Go to Filmfreeway and register your film. Free
Use their tool to find festivals accepting shorts at fees from $0 to $5.
Apply to all of those that you think you have a chance at. New festivals might be one strategy.
Write a cover letter. You can use the same one for each festival.
I agree that festivals you can get to are much more fun, but of the 10 my 2 films have screened at, I only made 3. Telling folks you had a film shown in Seoul/Bilbao/Brooklyn/Guam/Minsk is pretty cool even if you can't go.
Apply to LOTS of festivals. Make it a hobby.
Good luck!