Once you’ve collected enough footage, edited an engaging story, and completed the strenuous post-production process, the next step can be the hardest.
Knowing what to do with your film once you’re finished with it can be one of the most difficult parts of filmmaking. You might only have a few hundred dollars left in your budget, so you need to determine which film festivals are worth your time and money. Here are a few from around the world that are ideal targets for your documentary.
New Hampshire Film Festival
This festival often recruits A-list distribution company heads as jury members, so it is a great opportunity for your documentary to get picked up. Open to first-time filmmakers and veterans of the trade, NHFF is home to panels and Q&As with working producers, directors, and distributors. Last year, one of the best panels addressed the future of marketing and distribution among several major studios.
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Date: October 12-15, 2017
Oak Cliff Film Festival
One of the more intimate, accessible festivals is the relatively new Oak Cliff Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. Home to narrative and documentary films alike, this thriving fest gets bigger every year and helps filmmakers put their work in front of distribution companies and industry heads. The festival feels grand in scope but intimate enough to allow filmmakers to meet and discuss their work and the future of film.
Location: Dallas, Texas
Date: June 8-11, 2017
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Dedicated to showcasing documentary films, Full Frame focuses on showcasing new and untold stories, no matter the size of the budget. Two of the sponsors for the festival are A&E Indie films and Showtime’s Documentary Films branch, which guarantees respected documentarian distribution companies will see your film.
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Date: Spring 2018
Hot Docs
In addition to showcasing your film among other stellar projects, Hot Docs also offers a range of different keynotes, classes, and opportunities to advance your directorial career. Whether it’s industry specialists, funders, or directors, meeting and making lasting connections in the industry is a benefit you can’t overlook.
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date: April 27-May 7, 2017
AFI Docs Film Festival
The advisory board for this festival features some true legends in nonfiction filmmaking, including Frederick Wiseman, Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and Ken Burns. This is definitely one of the top festivals in the industry, so the films are only the best of the best. Even if being accepted feels like a long shot, it’s important to get your work out there in any way possible.
Location: New York City, New York
Date: June 14-18, 2017
Sheffield Doc Fest
This multiform film festival prides itself on welcoming first-time filmmakers. Additionally, the festival offers a beneficial service called Doc/Next focused on training filmmakers for the next move on their career path. The training is also one-on-one, and finding that kind of intimacy in a situation like this is rare.
The festival also dedicates an entire section to VR and AR storytelling, so if you have something in VR you’d like to share with the world, Sheffield is the place!
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Date: June 9-14, 2017
American Documentary Film Festival
Home to over 150 films during the five-day event, this relatively new film festival celebrates independent filmmakers from around the world. In addition to nonfiction entries, the festival also features animated work. Once accepted into the festival, filmmakers get the opportunity to submit their proposals for projects in a pitch competition. The projects can be brand new or works in progress.
Location: Palm Springs, California
Date: April 6-11, 2017
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
The oldest nonfiction film festival in America is home to several categories of documentaries, including domestic and international sports and shorts that offer stellar awards in each category. Because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sponsors the festival, the winning documentary in the short film competition will receive consideration for an Academy Award.
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Date: October 6-15, 2017
Savannah Film Festival
The Savannah College of Art and Design puts on this festival, which usually draws upwards of 50,000 attendees. If you want exposure, look no further. Student filmmakers are welcome to submit any completed nonfiction project. However, even if you’re not a student, first-time filmmakers are also free to submit.
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Date: October 28-November 4, 2017
New Zealand International Film Festival
Why should you submit your film to the NZIFF? Because it costs nothing, and you have nothing to lose. This isn’t the only benefit, however, as the film festival is specifically a non-competitive endeavor focused on showcasing the most intriguing and thought-provoking films. Because the fest is free, the word-of-mouth exposure you can gain from screening your film is immeasurable.
If you’re interested in other free-submission festivals, you can find more opportunities here.
Location: Auckland, NZ
Date: July 20-August 6, 2017
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Like most festivals, Big Sky is home to panels, workshops, and pitch sessions where filmmakers can meet, interact, and promote their work. Past participants in the Pitch Session included HBO Documentary Films, Showtime, PBS, ESPN Films, and many, many more. A trip up to the mountains could help you land distribution and get advice from the pros.
Location: Missoula, Montana
Date: February 16-25, 2018
New Orleans Film Festival
Right in the Big Easy, this narrative and nonfiction festival screens more than 200 films to around 25,000 attendees in the heart of one of the biggest production cities in America. Last year, the event featured panels and discussions with some major distributors from companies such as Magnolia Pictures, IFC, and Factory 25. So like the other festivals listed here, this presents an incredible opportunity to put your film in front of the right people.
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Date: October 11-19, 2017
Raindance Festival
Based in the U.K., this twelve-day festival is officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the BAFTAs, and the British Independent Film Awards. As such, selected films qualify for Oscar nominations in both documentary and narrative forms. One of the best features of Raindance is the members’ discount. If you become a “member” of the Raindance community, you also get a discount on the submission fee for your short or feature film.
Location: London
Date: September 20-October 1, 2017