Festivals change faster than most filmmakers realize. If you’re not adapting, you’re already behind.
TIFF’s People’s Choice win for Hamnet is more than a trophy—it’s a signal. Audience-driven awards are shaping Oscars buzz, festival lineups are leaning into cultural and ethical relevance, and programmers are deciding what gets amplified.
Festivals aren’t passive showcases. They are filters. What resonates emotionally and ethically often outweighs production value. Filmmakers who understand what festivals are rewarding position themselves ahead of the curve.
👉 This week, re-read your press kit or pitch. Is there a clear emotional or ethical thread? If not, sharpen it before your next submission.
TIFF’s People’s Choice and the Oscars
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award. TIFF also launched a new International People’s Choice Award while narrowing the original category to U.S. and Canadian films.
This signals two things: global films are earning stronger recognition, and domestic films face sharper competition.
👉 Study past winners in your category. Identify what made them connect emotionally, and make sure your materials highlight those same elements.
Submitting Everywhere Isn't Strategy - It's a Money Drain.
MovieMaker’s 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee 2025 highlights regional, filmmaker-friendly festivals gaining traction for affordability, access, and distributor presence. Meanwhile, top-tier fees keep climbing.
Shotgunning submissions burns your budget and your reputation. Targeted submissions create traction. Random ones create noise.
👉 Pick 5 festivals from this year’s “Worth the Entry Fee” list and audit them against your film’s genre and goals. Keep only the matches that check both boxes.
Spotlight: Mill Valley Film Festival 2025
Mill Valley (Oct 2–12, 2025) showcases 139 films from 40 countries, with 52% directed or co-directed by women or non-binary filmmakers.
Funders, distributors, and audiences are expecting diversity across leadership and creative teams. Festivals like Mill Valley are setting the bar higher, and submissions that don’t reflect inclusivity will increasingly struggle.
👉 When submitting, spotlight the diversity of your creative team as part of your film’s narrative strength—not as a checkbox, but as proof of authentic perspective.
I don’t just share headlines—I decode signals. Festivals are constantly shifting the rules, and the smartest filmmakers shift with them.
Strategy isn’t optional—it’s survival. Position yourself early, with clarity, and the circuit will open more doors.
Until next week,
Heather
