When the final film fades to black and the last guest exits the theatre, a film festival producer’s work is not quite finished. In fact, this post-festival period – often called the “long tail” – is a crucial phase that can amplify a festival’s impact well beyond the event itself. Seasoned festival organisers understand that the weeks after the festival are prime time to solidify achievements, nurture relationships, and set the stage for future success. This is the moment to turn the festival’s immediate successes into lasting value for your team, your supporters, your filmmakers, and the wider community.
After the adrenaline rush of the festival, taking care of post-festival tasks might feel daunting, but it pays dividends. From compiling glowing audience feedback for grant applications to arranging encore screenings of hit films, these aftercare activities ensure the excitement and goodwill generated during the festival continue to grow. Here’s how savvy film festival producers around the world handle the long tail of their festivals:
Share Audience and Press Highlights with Stakeholders
One of the first orders of business post-festival is capturing the highlights and sharing them with those who matter – your team, sponsors, partners, and grant givers. A festival’s success isn’t just measured by full theatres; it’s also told through numbers, stories, and accolades that emerge during the event. Compiling these into a clear summary is invaluable for grant reports, sponsorship fulfilment, and team morale.
What to Compile and Share:
- Audience Numbers and Demographics: Start with the hard data. Note how many people attended, how many screenings sold out, and any record-breaking statistics (e.g. highest attendance in festival history, number of countries represented by films, etc.). These figures demonstrate the festival’s reach and growth. For example, the Sarajevo Film Festival publishes an annual report highlighting metrics like having 100,000+ visitors over nine days and hundreds of accredited industry guests, underscoring its cultural impact in Southeast Europe.
- Press Coverage and Accolades: Gather press clippings and online buzz about your festival. Highlight any especially positive reviews or mentions in prominent outlets. If Variety praises your “exceptional curation” or a local newspaper calls your event “a highlight of the cultural calendar,” make sure those quotes appear in your report. Such press testimonials add credibility when approaching funders and sponsors.
- Audience Feedback and Testimonials: Don’t overlook your attendees’ voices. Pull comments from post-festival surveys, social media, and emails. A heartfelt quote from an audience member like “I discovered films and cultures I never knew – this festival broadened my horizons!” can powerfully illustrate the festival’s impact on the community. These anecdotes humanise your data and stick in readers’ minds.
- Filmmaker and Team Reflections: Include a note if filmmakers were thrilled by the experience or if a volunteer had a standout story. For instance, if an emerging director says “the festival was the springboard for my career”, that not only flatters your team but also strengthens future grant applications by showing you nurture talent.
- Notable Milestones: Mention any firsts or special achievements – “Inaugural festival to feature carbon-neutral screenings” or “50% of directors this year were women”. These details can align with grantors’ focus areas (like sustainability or diversity) and show that your festival delivers on broader values.
Once compiled, share these highlights widely. Start internally: hold a post-festival debrief with your staff and volunteers. Celebrate the successes – show the team what they achieved together. This boosts morale and helps everyone understand the outcomes of their hard work. It’s also a chance to discuss lessons learned for next time (an honest appraisal of what could improve, which funders also appreciate in reports).
Next, tailor the highlights into a concise report or slide deck for external stakeholders:
– Grant Reports: Many film festivals rely on grants from arts councils, government bodies, or nonprofits. They often require a final report detailing how the event went. Use your compiled data and stories to demonstrate you met or exceeded objectives. If you promised community outreach, include how many free community screenings you held and their attendance. If diversity was a goal, underline the representation stats in your film lineup or audience. With strong highlights in hand, reports practically write themselves – and they make a compelling case for renewal of funding.
– Sponsors and Partners: Send a thank-you email or newsletter to sponsors, community partners, and key supporters summarising the festival’s high points. Include eye-catching figures and a couple of great photos. For example, you might say, “Thanks to your support, 5,000 attendees enjoyed 40 films from 20 countries, and local press hailed it as our best year yet.” Showing sponsors their ROI (in exposure and community impact) increases the chance they’ll return next year.
– Public and Press: Consider releasing a public “festival wrap-up” announcement. Many major festivals issue press releases touting records and award winners at festival’s end. A wrap-up can double as promotion for next year’s edition. Keep it upbeat: “Film Fest X wrapped its 10th edition with sold-out screenings and standing ovations… see you next year!” This keeps your festival in the news a bit longer and reminds audiences that your team delivered something special.
