As securing distribution for arthouse movies has become more difficult, festivals have come to play an ever more essential role as a launch platform for filmmakers.

World, regional and nationwide premieres at festivals at the moment are a very important approach to acquire the consideration and curiosity of cautious patrons, whose enterprise mannequin has been so disrupted by the streaming revolution and the pandemic.

However the rising quantity of film productions – 2,358 options have been produced in Europe alone in 2023, in response to the European Audiovisual Observatory –  imply that competitors for festival slots is turning into fiercer than ever.

The end result: the role of a festival manager at gross sales firms has become more and more significant.

Over the final 20 years, the festival manager role has professionalised. Beforehand it was usually a job given to an intern – now each main gross sales company has a festival manager, notes Theo Lionel, who fills the role at The Social gathering Film Gross sales, which had 4 movies in Official Choice at Cannes this yr. Having one individual as a everlasting level of contact with programmers is important for constructing long-lasting relationships with festivals, he observes.

The job itself is all about curating a person festival technique for every film to maximise its prospects of distribution round the world, in shut co-operation with the filmmakers, producers and senior gross sales executives.

“The festivals are platforms not solely for garnering the first viewers reactions, however to provide the highlight that interprets into worldwide press opinions, consideration from distributors and festival programmers from round the world, all of that are important to pave the street for the film to journey broadly and have a ‘lengthy life’,” says Rūta Švedkauskaitė, festival manager at Movies Boutique, which had Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake in Cannes’ Administrators Fortnight.

Festival managers may even assist a film to flow into in unsold territories, ensuring that it may be seen by way of festival performs or at cultural establishments. For smaller movies which may not obtain broad distribution, a festival run even be an essential supply of revenues with screening charges starting from €200 to over €1,000.

“Festivals ought to at all times be thought-about for arthouse movies,” says Cecilia Pezzini, festival manager at Coproduction Workplace, which had Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors in Competitors at Cannes this yr. “A great premiere maximises visibility, including worth and attraction not solely for distribution but in addition for additional festival bookings. It creates buzz and momentum.”

Cannes, Venice and Berlin are considered ‘the large three’ by many filmmakers, and European producers, significantly French ones, are more and more scheduling their manufacturing and submit manufacturing to be prepared for Cannes.

Sundance, Toronto, Locarno, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, Tribeca, Tallinn, Karlovy Fluctuate and SXSW are additionally extremely valued for world premieres. Many festival methods will attempt to mix festivals: Sundance and Berlin or Toronto and San Sebastian are helpful combos. Festivals with robust markets – like Cannes’s Marche du Film and Berlin’s EFM – are wanted. For documentaries, IDFA and CPH:DOX are extremely regarded, whereas Sitges and Incredible Fest are essential style platforms.

A world premiere is rarely sufficient alone to safe widespread distribution. Subsequent regional premieres in North America, Asia and Latin America may help safe additional gross sales.

The primary yr after the world premiere is decisive, says Lionel. “It’s when you may safe as many nationwide premieres as doable to assist with distribution in every territory.”

If filmmakers fail to safe a slot at one of the large three festivals, regional festivals could be useful. Gothenburg, for instance, is sweet for Scandinavian distribution, or Tallin for the Baltics and Karlovy Fluctuate for Japanese Europe. For a giant nation like India, it would imply going to a number of festivals like IFFI Goa, MAMI Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata. For the Center East, the place distribution could be troublesome for arthouse movies, festivals like Purple Sea, Cairo, El Gouna and Marrakech are key.

Festival managers say an efficient festival run will usually embrace enjoying at a minimal of 40 totally different festivals worldwide, together with nationwide premieres and specialised festivals.

As for recommendation, they provide the observe suggestions.

• Be sure that the proper programmers watch your film – be proactive and observe up entries.
• Submit at the proper time, the sooner the higher as slots replenish. Berlin, for instance, is already watching movies for its subsequent version in February 2026. Typically it’s good to ship a work-in-progress model.
• Construct contacts with programmers – that is a relationship enterprise. Speak to them about your film in the very best method, get to know their tastes and make them curious.
• Having a gross sales agent on board helps. They’ve good contacts with choice committees.
• Have a clear concept about why your film is appropriate for a festival.

Finally, although, it’s the high quality of the film that results in success, says Maria Lanfranchi, festival specialist at Rai Cinema Worldwide Distribution, which had Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis’s Heads Or Tails? in Un Sure Regard this yr. “I at all times consider in the movies however some would possibly work for one festival however not one other.”

Not all movies observe a standard path. Take, for instance, Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig which performed in competitors at Cannes final yr. Movies Boutique may solely present it to the choice committee very late as the film materials needed to be smuggled out of Iran. Neither may they speak about the undertaking an excessive amount of upfront to guard the director and the crew. The film went on to display screen at near 100 festivals together with main sections like Locarno’s Piazza Grande, San Sebastian’s Perlak, TIFF’s Centrepiece, Busans’ Icons and IFFR’s Harbour in addition to Telluride and New York, securing broad distribution and an Oscar nomination.