Submitting a short film to festivals costs hundreds or thousands of dollars with almost no transparency about what your money actually buys
A young filmmaker finishes their first short film after months of work and almost no budget. Getting it seen requires submitting to festivals. Each submission costs $25 to $150. Submitting to a meaningful number of festivals costs more than the film did to make. The acceptance rate at top festivals is under 1 percent. And some festivals charge fees for films they have already decided not to program.
Who has this problem
Early-career and first-time short filmmakers with minimal budget
Filmmakers most exposed to predatory or low-value festivals, submitting for the first time without an established strategy.
Film students submitting thesis films
Filmmakers with tiny budgets facing per-festival fees with no track record.
Documentary and animation filmmakers with small budgets
Makers whose work takes years and whose acceptance odds at top festivals are under 3%.
Small festivals and programmers
Legitimate events trying to look credible next to predatory ones.
Signal timeline
Festival Fixr launches: an AI tool built by a working festival strategist offering personalized submission plans by genre and budget, priced at $47/month, positioned explicitly as shifting festival access away from filmmakers with insider connections or six-figure budgets.
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