Pro Tip: Leverage your ticketing platform for data. If you used an advanced system like Ticket Fairy for registrations and ticketing, you likely have a trove of analytics at your fingertips – demographic breakdowns, peak sales times, etc. These insights not only help in reports, but they can guide marketing strategy for the next festival. For instance, if data shows a spike in young adult attendance after a certain social media campaign, that’s worth noting and repeating.
In summary, sharing audience and press highlights effectively turns ephemeral festival moments into concrete evidence of success. It tells your festival’s story in a way that stakeholders can rally behind, whether that’s to secure funding, attract sponsors, or simply pat your hardworking team on the back.
Offer Encore Screenings and Touring Packages
Just because the main festival is over doesn’t mean the screenings have to stop. If you’ve ever heard attendees say, “I wish more people could see this film,” or “I couldn’t get tickets to that sold-out show,” you know there’s demand left unsatisfied. This is where encore screenings and touring packages come in – extending your festival’s life and reach.
Encore Screenings: Many festivals organise “best of fest” encores or additional showings of popular films after the official dates. These can be one-off encore nights, a weekend series, or part of local community events. By offering encore screenings of award winners or audience favourites, you:
– Give local audiences another chance to catch buzzworthy films they missed.
– Generate extra revenue and exposure with minimal marketing (the festival’s hype is still fresh in people’s minds).
– Strengthen relationships with filmmakers by securing more eyeballs for their work. A filmmaker whose movie gets an extra sold-out screening will appreciate the festival even more.
For example, Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) often runs an encore day after the festival to rescreen the winners of its jury and audience awards. Similarly, smaller festivals like the Boulder International Film Festival have been known to host a “Festival Encore” night at a local theatre, bringing back the top-voted film for one last showing. These events tend to be celebratory – sometimes filmmakers return for an extra Q&A, basking in the afterglow of their festival success alongside enthusiastic audiences.
Touring Packages: Some festivals take the show on the road. If your mission includes broadening appreciation for certain films or serving communities beyond your city, a touring program can be a fantastic post-fest initiative. This can range from a simple “roadshow” of a few winning shorts to an entire travelling festival package.
Consider a few inspiring examples:
– The Sundance Film Festival organises a Short Film Tour each year, bringing a curated selection of Sundance’s best shorts to cinemas across the United States and internationally. Over the months following Sundance, audiences far from Park City get to experience the festival’s highlights, effectively spreading Sundance’s influence and the filmmakers’ exposure well beyond the Utah mountains.
– In Indonesia, after the annual Minikino Film Week (a Bali-based international short film festival) wraps up, the team hits the road with a Post Festival Roadshow. In 2022, they brought the festival’s winning short films to eight cities across Indonesia – from Palu and Jakarta to smaller communities – with support from cultural organisations. This not only delighted new audiences who couldn’t attend the festival, but also maintained a year-round presence for Minikino in the Indonesian film community.
– Canada’s imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (the world’s largest Indigenous film festival) runs an annual Tour Programme. They pack a selection of Indigenous-made films from the festival and present them in Indigenous communities and other cities throughout the year. It’s a powerful way to fulfil their cultural mission and give the films a longer life. Similarly, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour has become legendary – after the main festival in Banff, Alberta, a collection of the most jaw-dropping adventure and mountain films goes on tour to hundreds of towns across 40+ countries. This model turns a once-yearly event into a continual global engagement.
– Even niche festivals can find an audience on tour. The “Best of Festival” concept can be marketed to film societies, universities, or international cultural centers. For instance, the Annecy International Animation Festival in France frequently shares a reel of its award-winning animated shorts with partner events globally, allowing animation lovers worldwide to enjoy festival gems.
When planning touring screenings, make sure you have the rights and permissions from filmmakers and distributors. Often, independent filmmakers are thrilled to have their work shown more widely (and they may even join some tour stops for Q&As if travel is feasible). You might need to handle shipping or digital transfer of film files, and coordinate with local venue hosts. Partnering with local film clubs or arts nonprofits in each tour city can lighten the load – they handle venue and marketing, you provide the films and branding.
Encore and Tour Benefits: Aside from delighting audiences, these post-festival screenings keep your festival brand alive year-round. They can attract media attention in new markets (e.g. a “Touring festival brings world cinema to our town” headline). They also give sponsors extra value: if you have a sponsor logo to show, it will now be seen by more audiences beyond the main festival. And if your festival is partially grant-funded to increase cultural access, a tour is concrete proof of fulfilling that mission.
