Navigating XR/VR Film Festival Submissions: 10 Tips for XR Creators
Introduction and Part 1 — FIAPF Accredited Film Festivals and “Title of the Big City International Film Festivals”.
Creative XR, as a part of the broader XR Industry, shares many similarities with traditional independent filmmaking, especially in genres like documentaries and art-house fiction films. There isn’t a defined market for independent creative works that guarantee solid box-office returns. However, there’s ample opportunity to gain recognition by winning or being selected for prestigious festivals.
With this in mind, I’ve gathered several observations and insights for XR creators, aimed at navigating the XR Festival circuit and understanding the value of participation and recognition in these events. That’s a lot of writing and that’s a lot of topics to cover, so I’ve decided to split it into several parts and cover it step by step, giving enough explanation to each type of festival/ award/market as a separate article.
To begin, I’d like to offer a few explanations:
Since 2017, I’ve curated a calendar of XR Film Events encompassing VR sections within established Film Festivals (such as Venice Biennale, IDFA, Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca) and events entirely dedicated to showcasing VR works (like NewImages, FIVARS, VRHAM!). This spreadsheet served not only as a valuable tool for our growing community but also as a comprehensive tracker of the evolving dynamics within the film industry pertaining to XR.
The latest edition of this spreadsheet, “Immersive Filmmaking Calendar 2023–2024: XR Festivals Deadlines,” is regularly updated. This article serves as a supplementary guide complementing the calendar, providing additional insights and tips.
The first 5 tips would be:
- Research the Festival: Explore the previous year’s website, identify the programmers/curators, and review past selections similar to your project. This helps gauge the festival’s standards and the kind of work they typically feature.
- Consider Festival Schedules: VR sections and festivals often have their seasons, with May-June and September-November being prime months. Premiering your work in these periods, and potentially winning, could lead to more selections in subsequent seasons as your work gains recognition.
- Choose Wisely: Not every festival on platforms like FilmFreeway is worth submitting to. Prioritize reputation and track record over sheer quantity. It’s sometimes better to invest in established, reputable events rather than smaller, unknown ones.
- Think Big, Act Smart: While aiming for big-name festivals is enticing, starting with industry and VR-focused events can be more beneficial initially. Building connections within a close-knit VR community can be more advantageous than getting lost in larger, traditional film festivals.
- Maintain an Online Presence: A simple, informative webpage with synopsis, stills, trailers, credits, and a director’s statement is crucial. Strong social media and online profiles, including FilmFreeway, can also provide programmers with additional insights into your project’s efforts and background.
Remember to be cautious about invitations from festivals, as some might not be legitimate and could be attempts to exploit filmmakers.
The traditional film industry has FIAPF classification of the festival, with events like the Venice Biennale, Cannes Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, and over a dozen more being the most important and prestigious ones in the world. You’re safe to assume that if the festival is in the FIAPF Accredited list of Competitive Feature Film Festivals or in any other category and they have VR category as a competitive section — that would be the peak of your festival success to be selected there.
It comes with a price and restrictions: for sections like Venice Immersive within Venice Biennale you have to pay 175 EUR entry fee and the work should not be showcased anywhere in advance and be a World/International Premiere. Not to say that you are competing with the best of the best even to be selected, many of whom have a huge track record of participating in this or other prestigious events and knowing the rules of the games quite well.
Unlike Venice, Cannes Film Festival has its Cannes XR section as a part of Film Market — Marche du Film and Berlinale stopped showcasing VR as a part of EFM some time ago (COVID thing, but not only I guess).
Other festivals in “Competitive Feature Film Festivals” might had an edition or two of VR, but most of them were not for submission but more like a curated exhibition.
The term “Title of the Big City International Film Festivals” carries a touch of irony. It refers to those festivals perceived as the most significant and prestigious within their respective countries, yet for various reasons, they lack accreditation by FIAPF. Festivals such as Busan, Beijing, Dubai, London, Melbourne, Toronto, among many others in cities worldwide, alongside International Film Festivals, hold legitimacy and warrant consideration for submissions akin to their FIAPF-accredited counterparts.
The goal of being selected or showcased at these festivals extends beyond individual creators; it represents their countries. National film institutes and cultural institutions support these festivals, promoting content on their national markets and in the festival’s film market. Your selection becomes a win for them, akin to earning points in the unofficial “Film Festival Olympic Games.” Benefits could include press coverage (national and international), participation in events organized by national pavilions, and in some cases, financial support for festival participation.
And now about film markets within those.
This is a topic deserving its own dedicated segment within this article series, yet it holds relevance in this context too. Every major festival incorporates its film market or industry program. Some of these programs serve as excellent platforms to offer a glimpse of your project during its production phase through pitching sessions or for potential distribution. Securing a place in these film market programs is a significant achievement, not only capturing the attention of national film industries but also serving as a tool to bring your work to the notice of festival curators. This could lead them to consider your project for a premiere at their festival in the following year.
While this aspect delves into the business side of the process, spotlighting your work-in-progress within a market section is unquestionably a strategic move to contemplate as part of your future festival strategy.
The XR industry professionals and fellow XR curators might view these thoughts with skepticism. However, the data tells its own story: the XR creative industry is young, and the medium is emerging. The lines between gaming, entertainment, art, and film blur in VR/AR, allowing individuals and creators with limited prior experience in the film festival circuit and industry to participate in XR sections. Hence, I’ll take the chance to simplify and articulate these concepts, hoping to inspire creators to consider exploring these opportunities.
So, what’s the takeaway from this material? To check if the topic interests anyone and if I should go on — that’s for sure. So I’d be happy to have some feedback!
In Part 2 I will cover:
- Documentary, Animation, and specialized film festivals (oriented on specific genres of traditional and independent cinema — festivals like IDFA, CPH:DOX, Annecy, as well as well-known Sundance, Raindance, Tribeca, and others). We will still be around the traditional festivals and VR sections.
And, just to be clear, about the author:
Georgy Molodtsov
Documentary programmer, Moscow International Film Festival (2007–2017)
Curator, goEast Film Festival — Open Frame VR Award; VR_SciFest, Tbilisi VR Days, Culture VR:FR showcases
XR Director @ VRROOM (director of Webby and Crystal Owl Award winning “Oxymore”)
Founder @ Film XR (Raindance winning “MormoVerse”, Cannes XR nominated “Under the pillow XR”).
