Free resource

Festival Radar

Ten questions before you pay an entry fee. A quick test to decide whether to send your film to that festival now, research it further first, or hold the submission back.

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How to use it

Have one specific festival in mind as you answer. Read the question and the example, then mark Yes, No or Not sure. Questions 02 and 03 are hard stops: if the film is not eligible, or there is a premiere conflict, the recommendation is to hold off, however good everything else looks.

01Does my film genuinely fit this festival’s programming?

Example: your short is aimed at children and the festival runs a strand dedicated to childhood; or your environmental documentary sits close to the profile of recent editions.

If you marked "not sure": Look at two or three past editions: the genres, subjects, running times and styles of the films selected.

02Does the festival accept films of my year, running time and format?Hard stop

Example: your short runs 18 minutes and was completed in 2025; the rules accept shorts up to 30 minutes completed from 2024 onwards.

If you marked "not sure": Check the completion year, maximum running time, category, country of origin and any other eligibility rules.

03Is the premiere requirement compatible with my film’s situation?Hard stop

Example: the festival requires a national premiere but your film has already screened in that country: that is a conflict. If no premiere is required, this hard stop does not apply.

If you marked "not sure": Look for world, international, national, regional or local premiere requirements. If the rule is not clear, do not submit yet.

04Does this festival seem to do anything beyond handing out a selection laurel?

Example: it holds screenings with an audience, panels, meetings, publicity, press coverage or industry activities for the films it selects.

If you marked "not sure": Look for the programme, photos, screening venues, panels, audiences, press and filmmaker activities in past editions.

05Does the fee fit my festival budget?

Example: a US$ 35 fee may look small on its own, but ten submissions like it add up to real money.

If you marked "not sure": Add up the submissions, the currency conversion and any delivery costs. Weigh the total against how much of a priority the festival really is.

06Does the festival have a verifiable history and programme?

Example: the website shows past editions, selected films, dates, venues and staff. Finding only laurels and vague posts is a sign to dig further.

If you marked "not sure": Check the official website, social media, past editions, staff, partners, screening venues and public records.

07Could a selection there help my film find an audience or new opportunities?

Example: the festival draws the audience for your film’s subject, brings in other film professionals, or leads to screenings in other cities and programmes.

If you marked "not sure": Look at who attends the festival, what activities take place, and what happened to films selected in previous editions.

08Do I have the required materials ready to submit now?

Example: the form asks for the film subtitled in English, stills, a director’s bio and a trailer; you already have all of it ready and checked.

If you marked "not sure": Check the screener, subtitles, stills, credits, synopsis, bio, trailer and screening format.

09Could this festival’s calendar get in the way of a more important premiere?

Example: a June festival requires a national premiere, but you want to save that premiere for a higher-priority festival in July.

If you marked "not sure": Compare announcement and screening dates against your priority festivals, and check what type of premiere each one requires.

10If the submission were free, would I still find this festival interesting?

Example: you would still submit because the audience and the programming make sense. If the only reason is that it is cheap, it probably is not a priority.

If you marked "not sure": Go back over your earlier answers and look for a concrete reason tied to the film, its audience or its festival trajectory.

0 of 10 answered
A famous festival is not the same thing as the right festival for your film.

This radar covers one submission decision at a time. A festival strategy is the next step: setting the order of submissions, protecting the premiere statuses worth protecting, and spreading the fee budget across the year. That is the work Dona Olga does alongside the filmmaker.

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