WIFSFBA invites Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis, authors of The Complete Filmmaker's Guide to Film Festivals, to reveal how filmmakers should approach film festivals—from the strategy on making your festival choice to actionable tactics for maximizing the outcome of your participation and attendance.
0:00 Introducing Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis
9:09 What are film festivals?
11:03 Five top-tier filmi festivals
17:29 The most common mistakes filmmakers make
47:02 The "now what": what happens after you get into a film festival?
49:37 Revealing the right approach to attending a film festival
55:23 Are festivals programmers actually watching all the film entries?
58:06 What's the best approach to communicating with the film festival?
1:01:36 How to create outstanding cover letters and director's statements?
1:02:50 Can your work get featured in multiple film festivals?
1:03:47 How important are the extra materials when you're submitting to a film festival?
1:05:05 What are the most important elements of a director's statement?
1:07:24 How to go about finding a publicist when you're new to the festival circuit?
1:10:36 Can you get accepted to a festival like Sundance without having an E&O insurance?
1:13:20 Is it valuable for writers to attend film festivals?
1:16:26 How are episodic projects perceived by the film industry?
