Hidden Benefits of Second Tier Festivals
Last newsletter I shared my experience with A-List Film Festivals. Today we’ll identify and explore the benefits of B and C Level film festivals.
There are dozens of respectable B-List festivals, and if you haven’t yet joined Withoutabox, this online resource makes identifying and applying to festivals simple.
In fact, there are so many B-list festivals that you’ll want to design a strategy. Here’s mine, after conferring with Jilann Spitzmiller of DocuMentors.
Since my film’s subject lives in California and appeals to a progressive sensibility, I’m applying to most of the respectable West Coast festivals. These include Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Seattle, Cinequest (San Jose), and Mill Valley.
If I get into some of these, I’ll expect to get invitations from other B-list festivals, including Woods Hole, New York, Atlanta, Boulder, and Miami. (The great thing about getting invited to a festival is that the submission fee is usually waived.)
Our story consulting client Ben Henterig recently had the world premiere of his documentary Crossing Bhutan at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. This strategically chosen B-list festival gave him a packed house and a standing ovation.
For a comprehensive list of festivals, check out PBS’s guide.
Better yet, book a session with Spitzmiller to get distribution advice tailored to your project. You may also want to sign up for her upcoming comprehensive distribution workshop that she teaches with Anna Darrah, HOW TO SELL YOUR FILM on April 8th.
Many niche festivals start off as small, C-level festivals and are rapidly moving toward B-level status. Among these is Illuminate, a festival that caters to the consciousness movement crowd, my documentary’s key audience.
If you don’t get into B level festivals, there’s still hope! According to Spitzmiller, C-level festivals are valuable. Why? Because you can reach your target audience quickly—and because you are more likely to win an award.
Case in point: my story consulting clients Kathy and Arnie Sparnin’s recently won two honors for Voices of Grief: the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at the Charleston International Film Festival, and a nominee for Best Documentary Short Film at the Hudson Valley International Film Festival. (Arguably, these could be seen as B-level festivals).
Among niche festivals, many of you will want to apply to environmental festivals such as Wild&Scenic, Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, and Monterey Blue Ocean Film Festival—all of which our story consulting client Suzan Beraza (Uranium Drive In) has done well at.
For more distribution advice, I highly recommend my own distribution consultant Jilann Spitzmiller. Tell her I sent you.
If you need a fast editor to prepare your documentary for upcoming 2017 deadlines such as Sheffield (February 7), Cannes (March 4) and Telluride (around April 15), email me today! We have two talented editors available in December and January.
