The Outer Limits of Sci-fi Festivals & Online Distribution
Done well, science fiction has the power to transport us to other worlds, challenge our understanding of reality, and explore the limitless possibilities of the human imagination. Done poorly, and the film will struggle to find a home at festivals or an audience online.
Written & Interviewed by Mark Brennan
Originality in the genre space becomes harder with every new release, and so with each new project comes the challenge of avoiding cliche or becoming pastiche. It’s a challenge made harder still when a well-trodden story can’t easily be compensated for with dazzling special effects or superbly captured action scenes. It all comes down to the story.
With a good story, science fiction, much like horror and fantasy, is a genre that has the capacity to transcend film festival programmes and find multiple homes online when the festival run is over. The execution of an idea can be enough to see it selected in festivals with broad programmes as well as those that are sci-fi specific, but it is the idea itself that will determine how far that film might travel.
Film Festivals
Several film festivals specialise in science fiction, making them ideal venues for filmmakers in this genre. The Sci-Fi London Film Festival and Boston SciFi, for example, are dedicated exclusively to science fiction and offer a platform for emerging and established sci-fi creators.
Sci-fi focused film festivals are the obvious choice to explore, and depending on the film you’ve made, other genre festivals might be interested too. Fantasia, for example, programmes fantastical and quirky tales that do include some science fiction without being exclusively so. Is it a sci-fi with horror elements? If so, horror festivals are also worth considering (and for some, the debate about whether Ridley Scott’s Alien is more a sci-fi or a horror rages on).
Then there are film festivals that are not sci-fi specific but will include sci-fi stories in their broad screening programmes, such as Fantasia International Film Festival. When looking for science fiction stories to include in their line up, Becca McKay, Head of Submissions at the festival says:
“The great thing about science fiction is how vast the genre is. Innovative, new ideas are always appreciated, but as huge sci-fi nerds, we love nods to previous tropes and films too. My personal advice is to keep it weird! Although, every programmer is different and therefore, your film may be perfect for someone else's taste. As well, there's many benefits to both making a short or a feature. My main concern would be your budget, if you can make a more successful short film because of having a smaller budget, that would be my recommendation, but also, a feature made with a lower budget is always a welcome feat. I would recommend checking out our International Science-Fiction Short Film Showcase from this past 2023 edition. This was a great selection of fantastic shorts!”
Arguably, genre-specific film festivals are more forgiving than broad festivals when it comes to the execution of the story. In most cases for broad festivals, the filmmaking, production value, and performances must match the quality of the story and the idea to be considered. These films are up against hard-hitting dramas and side-splitting comedies, all captured beautifully, so any genre film has to work harder to be included in the line up alongside them.
This is when you need a true perspective of the film you have made in order to make sure you are putting your resources in the right places. There is no point spending your budget on submitting to festivals like Tribeca or Sundance if your film is far more suited to audiences at genre-focused festivals where audiences will lap up what you’ve created.
If you’ve researched and planned wisely, with an honest opinion of your film, there are plenty of festivals that could be a home to your film and offer a rewarding experience along with your selection. Then, once that’s over, it’s time to find a new home online…
Online Platforms
There are online showcasing platforms like Dust and ALTER which are dedicated to showcasing sci-fi and horror content. These platforms have a niche audience passionate about speculative storytelling, making them ideal for reaching sci-fi enthusiasts and the obvious place to start when you’re ready to share your work online.
Coincidentally, submitting your film to either platform is a lot like submitting for a festival as it’s FilmFreeway that you use to do so. There is a fee for consideration and then you will be informed whether or not your film will be included on their channels. There is also a community of filmmakers you can join to share and watch each other’s work.
Similarly to your festival experience, if your film is one that broad festivals have appreciated then it is also worth considering broad online platforms as well, such as Short of The Week, Director’s Notes, or Omeleto, in case the film will be of interest to them.
There are also other short film platforms such as Klipist and Genera Films who are accepting of any genres. In fact, Christian Parton of Genera Films knows exactly what he’s looking for:
“I'd like to see more sci-fi films on the platform that explore the impact of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics on society, similar to Ex Machina, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and I, Robot. These films raise thought-provoking questions about the consequences of technology and human interaction with AI, making them a compelling choice for our audience.
We actively welcome sci-fi to our platform, embracing its thought-provoking narratives and imaginative explorations as an integral part of our diverse film collection.”
Then there is releasing the film on your own YouTube or Vimeo channel, which you can promote through collaboration with sci-fi communities and forums. Platforms like Reddit and Discord have active sci-fi communities where you can share your work and gain feedback - perhaps even find an audience who will be ready and waiting for your next works.
In truth, depending on the exclusivity requirement of the above mentioned platforms, there may be more than one of these options available to you.
Filmmakers should carefully consider their goals, budget, and target audience when choosing the right approach. Whether through traditional film festivals, online streaming platforms, or grassroots efforts, the world of science fiction filmmaking offers exciting opportunities for creators to share their imaginative visions with audiences around the globe.
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