5 Tips to help You navigate your first film festival

Written By Taylor Metelus
 
 
 
 
 

I had the pleasure of attending this year’s 26th annual American Black Film Festival in Miami, Florida. As my first film festival, this experience did not disappoint.

I went on this trip with a very strategic mindset because it was a personal and professional growth opportunity. While I put a lot of preparation into this trip, there was still so much for me to learn as a first-time festival-goer. 

 

These 5 ESSENTIAL TAKEAWAYS from my experience attending this year’s ABFF will help you Prepare for Your First Film Festival.

 
 

1. Establish Trip Purpose

Having clear intentions will help you plan the best trip by eliminating unnecessary confusion and maximizing your time based on your needs. 

  • Leisure

    The film festival is the highlight of your actual vacation. You’re interested in screening upcoming films and going with the flow. Bring a camera for social media and memories.


  • Educational

    Have a love for television and film? Are you interested in knowing more about the inner workings of the entertainment industry?

    Have a pen, paper, or iPhone/iPad for notes. Attending a film festival can be a significant step in professional development.

  • Professional

    New to the entertainment industry? Are you a writer, director, or actor?

    Prepare to network. Have business cards, headshots, functional website, social pages, or digital portfolio/resume. Showcase your work!

Eliminate unnecessary confusion. Maximize your time.

 
 

2. Familiarize Yourself With This Year’s Festival

Do your research. Create moodboards. 

Depending on the purpose of your trip (established above), the research you do and how in-depth you go or not will vary 

  • Educational 

    • Find out the history of the festival.

      • What notable films, directors, and producers have debuted at the festival? 

      • Who are the founders?

      • Who sponsors the film festival?

    • Look up relevant educational events and opportunities. 

    • Research the films being featured and premiering at the festival. 

Pro Tip: Have Questions!* A lot of panel conversations end with a Q&A portion for audience members. This is a unique chance to get your name and face out there.

*Make sure you’re asking relevant, forward-thinking questions that show a unique perspective and intention to disrupt.

 

  • Professional:

    • Be intentional about your connections.

    • Make sure you know where to be and when. 

      • Often times there Are mixers or events specifically for networking in collaboration with the festival.

    • Have your resume and digital portfolio ready as needed.

    • Pro Tip: Pre-register for applicable events requiring a resume or portfolio.

      Sign up to receive advanced professional email correspondence and prior notice on exclusive job listings.

 

  • LEISURE 

    • Research unique photoshoot locations

      Whether you’re enjoying a leisure trip or you’re taking photos for professional reasons, there’s always preparation you can do beforehand—Scout the best locations ahead of time.

    • Find nearby sightseeing destinations

    • Lookup popular experiential restaurants worthy of highlighting on TikTok and Instagram.

    • There are likely to be parties and other social events in collaboration with the festival, so make sure you secure tickets in advance.

      1. Pro Tip: Moodboard the trip’s aesthetic so you have visual inspo for social content. Moodboard outfits. 

 

3. Create a Personalized Itinerary

  • As soon as it becomes available download the official festival schedule 

  • Highlight events of interest and establish priority

  • Create an aesthetically pleasing itinerary - including times and location 

    • Pro Tip: Include additional time blocks for fun activities, food, pictures, rest, etc.

 

4. Make Reservations

perhaps you won’t brunch every day, but we all know brunch is always a good idea.

 

  • Bookmark restaurants

  • Schedule meals  

  • Pro Tip: Plug in reservations based on location proximity and open availability for

 
 

5. Be Flexible

Know that you won’t be able to attend every scheduled event. There are events scheduled for various conflicting times and locations, so it’d be physically impossible to be everywhere all at once. 

  • YES, there is a schedule and the goal is to be in line and seated early BUT don’t be hard-pressed about events starting or ending on time. 

  • Be prepared for the energy of the hosts/audience to lead great conversations beyond their stopping point. A lot of panels leave time for audience Q&As. 

  • Be considerate of preparations and cleaning that’ll need to be done in-between tightly scheduled events sharing the same event space.

  • Be cognizant of the travel time between the theater or convention center locations. Factor this into the time you need to leave and your mode of transportation. 

Prioritize your time.

  • Pro tip: If you can schedule transportation in advance, do so! Rideshare surges are bound to occur during large events.

  • Have backup plans. If you can’t make your reservation time* be sure you can quickly make changes to accommodate your new schedule

*Most restaurants provide a grace period anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

** you’re not incurring penalties for late or no-show reservations.

 
 

I hope you found these tips helpful in planning your next film festival. If this will be your first film festival experience, what questions do you still have?

If this somehow finds you after your first film festival: are you a regular goer and how do you usually navigate your festival experience?

Please let me know the success of your next film festival using this helpful guide. Slide in my DMs or hit my comments on social - I’d love to hear from you.

 
 
Taylor Metelus https://TaylorMetelus.com
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