Remember to scale appropriately. Not every festival can launch a full world tour – and that’s okay. Encore screenings can be as simple as partnering with one local cinema for a single evening. Touring might mean just sending a program of short films to two neighbouring cities that lack their own festivals. The key is to identify where there’s interest and an underserved audience, and then bring a piece of your festival to them.
Introduce Promising Films to Buyers and Industry Contacts
Film festivals are where artistic dreams meet industry realities. As a festival organiser, you’re not just hosting screenings – you’re also hosting distributors, sales agents, platform curators, and other industry professionals who scout for new content. In the flurry of events, you and your team likely met many industry players (buyers) and had conversations about films. Post-festival, it’s time to follow up and play matchmaker between the great content from your festival and the people who can help that content reach wider audiences.
Review Your Industry Interactions: Right after the festival, gather your programming and industry liaison teams to debrief on which films generated buyer interest or which filmmakers were looking for distribution. Compile a list of “still seeking distribution” films from your lineup, especially any that won awards or had strong audience buzz. Cross-reference that with the business cards and contacts you collected. Who expressed excitement about a particular film? Who said “keep me posted on that documentary”?
Follow Up with Introductions: Armed with this info, reach out to the industry contacts you met. A friendly, professional email works wonders:
– Thank them for attending your festival (if they did).
– Remind them of any film or conversation that you discussed. (e.g. “You mentioned interest in Latin American thrillers; our Audience Award winner is a perfect fit.”)
– Offer to connect them with the filmmaker or rights holder. Essentially, you are vouching for the film and making their job easier by facilitating a meeting or screener access.
For example, imagine you ran a midsize film festival in Mexico and met a streaming platform representative at an industry mixer. Among your festival’s highlights was a Mexican feature film that won the Jury Prize but hasn’t secured distribution. In your follow-up email, you could write: “One of our top local films, The Forgotten Village, received standing ovations and is still seeking a distributor. I recall you were interested in Latin American content – would you like an introduction to the filmmakers or a screener link?” You’re providing value to both sides: the buyer gets a curated recommendation, and the filmmaker gets a foot in the door.
Leverage Your Network for Filmmakers: Sometimes, the most impactful introductions happen outside formal meetings. Festival directors and programmers often have broad networks built over years. Don’t hesitate to use yours: if a brilliant documentary from your festival would be perfect for a TV broadcast, and you know someone at the public broadcaster, reach out. As an example, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto has a reputation for connecting filmmakers with broadcasters like CBC or PBS. A small introduction made offline can lead to a big break – perhaps the doc gets licensed for a TV special or picked up by a streaming service.
In the independent film world, there are many stories of festivals catalysing deals:
– The low-budget horror film Paranormal Activity famously gained early buzz at a festival (Screamfest in LA, then Slamdance) leading to industry word-of-mouth that eventually sparked a distribution deal and a worldwide phenomenon. Had festival insiders not championed this little film, it might never have found its audience.
– At Fantastic Fest in Austin, festival co-founder Tim League so believed in a quirky genre film that he personally helped acquire and distribute it via his own company, giving that film a life beyond the festival circuit. Not every festival head is also a distributor, of course, but this illustrates the passion festivals have in pushing deserving content forward.
– European festivals often host formal co-production markets (like Rotterdam’s CineMart or the Berlinale’s European Film Market) to connect filmmakers with producers and distributors. But even if your festival doesn’t have a full market, you can create informal introductions post-event. The Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, for instance, has a project initiative for emerging directors and works behind the scenes after the fest to link those projects with potential backers across Europe.
Building Goodwill: When you introduce a filmmaker to an industry contact, you’re acting as an advocate for your festival’s talent. Filmmakers will remember that you went the extra mile for them. Even if a particular introduction doesn’t result in a sale, the gesture strengthens the festival’s reputation as one that genuinely cares about its artists’ success. Over time, this helps attract more filmmakers to submit and attend, knowing your festival isn’t just a one-and-done screening, but a launchpad.
A practical tip: ensure you have permission and interest from the filmmaker before sending their screener around or making an introduction. You may even consider hosting a post-festival industry showcase online – a private platform where accredited buyers can view select festival films again, or a newsletter to industry contacts listing available titles with loglines and contact info. This kind of catalogue, sent shortly after the festival, keeps the momentum going from your event and capitalises on the discoveries made there.
