I was honored to be asked by the Woods Hole Film Festival to participate in a recent discussion with some of this year’s filmmakers about the current state of filmmaking during this pandemic, including the importance of film festivals.
This week, we’ll be looking at what makes film festivals so essential, and what you need to know about them!
Part Five: What Should YOU Do As A Filmmaker?
As we discussed in our last post, many filmmakers (including producers, directors, screenwriters, and investors) were left devastated as, one by one, film festivals throughout the last few months have either been canceled or forced online.
After years of hard work, their dreams of having that red carpet premiere and a festival screening were left in tatters. Perhaps more concerning, how would this affect their chances of being picked up by a sales agent or a distributor?
The world is in uncharted territory right now, and the film industry is no different. The tried and trusted route of putting a film into the festival circuit and coming out the other side with (hopefully!) good reviews, positive buzz, and some distribution deals is under threat as we venture into the world of online festivals.
And while there are some significant potential benefits to these festivals, the truth is that nobody really knows for sure how this will play out.
Uncertain Times, Nervous Filmmakers
This has left some filmmakers understandably nervous about being the guinea pigs in the brave new experiment of digital film festivals.
Some have gone for it and embraced the festival circuit with all the vigor they would any other year, while others have pulled their films from festivals, preferring instead to see how the process plays out for their peers, and re-assessing the situation at a later date.
For most titles, you only get one chance at this. Mess it up, and your film probably won’t get another chance to play the festival circuit any time in the future, whether they remain online or return to the theaters as we all hope.
But do the risks of not participating in the festival circuit outweigh the potential benefits of waiting?
Films With Distribution In Place
We can perhaps break down the applicable films into two categories: those that already have distribution in place, and those that were hoping to use this summer’s film festival circuit to achieve exactly that.
For those films that already have distribution, festivals serve a specific purpose: get great reviews, enjoy some positive exposure, and create strong buzz and word-of-mouth to launch an effective marketing campaign for the film’s release.
This is a distribution strategy that has worked time and time again for the right kind of movie. So, will it work this summer when the festivals are online?
It’s really a judgment call that must be taken on a project-by-project basis. Films definitely can garner the positive reviews and buzz that they would get from a physical festival, albeit with less exposure given the lack of photo opps, in-person events, and other media opportunities that come with filmmakers simply being present before and after a crowded screening.
On the other hand, some distributors might worry that, by playing the movie too openly to audiences that are paying the festival to see the film rather than an exhibitor, they risk over-exposing it for limited profits. When a viewer pays to see a film at the cinema or via an online platform, the distributor sees a cut of those revenues. When they pay to see it at a festival, they don’t.
So, those distributors will have to juggle the pros and cons of a festival run this summer, and make a decision based on the project and the festival. Filmmakers can largely leave this decision up to the distributors themselves - they are the experts, after all.
Films That Are Looking For Distribution
For those filmmakers and projects that are still looking for distribution and were hoping that a festival run this summer would be the key to achieving this, the decision is a little more complicated.
I’ve heard a few filmmakers express their doubts about the effectiveness of a digital film festival and ask the same questions: "Will we still be able to generate publicity?" "Will distributors, sales agents and film critics show up?" "Will audiences even watch our movie?"
These very valid concerns have led some to withdraw their films from the festival circuit this summer, likely in the hopes of entering festivals later this year or early in 2021 when - hopefully! - we might be back to regular cinemagoing and festival attendance.
So, if you’re a filmmaker who is considering putting a film that does not yet have distribution into a digital festival any time soon, what should you do?
As always, there is no correct answer to this. I can certainly understand some filmmakers’ doubts, and I can’t begrudge them the opportunity to see their film on the big screen and enjoy all the pleasures of a physical festival screening in a packed theater. Hopefully those days will be back soon.
But there are a number of ways in which this summer could actually be the perfect time to launch a film on the festival circuit.
Greater Chance Of Exposure To Distributors
As we’ve discussed previously, online festivals now have a greater potential reach than ever, and distributors and sales agents that are stuck at home all summer can “attend” many more festivals and see many more films than in a regular festival season without having to worry about travel costs, time management, and many of the other limitations of attending a festival in person.
And because some of the festivals have seen films being withdrawn from their competitions due to the uncertainty, this has created even greater opportunities for the films that actually are featuring in these programs, which are less crowded than normal.
As there are fewer films playing at fewer festivals this summer, those that are playing are enjoying even greater exposure. These titles have a far greater chance of standing out in a smaller pool, an increased possibility of winning awards, and a much better likelihood of getting noticed by distributors who are hungry for finished content given the way in which we have all been relying on home entertainment to get us through our lockdowns.
Given the recent lull in production, distributors are actively scouring film festivals to ensure that they have plenty of product on their slates for the foreseeable future. So, this is a great time for a film to try to grab their attention. If you have something that is finished (or about to be completed), now is the time to be thinking how you can take advantage of this situation and use that content as leverage in a way that you might not have been able to previously.
