We live in an age where online platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok have the potential to launch an actor’s or a producer’s career, but there will never be a platform of streaming service that has the power to disrupt the film festival circuit. Even if movie theaters are now having to compete with the comfort of one’s living room and the convenience of a subscription service, there’s something about festivals that just can’t be emulated. They’re inherently communal, which is reflected in the word ‘festival’ as it comes from the Latin word for ‘feast’. Whether it’s the posh and elite gatherings like Cannes and Venice, or your local horror movie fest that’s just as amateur and grassroots as the content it screens, there’s something magical about these events.
They’re also deeply rooted in the inner workings of the film market, making them something that every independent creator should aspire to attend. Here are the top four ways that you can use film festivals to boost your career as an independent producer and working actor.
Get a Deal
Film festivals are a hotbed of business opportunities for actors and producers. They have the potential to turn smaller passion projects like Billy Bob Thronton’s Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade into career-launching movies like Sling Blade. They can turn topical pieces like Saw into big-budget feature film adaptations that spawn huge franchises and lead to involvement with other big projects, as we saw with James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Not only can they spawn franchises, they can even draw attention from industry heavy hitters and lead to running one of the most successful production companies. Well, that’s what Jason Blum’s success would lead us to believe after he wowed Steven Spielberg with the first version of Paranormal Activity, who would later polish it up for a silver screen debut.
Win an Award
Even if your short films or other projects aren’t causing guys like Spielberg to come flocking to you, that doesn’t mean you won’t walk away without some recognition. In fact, getting awards on your submission is an important part of a long-term strategy, and those laurels are what helps you set the stage (pun intended). They’re always a welcome addition to your IMDb page, your CV/resume, and your website. Festival awards also give you considerable credibility, which brings reassurance to any film investors that you meet with in the future – they’ll feel more comfortable taking a chance on you if you’ve already proven that you can deliver. The big budget content that you make with their funding kicks off the next phase of the cycle, which continues to repeat itself until people like Spielberg have no choice but to come and swap business cards with you.
Participate in a Panel
It’s not always about the competition – being invited to speak at a festival’s panel is its own kind of victory. Panels are a chance for you to introduce yourself to your peers and future business partners through your personality and insight, not just your content. Panels are also a great way to learn from your contemporaries and have a meaningful dialogue about topics that are relevant to your role in the industry.
If group talks aren’t your thing, you can host a Q&A after the screening of your submission. Either way, you make your name and face incredibly memorable through these live interactions.
Networking
There’s one thing I really can’t stress enough, especially when it comes to newcomers to the business of acting– you should never show up to an event just for the sake of networking. Have a goal for the night, a ‘big picture’ objective you’re trying to accomplish that requires you to be at that particular event, and a reason to justify your presence. When it comes to film festivals, you want to be able to introduce yourself as the person who directed X, is speaking at panel Y, or has connections to project Z. It’s pretty easy to pick out someone who’s only there to hang out with the accomplished members of the industry. You’ll both look and feel like a fish out of water, and it will be very challenging to get anyone interested in talking to you. If you want anyone to talk to you, have something ready to talk about.
If you’re ready to make your mark on the festival circuit, join our online community for actors with production companies!