectoRik!

Very very insightful. This thread should have it's own webpage searchable via Google for other novice film students like myself! By the way, with regards to the Cannes rule, I was simply referring to my quoted reference above in a sarcastic way, ""Films that have not been presented at any other international motion picture event"

source: http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/festivalServices/officialSelectionPreselection.html

CONDITIONS

Only films (feature and short) that meet the following conditions may be chosen for invitation to the Official Selection:
• Films that have been produced during the twelve months preceding the Festival
• Films whose distribution is limited to its country of origin
• Films that have not been presented in any international motion picture event. If the film (feature or short) has been selected in an international section (competitive or not) of a festival, it becomes ineligible for the Festival de Cannes. A selection is international if it presents films from different countries.
• Films that have not been shown on the Internet
• Short films that do not exceed 15 minutes in length, including credits


Though, regarding the 'Premiere Status' of a festival, I read an article from 2007 where the Toronto Int'l Film Festival was loosening its noose on requiring films be "Premieres" as many filmmakers were submitting and premiering their films elsewhere only to lie about it by the time it got to Toronto... Anyway, seems like the premiere status is very important for major festivals, nonetheless!

Thanks for the list and the help, man!
 
Unless 90% plus of people you show it to, upon seeing it say, "Oh my god, that's the best short film I have ever seen!", you have virtually zero chance of getting into a top tier festival like Sundance or Tribeca. That is unless it's a pro-gay marriage film about a dyslexic lesbian and her African American, PTSD suffering, Homeless Iraq war vet girlfriend who are environmental activists. In that case it can kind of suck and it will still get in a million festivals.
 
What, exactly, is your goal? You want your film to premiere at a major festival?
Is that what you're holding out for? The "world premiere"? Is your primary goal
to qualify for an Oscar? You need to define your goal. You can't just founder around
wondering what is best if you don't have a specific goal. I know, I know, you want
the stay open to every, single possibility....

Here's what you do: submit your film to the top ten
Sundance
Toronto
Cannes
AFI
Tribeca
Seattle International
Los Angeles
Telluride
SXSW
Berlin

+1

directorik makes a very good point, that seems to elude most filmmakers doing the festivals. What is your goal? This goes not just for shorts, but features too. (i.e., besides "distribution" that feature filmmakers want and need, there's more to the festival arena than that.) Thinking about the goal(s) really can help to inform one's festival strategy.

JC
 
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