Embracing Change
Now, if you’re thinking of waiting to see how this plays out, that’s fair enough. It’s always scary embracing something new and unexplored. However, that is the nature of this industry, which is often initially fearful of disruption before ultimately embracing it.
For example, I recall when Netflix first burst on to the scene that many filmmakers were reluctant to take a streaming distribution deal, even if the upfront figures looked good. Some were proved right - at the time, Netflix was still figuring out its own reach and capabilities, so for certain films a more traditional release probably served them better. But other filmmakers likely wish that they could turn the clock back and snap up those deals rather than the "safer" traditional ones that ultimately proved inferior.
That’s the nature of distribution: you never know whether or not you’ve made the right decision until it’s too late. The same could be said about a festival run this summer.
Films Growing Stale
If it sounds like I have all the answers, I don’t. Nobody does. We are all waiting to see how this summer’s festival circuit goes, what will change in the future, and who got it right and who got it wrong.
However, while there are few things that are certain in this industry, one thing that I have seen prove to be consistently accurate is this: films tend to depreciate in value the longer they sit around.
Trust me, I’ve found this out the hard way. Films grow stale, they lose their freshness and relevance, and cast and crew don’t want to publicize a film that they worked on several years earlier.
Now, it’s true that waiting three or four months probably won’t hurt a film’s chances. Of course, sometimes you have to wait for the right moment, the right deal, and the right opportunity to come along. So, if you’re waiting to see how festivals are looking later in the year, I don’t think you’ll be doing any significant damage to your prospects.
But just know that the longer your project sits around gathering dust, the more it risks losing its value in a rapidly-changing marketplace.
Increased Competition
And remember that, by the time you finally do decide to put your film into the festival circuit, you’ll also be competing with all the other films that chose to do the same thing, as well as a whole new crop of films that are currently in post-production and might feel fresher and more relevant than yours.
Most festivals likely won’t create new slots to accommodate these extra titles, but even if some do, a film still risks getting lost in a hugely-expanded festival program.
So, competition could be much greater by then, both to get into a festival and then to stand out within the selection.
The alternative is simply to wait a year, when the 2020 lull in production could result in a dearth of films being available for festivals in 2021. But do you really want to sit on your title for that long?
And besides, who knows what the world will look like a year from now? The situation could certainly be better, but by that point, the film scene - and festivals in particular - might look a lot different from what we were all expecting. There are a lot of variables at play in that strategy.
So, if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to launch your title, that’s fine - just don’t wait too long, or you might look back and wish you’d just gone for it.
The Importance Of Marketing
And if you are participating in an online festival this year, my best observation so far this summer is this: now more than ever, it’s all about the marketing.
An online screening is always going to be more difficult to stand out as an “event” to casual audiences (as opposed to industry professionals) given how saturated we are with content right now. Figuring out how to engage those audiences with your story has never been more crucial.
Previously, filmmakers could largely rely on the festival’s own PR machine, coupled with the intrinsic uniqueness and buzz of an in-person film festival, to bring audiences into the theaters and get eyeballs on their film.
In this new scenario, and despite the best efforts of all the festivals, filmmakers need to do as much as they can to bring their project to the attention of as many people as possible. They need to get their hands dirty. Maybe even filthy.
So, work closely with the festival’s press department. See what events they have planned and what PR activities they are undertaking, then look to fill in whatever gaps you can with your own efforts. Reach out to as many people as possible, both within the industry and outside of it, and shout from the rooftops when and where your film is playing.
Plan your campaign in advance. Don't rely on a few casual social media shout-outs to do the job. This must be a concentrated and coordinated effort.
Be creative in how you draw people into your story. This is not the time to rely on the traditional marketing methods and hope that they will still stand out in the current climate. You’re already a storyteller, so think about the best ways to apply your creative instincts to connect with audiences that might not otherwise notice you. Use the strengths and uniqueness of your specific project to make your screenings an event in themselves.
Looking To The Future
Because film festivals have always been exactly that: an “event”. A concentrated celebration of film that everyone can get excited about and attend, no matter what is actually playing. Many attendees will go and watch films simply because they are playing at the festival. The content itself sometimes becomes secondary to being part of something special within the community.
Nothing beats going to see a movie. So naturally, it can be much tougher to engage casual audiences online, and many filmmakers feel understandably nervous about the prospect.
But this is what we’re faced with right now. And if this is the way forward, then perhaps the summer of 2020 will actually prove to be a turning point in re-imagining what the film festival of the future looks like.
It will be trial and error, and some will probably get it more right than others. But if they can strike this balance, then maybe film festivals will be even better, even more essential, in the future.
Now more than ever, film festivals need us, and we, as a filmmaking community, need them. I hope that we can all join together and show our support for these online film festivals, and make sure that they come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever!
Ricky Margolis is a producer and financier with over twenty years’ experience in the entertainment industry.
We want to hear from you! Have you had a film playing in a festival this summer? Or have you withdrawn a film from a festival and are planning a new strategy? Let us know your thoughts and experiences!
Comments