- Joined
- Jan 4, 2026
- Messages
- 5
The word networking makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It sounds cold and forced. It brings up images of awkward small talk and people trying to impress each other with business cards and half-baked elevator pitches.
But in the US film industry, networking is not an event. It is not a cocktail party and it is not a pitch. It is a long-term, slow, human process.
From a European perspective this is often misunderstood. Many people think networking means selling yourself and convincing others why you matter. In the US it is much more about simply showing up as a real person.
People do not remember what you said about yourself. They remember how you made them feel.
What does not work is pitching your project in the first conversation. It is approaching people with a what-can-you-do-for-me mindset. It is collecting contacts instead of building relationships. It is treating people like stepping stones. Everyone can feel this energy and the US industry is very sensitive to it.
What does work is having genuine conversations. It is real interest in other people’s work. It is curiosity without expectation. It is showing up consistently.
In the US it is completely normal for a connection to sit dormant for years. You meet at a festival. You follow each other online. You exchange a few messages. And three years later someone says there is now a project that might fit you. That is not a failure. That is how the system actually works.
Slow replies are not personal. People are overloaded. Silence usually just means someone is busy.
European film industries are more hierarchical. Titles and status matter more. In the US things are flatter. You can talk to a producer, director or sales agent almost the same way you would talk to anyone else. What matters is not who you are on paper but whether you are a good human to talk to.
The biggest mistake is wanting something right now. The strongest position is wanting nothing, just a connection.
The best advice I ever got was do not collect contacts, leave an impression.
Curious what has worked for you. Festivals, meetups or online communities.
But in the US film industry, networking is not an event. It is not a cocktail party and it is not a pitch. It is a long-term, slow, human process.
From a European perspective this is often misunderstood. Many people think networking means selling yourself and convincing others why you matter. In the US it is much more about simply showing up as a real person.
People do not remember what you said about yourself. They remember how you made them feel.
What does not work is pitching your project in the first conversation. It is approaching people with a what-can-you-do-for-me mindset. It is collecting contacts instead of building relationships. It is treating people like stepping stones. Everyone can feel this energy and the US industry is very sensitive to it.
What does work is having genuine conversations. It is real interest in other people’s work. It is curiosity without expectation. It is showing up consistently.
In the US it is completely normal for a connection to sit dormant for years. You meet at a festival. You follow each other online. You exchange a few messages. And three years later someone says there is now a project that might fit you. That is not a failure. That is how the system actually works.
Slow replies are not personal. People are overloaded. Silence usually just means someone is busy.
European film industries are more hierarchical. Titles and status matter more. In the US things are flatter. You can talk to a producer, director or sales agent almost the same way you would talk to anyone else. What matters is not who you are on paper but whether you are a good human to talk to.
The biggest mistake is wanting something right now. The strongest position is wanting nothing, just a connection.
The best advice I ever got was do not collect contacts, leave an impression.
Curious what has worked for you. Festivals, meetups or online communities.
