What Competition Really Means at a Film Festival

Filmmakers sometimes forget that submitting to a film festival means entering a competition. That may sound obvious, but the word “competition” is often misunderstood. It does not simply mean that one film is good and another is bad, or that the highest-budget production automatically rises to the top. Festival competition is far more complicated. For programmers, we see the competition as being more brutal at the selection phase than any other. Films are competing for limited space within a program, but filmmakers are also competing through the way they present their work, communicate with the festival, and demonstrate their willingness to participate in the experience.

A good film can absolutely go unselected because of its competition. We once received six documentaries about bees in the same season. All six were excellent films, and each deserved an audience. But we are not a bee festival. We could not reasonably program six documentaries covering similar territory without allowing one subject to overwhelm the rest of the lineup. Ultimately, we selected the film with the strongest overall presentation, the most useful promotional assets, and the version of the story that best complemented the identity taking shape that season.

This is one of the unpredictable realities of festival submissions. Filmmakers do not know what other projects have been submitted. They do not know whether a programmer has received six films on the same subject, whether several productions share a similar visual style, or whether their film fills a gap in the emerging program. Every season, the films themselves gradually carve out the festival’s artistic identity. Programmers begin to recognize themes, conversations, contrasts, and unexpected connections between projects. The final lineup becomes more than a collection of individually good films. It becomes a complete experience designed for an audience.

Quality remains essential, but programming decisions are also influenced by originality, timing, balance, presentation, and compatibility with the season as a whole. A rejection (we like to call it non-accepted) does not necessarily declare that one film is better than another. Sometimes another project told a similar story with stronger assets (think killer trailer, awesome poster, great cover letter, past interactive festival appearances). Sometimes it fit more naturally beside the other selections. Sometimes the available screening time simply could not accommodate every deserving film (this happens quite a bit).

Because filmmakers cannot know their competition, the best approach is to concentrate on what they can control. First, the festival should genuinely fit the project. Its programming history, location, audience, values, categories, and expectations are all worth researching. A thoughtful submission to the right festival is far more effective than sending the same incomplete package everywhere and hoping something sticks.

Filmmakers should also represent both the film and their team with the utmost professionalism. A finished poster, effective trailer, accurate credits, clear synopsis, production stills, filmmaker information, and every other requested asset will help a project receive serious consideration. A brief, personal cover letter explaining why the film belongs at that particular festival is always a best practice. If the project has previously appeared at festivals, including that track record can strengthen the submission. If it has not, filmmakers can express their interest in attending, promoting the screening, speaking with the audience, and participating in the wider festival community. Being a first-time filmmaker or submitting a student project can work in a project’s favor as well, particularly when the festival values emerging voices and new perspectives.

Saying that these materials will be provided later “if asked” creates the impression that the submission is unfinished or that the festival is not being taken seriously. Programmers should not have to chase filmmakers for the basic materials needed to evaluate, promote, and potentially exhibit their work. A professional submission allows the festival team to immediately imagine how the film could live within the emerging program.

Cooperative marketability also plays a role. Festivals must attract audiences, communicate with the press, create promotional materials, coordinate screenings, and bring filmmakers and industry professionals together. Filmmakers who respond promptly, share festival announcements, supply usable assets, and demonstrate a sincere willingness to participate add value to the event as a whole. Popularity should never outweigh artistic merit, but the film and the people behind it enter the festival as a package, and both contribute to the experience.

Festival directors and head programmers take this process very seriously. They are not simply choosing films. They are building relationships and creating an engaging exchange among filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals. The strongest submissions present excellent work while showing that the person or team behind it is prepared to become an active, professional part of that exchange.

No filmmaker can control which films arrive alongside their own. They can control whether their submission gives the project every possible opportunity to stand out. Ultimately, most festivals like to believe that filmmakers are pursuing a shared audience experience rather than an egocentric award or accolade. If a film engages and moves its audience, that is already a win for the audience and very much worth celebrating. Still, no one should forget that the competition begins the moment the submit button is pressed.

-Dewey Paul Moffitt

Festival Director | PAIFF