Creating an Independent Film Festival

It is no easy task to create an independent film festival from scratch. In order to succeed the organiser will have to fulfil a wide variety of goals. The first step is to know what these are.

Finding Independent Talent

The quality of a festival will often be judged by the films that are being screened. It is often challenging to find truly great ones among the slew of independent amateur productions. The organiser needs to have the patience to sit through a plethora of films until they find ones worth showcasing.

Considering a Venue

The functionality of the venue space is another crucial factor. It may be useful for the organiser to look up successful festival venues on Wikipedia so that they have an idea of what they need to achieve. Venues will need to be comfortable and have a high enough capacity.

Going Down the Virtual Route

A large number of modern film festivals forgo physical venues entirely in favour of digital platforms. They work by livestreaming the films to people who have bought tickets. One of the benefits is that they can reach a wider audience. There are also fewer restrictions on the number of viewers.

Marketing Online

The internet is a powerful tool for advertising the festival. It is a good idea to create a social media page for this purpose. Almost all of the major film festivals utilise the web in order to spread awareness and sell tickets.

Attaining Funding

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome is acquiring an adequate budget for the festival. One viable route is crowdfunding. This works best for events that have a dedicated niche fan base. A more traditional method is to reach out to possible sponsors. They will provide funding in exchange for advertising their brand.