3 Big Problems With Film Festivals - Jeff Deverett

Jeff Deverett is a producer, director, writer, and actor known for Full Out 2: You Got This! (2020), ism (2019), The Samuel Project (2018), Kiss & Cry (2017), Full Out (2015), King of the Camp (2008) and My Brother's Keeper (2004). Jeff's successful film and TV career began with distribution with New World Entertainment, Astral Communications, Anchor Bay Entertainment and his own company, Deverett Media Group. In this Film Courage video interview he talks about how to make a profitable movie and briefly touches on AFM [American Film Market], MIPCOM and MIPTV media markets.

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[Jackhoppy]

This is very insightful but God does it reinforce my fears of the industry. I always looked at film festivals as a beacon of hope.

[FiniteBoy]

Agree with this completely. I love this channel. Thanks so much!!

I understand that entry fees are a big part of a festivals income, which I don't object to because I also understand that it costs a lot to run a festival, unless you have many, many sponsors.
I have entered several top tier festivals and had limited success and though it's disappointing not to get in, what I find most frustrating is the lack of feedback. For the entry fees we pay, the very least we should get is the assessment that the jury or screeners provide when rejecting a film. Their feedback would be so useful. Tell us what you didn't like or what didn't work, give us something. Or give us the score sheet. Getting a kind rejection email just doesn't cut it. That's why I'm done with festivals.

[DNA-bit]

This is quite possibly the most straightforward, transparent thing I've watched regarding these matters. 99% of the other videos regarding distro and festivals are from washed up hucksters trying to get someone to watch their 12-year-old trailer. Thank you for this actually informative piece.

[ReyesTheEntrepreneur]

Your videos are very helpful. Thank you

[daniel_wilkinson]

I just finished the Phoenix Film Festival. I had a great time and I'm sad that I didn't get to see all the submissions. Next year I will be smarter about attending, though. There's a learning curve.

You do what you want, but here's what I have learned...

I asked a board member and they said there were 800 some-odd submissions for 267 screenings this year. Many of the films were screened more than once, some as many as three times. I did not ask what the submission fee was. You have to realize that the Festival took over an entire half of a movie theater (seven auditoriums) for 10 days solid. Somebody has to pay for that and all the work that goes into coordination, advertising, printing, signage, office rental, catering, etc.

I have to take umbrage with Jeff's statement at 7:16 that festival goers are not ticket buying customers. I paid plenty to attend this festival as a movie-goer. By my calculations I paid over $10 per screening, which if I'm not mistaken is barely shy of normal for ticket buying customer.

There are no buyers at this Festival, normally. You could get Word of Mouth advertising, if you're outstanding enough. Plus you get to display the laurels on your thumbnails, if that's what you're after. All in all it's another chance for YOU to show how much YOU care about promoting YOUR vision.

[DialloMoore]

Thanks for this.

I’ve been waiting for someone to speak on this subject. So far I’ve been rejected by numerous festivals. Ironically, the only festival that has accepted my film so far had no submission fee (International Moving Film Festival).

I honestly believe that the festival circuit is like the movie industry itself; very political. Just how execs at major studios are gatekeepers, it’s the same with jurors and programmers at festivals.

Festival programmers can simply reject your film just because they felt offended by its message, or didn’t agree with the filmmaker’s voice. They have the power to do that, no matter how genius or high quality your film is.

I personally and truly believe that my film was rejected because I have a strong artistic voice, and they want to silence my voice (don’t want my voice to be heard by not giving me an audience).

Am I going to get into every festival I submit to? Of course not. However, being rejected by over twenty festivals in a row is highly suspect. Thank goodness we at least have YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms.

For my next project I’ll probably take a different approach; I probably won’t go the festival route unless I get an invite. Blindly submitting is just too risky and too expensive.

All the best with your filmmaking.

Don’t give up!

[katiepeters-moviequeen]

It’s all about nepotism on how you get in and having A-List actors in your film in order to get sponsors for their festivals. I also believe that a few festivals provide financing conferences to help filmmakers as well. However they are a Big waste of money and time for filmmakers. They tend to give studio films more advantage than the indie films without stars. It’s just best to go to a few festivals that are cheaper.

[jordanhaynesmedia]

Joker was festival friendly. I'd argue Logan and The Dark Knight have a sense of auteurism... but I think Jeff, overall is right. Good advice on festivals for DIY guys like me...I think local buzz is better for the shorts and stuff and just build a rep in your locality to start...

[kevinu-harturquhart]

My 1st film was to see where I stood, entered into festivals (but apparently I was ambitious with the festivals I went after). I do want to be a part of a project that gets in to some prestigious ones & now I know how to do my homework to do that. I didn't know as much when I shot my 1st film. Thanks for sharing this info though, it definitely makes sense!

[theworksfilms]

A great characterization & verbalization of how I've always looked at film festivals.

[MERCS]

So true. I get reminded why i dont submit every once and a while. Agree with everything this guy says.

[jonathanmartin-ives]

This topic really caught my eye today. There is a film critic that I follow named Mr. H who has actually just made a film (Black Fields). He shared with us what a pain it was to get accepted to participate after petitioning quite a few festivals. I far as I know, he's only managed to get picked up by one festival so far. I can't imagine the boatload of money he had to shell out. It's almost like gambling in Vegas. 🤑 At any rate, he's premiering it on YouTube tomorrow (April 3). I'm very impressed to have a critic put his head on the chop like this. I think we all critics should go through the filmmaking process to see both ends so-to-speak...

[filmcourage]

What do you love about film festivals and what do you hate?

[phantomofpulp]

Festivals. Mostly financed by those who didn't get in.

And very few mean anything to distributors, so prizes mean zero except at the top five.

[cobymarcum]

Superb insight. 👍 Thank you for sharing.

[stevegeorge]

This is an interesting discussion as a lot of distribution and exhibition of films are tied to event marketing, like, the French Film Festival or the anime film festival, or the ‘independent’ film festival etc etc. it’s event marketing which is a real thing to provide a USP for a film. But the generic festivals, he’s on the money. This said, what is not said is the legitimacy that festivals provide to a filmmaker to get investors, funding, for future films made. That is what festivals do for filmmakers that don’t have big name actors or directors etc attached.

[filmfilm]

Only in USA and Europe film festivals make a good revenue from film entry fees... in Asia they don't have high fees and still show great movies...

[FussellFilms]

There are very bad film festival's and it is hard to tell what is the best to enter.

[postworld]

Is there one place I can find all indy films released and scroll through them like I do mainstream movies on Netflix and Amazon? Thanks.

[LycanVisuals]

They say to be precious with your feature films premiere as many of the Top Tier ones only accept those. If they supposedly already accepted film before submissions what is the point? I'd like to believe that they would accept something.

Also, as someone who loves history, what is the track record of independent period piece films being accepted? I still think Film Festivals are useful, it's just that filmmakers need to take a hard look at their film and see if it's productions values are up to par to what's usually accepted at these top festivals otherwise we just enjoy pain and waste our money (lol)

Regional, and genre and mid their festivals are great, but the conseus is that if your film isn't selected into the top fests, then your chances of distribution are very low.