Let’s have a hard conversation about FilmFreeway and the current state of film festivals. In 2026, the "Submission Industrial Complex" has reached a breaking point. I know filmmakers who have spent $10,000 on submission fees this year and have nothing to show for it but a handful of "Semi-Finalist" laurels that mean nothing to distributors.
The prestige of the "B-Tier" festival is evaporating. Unless you get into Sundance, Cannes, TIFF, or SXSW, the ROI on a festival run is often negative. Why? Because distributors are no longer scouting at mid-sized regional festivals. They are scouting on TikTok, YouTube, and specialized platforms like FilmPlatforms.com. They are looking for "Verified Audience Engagement," not the opinion of a three-person jury in a small town.
The new model is "Surgical Premieres." Instead of the shotgun approach of 50 festivals, smart filmmakers are doing one high-impact premiere in a hub like NYC or LA to get the trade reviews (Variety, Hollywood Reporter), and then immediately pivoting to a self-distributed "Theatrical-on-Demand" model. Tools like Gathr and Letterboxd-integrated ticket sales are becoming more powerful than a "Best Narrative Feature" award at a festival nobody attends. Are we witnessing the death of the festival circuit as a discovery tool? Or is there still value in the "networking" aspect that justifies the $80 submission fee?
The prestige of the "B-Tier" festival is evaporating. Unless you get into Sundance, Cannes, TIFF, or SXSW, the ROI on a festival run is often negative. Why? Because distributors are no longer scouting at mid-sized regional festivals. They are scouting on TikTok, YouTube, and specialized platforms like FilmPlatforms.com. They are looking for "Verified Audience Engagement," not the opinion of a three-person jury in a small town.
The new model is "Surgical Premieres." Instead of the shotgun approach of 50 festivals, smart filmmakers are doing one high-impact premiere in a hub like NYC or LA to get the trade reviews (Variety, Hollywood Reporter), and then immediately pivoting to a self-distributed "Theatrical-on-Demand" model. Tools like Gathr and Letterboxd-integrated ticket sales are becoming more powerful than a "Best Narrative Feature" award at a festival nobody attends. Are we witnessing the death of the festival circuit as a discovery tool? Or is there still value in the "networking" aspect that justifies the $80 submission fee?
