How do you decide which festivals are worth the entry fee?

[Maura N.]

Festival submissions can get expensive fast. What’s your strategy for picking the right ones? Do you focus on local events, IMDb qualifiers, or genre-specific festivals?

 

[Kim Welch]

Start with three questions. Does it screen somewhere the people who can help your film will actually be? Does it fit your film's genre and length? Does it qualify for the awards you care about, if any? Then set a total budget before you start and use early-bird deadlines and student fee waivers. Many festivals will waive the fee if you ask politely. A few well-chosen festivals beat forty random ones.