How To Submit A Film Using Filmfreeway

how to use filmfreeway

  1. login or sign up to www.filmfreeway.com
  2. click "My Projects" tab
  3. click "Add A Project" button
  4. Choose project type: Picture/video – Script – Music/songwriting – Photography
  5. Type in the moving-picture show's title
  6. Fill in every bit much further information every bit possible
  7. Save Project
  8. Upload or Link to your flick
  9. Click Save
  10. Add posters, trailer and other info
  11. Click Browse Festivals tab
  12. Choose festival and click "Submit At present" button

The project type and moving picture title all the required information needed. Everything beneath is optional, but I propose providing the festival with every bit much information every bit possible.

Text

Quite often people submit films with very fiddling background information. But information technology's more likely to warm the festival to your submission if they can read something about your picture show. It too indicates y'all care almost your moving picture and is a clue to the amount of effort and thought gone into it.

Having said that, you can also go too far here, too.

Some people include very lengthy synopsis, director'due south notes and biography. I would suggest keeping these items to near 50-250 words, considering with so many films to watch seeing a huge block of text to read tin put you off reading it.

If you tin can reduce everything to the most important and relevant information, your text will be easier to read and have more impact on the reader.

A short, snappy synopsis which gives the reader a sense of what your film is about and entices them to watch is better than a full page of text.

Runtime

Inputting the correct runtime to your film can be really of import. When you lot come to submit your film, Filmfreeway will tell you which festivals accept your film based on length. Then putting the correct time will speed upwardly the process of finding suitable festivals to submit to.

Uploading Your Film

Filmfreeway say they accept all major video formats in full quality Hard disk drive upwardly to ten GB. Films are transcoded for playback compatibility and performance, so they recommend you apply settings close to their output settings:

Maximum video bitrate: 2200 Kbps, H.264, mp4
Audio: 128 Kbps, AAC, 2 channel stereo
Aspect ratio preserved; maximum video superlative of 720 pixels

Yous can also link from YouTube or Vimeo.

Deport in heed, some festivals stipulate that to qualify your film must non be currently publicly viewable. Therefore, using a YouTube link or a non-private Vimeo link will disqualify your moving picture from those festivals.

After you have added a re-create of your film and clicked save, y'all are taken to the film'southward page on Filmfreeway. This is essentially how you film will announced to motion-picture show festivals. At this stage you lot tin add further text and graphic.

how to submit your film using filmfreeway

This is where y'all have the opportunity to further beef upwards your pic's submission package.

Trailer

A trailer is a useful add-on to your submission package, especially if yous are submitting a longer film. However, a film under 5 minutes probably doesn't need a trailer

Graphics

A well designed poster actually helps sell your moving-picture show, just like a well written curt synopsis. A stiff visual image can quickly communicate the content and quality of the project.

Any behind the scenes photos are great too. Once more, this helps people get a sense of who you lot are and the scale of your project.

Information technology's human being nature to feel closer to people in one case we know them better. So revealing a bit well-nigh yourself and your team will merely assist get your film selected in the finish.

That's non to say that great text and graphics will get your picture show selected. Essentially, your film does 90% of the work there. How well the festival organisers know you might add together 5% and good text and graphics another v%.

How we do information technology

In my feel of running a festival, we select a "long list" first. This will exist more films than we are eventually going to transport to our jurors, so nosotros have to decide which of these films we will pass on.

Then, this is the stage at which your text and graphics can help you have a little extra edge. If a festival really tin can't decide between two films, possibly the one with the cooler poster and punchy synopsis will have an reward.

Finding festivals to submit to

In one case your film is fix and set up to submit, simply click the "browse festivals" tab. Filmfreeway now presents you lot with a listing of potential festivals to submit to.

You can apply the filters on the left side of the page to remove festivals not appropriate to your film.

Once you have found the right festival for your moving picture, click the "Submit At present" button. Make certain that your film qualifies for the festival and festival category before submitting.

On the occasions we have allowed costless submission to our festival, we've found that filmmakers get less rigorous when checking submission rules. For example, nosotros're a festival that simply accepts films shot on mobile devices (mostly smartphones but besides action cameras like GoPro).

Believe me, we check every submission carefully. If we suspect information technology'due south not shot on a smartphone or action photographic camera, information technology won't exist selected unless you tin can show otherwise. For example, we've had submissions which contain behind the scenes photos of the photographic camera crew proudly showing off their Arri Alexa.

Free motion picture submissions

Submitting to festivals which offer gratis submission tin seem like a cracking deal. But bear in listen those festivals will detect themselves swamped with a greater number of submissions, reducing your odds of selection. Those festivals volition also receive a far greater number of non-qualifying films.

From the filmmaker'southward perspective it can seem like you accept nothing to lose. So why not submit a non-qualifying moving picture or your roughly edited home video of your cat sleeping? One good reason not to: that gratuitous festival will pretty shortly be adding a fee for submissions.

Submissions Fees

Submission fees tin can exist a contentious issue. I was a filmmaker before I was a festival managing director then I had the opinion submission should exist complimentary. Our feel of receiving non-qualifying or very poor quality films led me to quickly modify my mind!

Well, it'due south always adept to try to see things from another person'due south perspective. In my example, it was pretty educational.

On the other hand, some festivals appear to charge fees disproportionate to the value they are offering the filmmaker. Should you pay $100 or more to a relatively small film festival to watch your film? Only you tin can decide that, but here'southward some things to behave in mind.

How long has the festival been running?

If this is their commencement year and their asking a seemingly large fee for submission, I would seriously retrieve twice about submitting to that festival.

Think, it'southward pretty piece of cake to set upwards every bit a festival on Filmfreeway. All you really need is an official website. So be careful you are submitting to a genuine movie festival run by people who are passionate about film.

Cheque the reviews

Filmfreeway has a 5 star rating system with review, a bit like shopping sites like Amazon. Of course, like on Amazon those reviews and ratings are vulnerable to manipulation. Simply if yous run into people complaining then take that every bit a warning.

One complaint y'all might see popping upwards is that of lack of advice. This is a certain sign that the festival is not also engaged in helping filmmakers, or is perhaps not the best organised.

How much authority does the festival accept in the industry?

The nearly highly respected festivals within the industry are some of the hardest to go selected for. They have generally been running a long fourth dimension. I would say it takes at least 20 years for a festival to have some ascendancy within the movie biz.

That said, some festivals are very proactive at running manufacture meetups, forums, masterclasses and so on. If a festival is somewhat new but yous can see industry folk visit and give talks, that'south a good sign the festival is serious near helping filmmakers.

Some festivals work very hard for their selected films and filmmakers. Others don't. Obviously, if y'all're going to pay a significant submission fee, a festival that puts in the work is a better bet than those looking to take your money and run.

Good luck!

The Mobile Motion Film Festival is regularly in the acme 100 rated festivals on Filmfreeway. We are accepting submissions until November 30th.

Eager to learn more?
Join our weekly newsletter featuring inspiring stories, no-budget filmmaking tips and comprehensive equipment reviews to help you turn your film projects into reality!