Choosing the right film festival to submit to is often a daunting task as there are thousands of festivals around the world.

I started submitting to film festivals last year, because the videos and music I make are experimental and avant-garde – using contemporary film and new wave animation techniques—many thanks to state-of-the-art software from the developers at Mettle.

But finding the right festival to submit to needs research. You need to find a legitimate festival that will not only celebrate your work but also connect you to your audience and help you network with other filmmakers.

I was lucky to find filmfestivals.com. It is an invaluable portal of film and festival news, as well as a social network for the festival community. The portal was founded by veteran film distributor and film agent, Bruno Chatelin in 1995. Mr Chatelin has released 100’s of films throughout his career, including four Woody Allen films, ‘Independence Day’, ‘Boyz in the Hood’ & ‘Field of Dreams’ to name a few. I had the honor of meeting him in both Cannes and Greece at the French Riviera Film Festival and the Lost World Film Festival in Crete.

It was through filmfestivals.com that I found the extra-ordinary French Riviera Film Festival. The two-day festival is held during the annual Festival de Cannes. The founders, Nicole Muj and Gotham Chandna organized an impeccable event. They brought together a very prestigious jury panel and an outstanding selection of powerful short films. The event not only included screenings and an awards ceremony but a fabulous closing gala party with award winning directors, actors and VIPs from all over the world.

It may be the past experience the founders have at previous festivals in Cannes and Sundance that made it possible for them to create an atmosphere for the festival that matched the excitement of the Festival de Cannes. While staying at the Eden Hotel and Spa in Cannes, I met industry professionals over breakfast and other red carpet film makers staying at the hotel. In Cannes, you mingle with industry professionals in tuxedos and gowns from 8 in the morning. Connections with creatives I could not have made if it weren’t for being in Cannes for FRFF at the time.

Many thanks to Bruno Chatelin at Filmfestivals.com and to Nicole Muj and Gotham Chandna for the life-changing experience at the French Riviera Film Festival. Since winning Best Music Video award at the festival, my work is being recognized. The follow-up press the FRFF did after the festival—placements in Hollywood Times and Broadway World truly made this one of the most significant and career launching festivals I have ever attended.

WATCH RED LION ON YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpar5d0bVOQ

Filmfestivals.com portal with film & fest news and social network for the festival community. The leading platform matchmaking film and festivals. The weekly newsletter has 190,000 subscribers and 380,000 unique visitors per month. Established in 1995 for film festival professionals, a place to learn, share, discover, promote and submit film, select film. If you are a filmmaker looking to connect to festivals or a festival looking for shorts, docus and films from around the world, you can connect with 40,000 filmmakers and 7000 festivals listed there.

Filmfestivals.com website https://filmfestivals.com/

Filmfestivals.com on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/filmfestivalscom/

Filmfestivals.com on Twitter https://twitter.com/fest21

The French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) recognizes and celebrates short-form content created for film, television, Web and all digital platforms. In the glamorous South of France setting, FRFF invites filmmakers from around the globe to participate in the two-day festival that includes screenings, awards ceremony, and closing gala party. FRFF places the spotlight on the best short-form filmed content during the time period of the annual Festival de Cannes. A prestigious jury panel selects Best Drama Short, Best Comedy Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animation Short, Best Experimental Short, Best Lifestyle Short, Best Fashion Short, Best Music Video, Best Female Filmmaker Award, Best Director Award, Best Actor Award, Best Actress Award, and Industry Excellence Award. Attendees and participants will include filmmakers, industry executives, celebrities, media, and influencers.

French Riviera Film Festival website http://frenchrivierafilmfestival.com/

French Riviera Film Festival on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frenchrivieraff/

French Riviera Film Festival on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/frfilmfestival/