Cheat sheet: - film festival submission 2/3


The Cheat sheet: some selected items

A full cheat sheet includes all the items a festival may ask for and runs for several pages

with thanks to Katie McCullough of Festivalformula 

Why fill out a cheat sheet?
You need a cheat sheet
  • if you're submitting to several film festivals
  • if you're using different film festival platforms
  • You need to be ready for any questions the programme makers may put to you
  • your answers need to be consistent across all submissions

Be selective about the film festival you choose to submit to. Your film may belong to more than one genre:

human rights  horror  disability  BAME  fantasy  romance  music  faith  documentary  dogs  cats  women director  adventure/sports  science fiction  film noir comedy  student  drama  migrant  environment  erotic  food  LGBT  terror thriller  Western debut

Research the film festivals: learn where similar films to yours were selected. 
Look at the film festival archives. 
Study the theme of the up-coming festival. 

an example cheat sheet
title
Mute
genre
stop motion charcoal reduction student animation about mental health
duration
3 minutes 5 seconds
logline
<25 words Ex-lifeboatman Frank struggles to communicate
synopsis
<40 words Frank’s wife watches Frank struggle to communicate while his mind is at sea recalling a call-out as a lifeboatman. 
director
Nigel Smith
director bio
<40 words, After a career in medicine, Dr Nigel Smith specialises in animated documentaries exploring the subjective experience of chronic disease. His films have been selected at Film Festivals in England and Europe.
[link to website]
head shot
clear head shot so people can recognise you at festival
nationality
UK
date of birth

production country

production date

budget

technical information:

aspect ratio
1.85 [flat] 2.39 [scope] 1.78 [16/9] 1.9 [full]
stills narrative shot from film
‘silent salesman’
killer image ‘hero shot’
poster
portrait still with text, atmospheric close-up
dialogue list
time in/time out/dialogue, makes it easier for festivals to add English subtitles, even if the dialogue is in English, subtitles make it easier
submission format
read the instructions, generally H.264 mp4 
Prores 422 codec
they may request blurry or DCP
frame rate
UK 25 fps but in the States, 24 fps conversion to 24 requires you to drop one frame a second which shortens the film and may affect lip sync and credits


DON’Ts
Don’t send a cover letter unless your film is bang on this year’s theme. 
Don’t contact the programme makers directly. 
Don’t announce that you’ve been selected when you receive advance notice.

DO
Contact the creative director if you have trouble uploading your film, they may be flexible.
Publicise your film selection and other shortlisted films once the creative director has released a list of shortlisted films.
Follow the creative director and Film festival on twitter and other social media
Promote the festival by retweeting updates about the festival to your followers.

Finally

  Expect rejection but keep submitting

Next: 

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