My long time friend and I finished a final project for a class. Based on the professor's recommendation we are shopping around for film festivals. The film is 15 minutes and shot on DV.

I tried clicking on the film festival tab on the top but that didn’t work. Then I tried Google but the only website I got was filmfestivals.com which was a mess.

Does anyone know of a good way to find film festival that has competitions.

Thank You

Try the website withoutabox.com which will also help you to prepare your entry forms for festivals as well.

Since you stay in Texas, I recommend Best Fest America Student Film Festival.

http://www.bestfestsandiego.com/

I say that because you're already on that side of the river unlike me. You still have to travel a piece to San Diego, CA. Do you have a local Indie.

I recommend looking at what you hope to gain from entering - exposure? money? distribution (ha, ha)?

The universal truth of film festivals is that many charge almost the exact same fee regardless of prestige, merit, etc. Sundance is $30 or 35 for standard deadline shorts and you can expect most to be in the $25-35 range.

There are only a few 'important' festivals:
(not a complete list)

Sundance
Cannes
Berlin
Toronto
Telluride
Ann Arbor

etc.

Not to say you should only enter the big ones, but if you look at entry fees spending $300+ to send your project to a dozen festivals, most of which may be inconsequential, might not be the most effective use of funds.

Or you could wait and submit to the Dallas Film Festival when they get their **** together and become the next Sundance, which is a supposed plan ot theirs, or so I hear.

elliott (otiose)...

Is SXSW (austin) considered one of the big ones?

Yeah, probably. Worth entering if you think you have a shot.