Why a Virtual Film Festival Is a Great Idea for Independent Filmmakers and how to start one?
Are you an independent filmmaker looking for a way to showcase your work? Or maybe you’re a film lover who wants to watch movies from all over the world without leaving your living room. If so, then a virtual film festival might be just what you’re looking for.
At MultiTv, We have hosted multiple virtual film festivals on our platform during covid times, this guide sums up the end to end process based on our interaction with the independent filmmakers globally. Why a Virtual Film Festival Is a Great Idea for Independent Filmmakers and how to start one? What is a virtual film festival and why should I careSo how do you start a virtual film festival?What kind of films can I show at my virtual film festival?Gather applications from aspiring filmmakersHow to gather submissions for your virtual film festivalWhat are some tips for promoting my virtual film festivalPost event monetization and future promotionTips for success
What is a virtual film festival and why its gaining popularity
A virtual film festival is an online event that features films from independent filmmakers across the globe and is open to viewers ( either registered or engaged via social media). In covid and post covid scenarios even the established film festivals are going in a virtual or hybrid format.
While there are many traditional film festivals out there, a virtual film festival has some distinct advantages.
For starters, a virtual film festival can be viewed by anyone with an internet connection, no matter where they live. This makes it a great way to showcase films from all over the world.
And since you’re not limited by physical space, you can feature a larger selection of films than you could at a traditional film festival.
Plus, virtual film festivals are often less expensive to put on than their physical counterparts, making them a great option for independent filmmakers.
So how do you start a virtual film festival?
Now that you know what a virtual film festival is, let’s take a closer look at how you can start your own.
The first step is to gather information about the process. This guide will provide all the information you need to get started. Here are some of the questions you should have the answer to
1. What is the theme of my Film Festival?
Are you targeting every filmmaker? Do you want to promote a social or environmental cause? The theme plays an important role is deciding overall structure, target audience, target filmmakers
2. Who is eligible to submit their work? Is there any negative criteria?
It would be driven by your theme. If the festival is targeting a niche segment, only specific filmmakers can submit their work. Negative criteria can be related to age, location, or level of expertise etc.
3. What information will you collect during the registration process and how they fit into your selection process?
Decide on what information you will require? Do filmmakers need to submit a clip of the film for consideration or just a synopsis will do? Should it be an organization or an individual film maker?
4. How will you gather your participants? What are the primary channels of promotion? Will it be open to all or you want to target a segment or niche?
This also depends on your theme. If it’s a generalized theme, you can target entire social media channels. But if the theme is specific to a niche, you need to find specific communities where you can promote your events. Try to tap in the influencers, film makers, authors and more.
5. Who will be judging the films?
Your jury should be an authority in the domain/niche. It makes a lot of difference to the credibility of your virtual film festival. To get the right jury, reach out to jury panel members from other online film festivals, known credible faces in your network and celebrities with critical understanding of the film industry.
6. What are different award categories? How will you select a winner?
You can have multiple categories of awards or winning criteria depending on your theme.
7. What is your monetization model?
Virtual film festivals are a costly affair. When planning your virtual film festival, it’s important to set a budget. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough money to cover the costs of renting a venue, advertising, and other expenses. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that you have enough money to pay the filmmakers who are submitting their films. Knowing how to get the money is very important, you can charge the audience, have a submission fee, get sponsors for the festival among other monetization ideas. Feasibility of each item would depend on the reach of your festival.
8. How will you distribute your content to the audience?
Do they need to come live and watch? Will it be available in on demand format? Who can access recording and for how long?
Gather a lineup of films. This can be done in a number of ways. You can reach out to independent filmmakers directly or select films from existing online film festivals.
Once you have your lineup set, you’ll need to promote your festival through social media and other online channels. With a little effort, you can put together a virtual film festival that will be enjoyed by movie lovers from all over the world.
Now that you know the basics of starting a virtual film festival, let’s take a closer look at some of the key details.
What kind of films can I show at my virtual film festival?
The great thing about virtual film festivals is that they offer a platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their work.
Whether you’re interested in feature-length films or short films, there’s a place for them at a virtual film festival.
In addition, you can also show documentaries, student films, and foreign films. Basically, any type of film that you’re passionate about can be featured at your festival.
Gather applications from aspiring filmmakers
The first step in starting a virtual film festival is to gather a lineup of films. This can be done in a number of ways.
You can reach out to independent filmmakers directly or select films from existing online film festivals.
How to gather submissions for your virtual film festival
If you’re looking for a way to gather submissions for your virtual film festival, online video submissions might be the answer. This process allows filmmakers to submit their films directly to your festival website. This can be done by uploading the films or providing a link to the films.
In addition, you can also require that filmmakers include a trailer or clip of their film. This will allow you to get a better idea of the quality of the films that are being submitted.
There are a number of advantages to using online video submissions. First, it’s a convenient way for filmmakers to submit their work. Second, it allows you to screen the films in advance and make sure that they meet your standards. Third, it’s a great way to promote your festival and get the word out about your event.
Some things to keep in mind with online video submissions
When you’re using online video submissions for your virtual film festival, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, you’ll want to make sure that the films you select are high quality and meet your standards.
Second, you’ll need to promote your festival through social media and other online channels.
Third, you’ll want to provide an opportunity for filmmakers to interact with each other and learn more about their work.
What are some tips for promoting my virtual film festival?
There are a number of ways to promote your virtual film festival. Here are some ideas
- Use social media to get the word out about your event. You can create a Facebook, instagram page or a Twitter account for your festival and use these platforms to promote your films and interact with your audience.
- You can submit articles about your festival to online directories and film websites. Some of the popular directories are FilmFreeway Shortfilmdepot, Clickforfestivals, Festhome, Movibeta, Filmfestivallife, Filmfestplatform Docfilmdepot among others.
- Rope in influencers and celebrities who resonate with your cause or niche.
- Create a small website for the festival where people can see the agenda, register for the event, submit their films among others. MultiTV’s virtual film festival includes customizable templates to set up an event website real quick.
- Use email marketing to reach out to potential attendees. By following these tips, you can easily promote your virtual film festival and get the word out about your event.
- Set up options to collect reservations and payments online from filmmakers. This can be done by requiring filmmakers to provide their contact information and payment information when submitting their films. Our platform can integrate with any payment gateway including Stripe, Paypal, Razorpay etc.
This will allow you to reserve a spot for their films and ensure that they have paid for their entries.
When setting up your virtual film festival, you’ll need to make sure that you have the proper technology in place. This includes a website where filmmakers can submit their films and a system for screening the films. In addition, you’ll need to make sure that you have the bandwidth to handle the number of people who will be viewing the films.
Post event monetization and future promotion
Deciding what to do with your content after the event is over is one of the critical decisions for virtual film festival organizers. This helps you monetize beyond virtual events, builds a community around your content and also creates a buzz for your repeated events in future. With our creator platform you can host the content and serve it on demand.
Tips for success
While I wish you great success for your upcoming virtual film festival. There are a number of things you can do to maximize your reach among the target audience. First, you’ll want to make sure that you have a strong selection of films. You can achieve this by reaching out to filmmakers and asking for submissions. Have a right balance between quality and quantity.
Having a good promotional and reach out strategy is critical for your success. Third, you’ll need to have the proper technology in place to ensure that your event runs smoothly.