Stay in Touch: Career Arcs Prove Your Impact
The films and filmmakers featured in your festival today could be the superstars of tomorrow. One of the most rewarding aspects of festival production is watching alumni go on to thrive – and knowing your festival was a part of their journey. To truly see the long tail of your festival’s influence, stay in touch with your alumni and follow their career arcs.
Build an Alumni Community: Treat filmmakers, jury members, and even volunteers from your festival as part of an extended family. Post-festival, send a thank-you and follow-up note to all the filmmakers who participated. Encourage them to share any news – new projects, distribution deals, awards – with you over time. Many festivals create private alumni Facebook groups or email lists, which make it easy to keep communication lines open. By fostering this community, you’ll naturally hear about their post-festival successes.
Celebrate Their Successes: When an alumnus of your festival achieves something big, proudly share it. This could be a social media post (“Thrilled to see that Lila’s Journey, which had its world premiere at our festival last year, just secured international distribution!”), a mention in your newsletter, or a shout-out at your next opening ceremony. Some festivals even have an “Alumni Spotlight” on their website or blog, featuring updates on past participants. For example, SXSW (South by Southwest in Texas) has highlighted how director Destin Daniel Cretton, who won SXSW in 2013 with Short Term 12, went on to direct major Hollywood films – a point of pride for SXSW and an inspiration for new filmmakers attending the festival. Similarly, the Slamdance Film Festival loves to remind people that Christopher Nolan’s first feature film Following premiered with them when he was an unknown; today Nolan is one of the world’s most acclaimed directors. By sharing such stories, you’re not just cheering your alumni – you’re subtly reinforcing your festival’s pedigree to audiences, press, and funders.
Tracking career trajectories also strengthens your case in grant applications and sponsorship pitches. Funders love to see long-term impact. If you can say, “Over the past decade, 15 filmmakers from our festival later directed feature films that screened at Cannes or won national awards,” that quantifies your importance as a cultural incubator. Even smaller anecdotes, like “An animation short from our 2022 festival was later developed into a Netflix series,” can paint a powerful picture of how your festival contributes to the arts ecosystem.
Keep the Conversation Going: Maintaining relationships requires periodic effort, but it’s worthwhile. Congratulate alumni on social media or email when you see news about them. Invite notable alumni back as panellists, jurors, or guest speakers in future editions. Not only does this give them a continued stake in your event, it also provides role models for the next generation of filmmakers at your festival. Picture the motivational boost a new director gets hearing that someone who stood in their shoes at your festival a few years ago has now made it big.
Beyond filmmakers, stay connected with other stakeholders too. Audience members who attended your festival — invite them to join a mailing list for year-round events or special perks (like early bird ticket offers for next year). Local community groups that partnered with you — keep them in the loop about future plans. Basically, don’t let the end of the festival be the end of the relationship.
This long-tail engagement builds a loyal community. It transforms your festival from a once-a-year event into a network of people who are invested in its ongoing success and in each other. Over time, you’ll find this network becomes one of your festival’s greatest assets – filmmakers return with new films, audience members become donors or volunteers, and industry friends send more connections your way.
Key Takeaways
- Consolidate Your Success: Right after your festival, gather all the important stats, stories, and praise. Use these to report back to grantors, sponsors, and your own team. Solid evidence of impact (attendance, press quotes, audience testimonials) will help secure future funding and energise your supporters.
- Extend the Festival’s Life: Consider encore screenings or a mini tour to share the best of your festival with wider audiences. Whether it’s a one-night “best of fest” replay in your town or a touring package to other cities, extending screenings can increase your reach and fulfil your festival’s mission beyond the main event.
- Be a Connector: Leverage the industry contacts you met to help filmmakers from your festival. Introduce promising films to distributors, sales agents, or broadcasters who might be interested. Your festival can be the launching pad where films find distribution and new opportunities, and your proactive matchmaking benefits everyone.
- Nurture Alumni Relations: Keep in touch with filmmakers and guests after the festival. Follow their careers and celebrate their wins. Their success stories are proof of your festival’s long-term impact, which can attract new talent and impress funders. Plus, those alumni may come back around as collaborators, advisors, or even sponsors in the future.
- Maintain the Momentum: Above all, don’t view the festival’s end as the end. It’s the start of a new phase. By investing time in post-festival aftercare, you ensure that the enthusiasm, connections, and creative energy generated carry forward. This long-tail approach will make your next edition easier to fund, populate, and promote – because you’ve built a strong foundation of goodwill and proven results.
27th September 2025