Festival Strategy Advice Service
How to navigate the short film festival circuit and achieve cinematic success.
Navigating the short film festival circuit can be overwhelming and confusing for filmmakers who don’t have a lot of experience. If you’ve got a short film close to being completed, you may be finding it difficult to plan your festival distribution strategy. This service provides tailored support for filmmakers from New Zealand, Australia or the Pacific Islands.
We will provide a list of recommended film festivals for you to enter. In addition we will review your marketing materials, and give you our frank thoughts and advice about how to position and promote your short film to programmers.
Why use this service?
Avoid Costly Festival Submission Mistakes
Save time, money and the headache. We will review your draft festival plan, promotional materials, and film, providing specific, tailored feedback and advice. Helping maximise your entry fee dollars by targeting festivals that suit your film and filmmaking goals. A full list of recommended festivals is included as part of the service.
We Are Experts
Show Me Shorts has been an integral part of the international film festival ecosystem for over 19 years. Our extensive knowledge and experience come from regularly attending global film festivals at all levels, including A-list, mid-tier, and emerging festivals. We stay updated on industry trends, standards, and opportunities, ensuring we provide the most relevant and effective advice.
Our vast network of friendly colleagues and industry professionals further extends our ability to create tailored festival strategies. By leveraging these connections, we can offer insights and opportunities that significantly enhance your chances of success. Whether you're aiming for high-profile festivals or niche events, our expertise and resources will guide you every step of the way, maximising your film's potential and exposure.
Our Festival Director will use her experience to review your short film and examine your marketing materials. She will then research relevant niches you might target and email you a tailored list of recommended film festivals for you to use as you build your strategy and begin entering festivals. A detailed letter will be sent to you that outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the film and supporting materials from a festival standpoint. This will enable to you to make any final tweaks to the film or promotional materials. You can then research the suggested list of festivals and put them into the provided spreadsheet template. A half-hour follow-up meeting is included for you to ask any questions as you begin your festival journey. This service normally takes about two weeks from submission until the letter arrives.
Our Festival Strategy Advice service costs NZ $250 + gst.
How It Works
Head to this form to fill out your details to get the process started.
Download our strategy template editable spreadsheet for free to get started.
Professional evaluation of your film and marketing materials.
Customised written feedback on your festival strategy.
A list of festivals we recommend for you to enter.
Help avoiding fake or scam festivals.
Save time and money on submission fees with a more targeted strategy.
A 30-minute virtual meeting with our Festival Director to discuss our recommendations.
Ask all your questions about submission platforms, marketing materials, and more!