When I started Raindance Film Festival in 1993 I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I just loved movies. It’s taken me over three decades of running Raindance to understand how filmmakers work festivals.
Working a film festival screening effectively involves strategic planning, networking, and maximising exposure opportunities. Raindance Film Festival, as one of the UK’s leading independent film festivals, offers unique advantages for filmmakers looking to showcase their work. Here’s a detailed approach on how to work your screening at a festival like Raindance.
Before the Festival
You can never start planning your festival run too early. In fact, considering your festival strategy can happen even before you write your script or make your movie. It can also make you a festival darling if you avoid the common mistakes filmmakers make.
1. Understand the Audience and Festival Theme
- Research: Learn about the festival’s themes and past selections to tailor your promotional strategies to the their audience.
- Target Audience: Tailor your promotional materials (posters, trailers, etc.) to appeal to the demographics that frequent Raindance.
- Resource: Consider the Raindance evening course: From Pitch To Product
2. Promote Your Screening
- Social Media: Leverage social media platforms using the festival hashtags and handles to engage with the festival’s audience.
- Press Releases: Send out press releases to film critics and bloggers who cover festivals like Raindance, offering interviews or exclusive content.
3. Plan Your Visit
During the Festival
4. Engage with the Audience
- Consider hiring a local publicist to amplify the fact that your film is screening and that you are in attendance.
- Q&A Sessions: Prepare to engage deeply during Q&A sessions post-screening, offering insights into the film’s production and thematic elements.
- Visibility: Wear something distinctive or thematic to your film to make yourself easily recognizable.
5. Network Effectively
- Business Cards and Press Kits: Have plenty of business cards and press kits ready to hand out. Your press kit should include a synopsis, biographies, high-quality stills, and contact information. Better yet, carry the poster and railer around on a tablet.
- Attend Events: Be active in festival events, parties, and workshops to maximise your visibility and networking opportunities.
6. Leverage Industry Panels and Workshops
- Learn and Participate: Engage in workshops and panels not just to learn but to ask questions and connect with panelists.
After the Festival
7. Follow Up
- Contacts: Follow up with the contacts you made during the festival. A quick thank you email can go a long to maintain the connection.
- Feedback: Request feedback from viewers and industry professionals who attended your screening.
8. Use Festival Laurels
- Marketing: Prominently display any Raindance laurels or awards in your future marketing materials and distribution packages.
Specific Advantages of Screening at Raindance
- Industry Recognition: Raindance is well-respected and known for showcasing innovative and independent films, providing filmmakers with a prestigious platform.
- Diverse Audience: Raindance attracts a wide range of audience members, from industry insiders and critics to cinephiles, offering broad exposure.
- Potential Distribution: Distributors often scout for films at Raindance, so screening here can increase your chances of securing distribution deals.
- Educational Opportunities: Raindance also offers workshops and talks that can be beneficial for filmmakers looking to enhance their skills and understanding of the industry.
- Networking Potential: With a mix of emerging talent and established professionals attending, Raindace is an excellent place for building lasting professional relationships.
Effectively working your film festival screening, especially at a platform like Raindance, can significantly enhance your film’s visibility and open doors to future opportunities in the industry.
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- The Higher Education programme at Raindance Film School offers HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking and Screenwriting?
- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of member benefits
- You can call us on +44 (0) 207 930 3412
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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