Whether you are a DAFTAS alum or not, as a filmmaker, you will be faced with reality of promoting your comedy film. We’ve gathered some resources for comedy filmmakers to help them with this task.
With Comedy declared ‘at risk’ by the government regulator Ofcom, you might be on a mission to fix that – a bit like us. We know that creating comedy is not an easy task. One might even argue that it’s somewhat harder than any other genre. We hear you. And that’s why at the DAFTAS we want to provide you with some guidance, encouragement and useful tips.
The list below is by no means exhaustive. In fact, the subject is so vast that we are working on series of posts to cover all bases.
Get Your Comedy Featured on Streaming Platforms
With streaming platforms gaining more popularity, there are plenty of streaming platforms to aim for. We’ve handpicked some of the platforms that we think you should consider.
BirdBox
BirdBox is a streaming platform for both short and feature films. Being a branch of the UK-based financing and production group Goldfinch, BirdBox has launched in May 2020. Despite being a relatively new streaming platform, you can find amazing award-winning films on BirdBox. The BirdBox curate their content based on various criteria:
- Awards / Festival credits
- Older less known but great titles
- Emerging filmmakers
- Unusual subject or genre
- Films that BirdBox love and enjoy
- Content with a marketing hook that can gain publicity and engage the audience
The BirdBox shine a spotlight on one feature and one short film every week and hold film premieres and cast & crew Q&A. The BirdBox work with distributors but also accept individual submissions at info(at)birdbox.film.
If you happen to be the lucky one curated by BirdBox, you can also monetise your film.
Shortly.film
Our streaming partner Shortly, is a streaming platform for short films. Their passion for shorts is not just words – they are happy to host your film on their platform FOR FREE to save you some dosh.
Located in Sweden, Shortly hosts number of European Festivals, Masterclasses and online filming events so you can gain some industry exposure.
Most importantly, as a budding filmmaker, you can gain invaluable experience when it comes to marketing. Shortly will get you thinking business and EPK (Marketing Pack).
Shortly check submissions for legal content and will host your film once the check is complete. Check out Shortly website for more.
Submit Your Comedy to Film Festivals
There is a plethora of various niche film festivals – large and small. Apart from getting the laurel, with participation in Film Festivals comes your experience and publicity. Every film festival attended is another notch on your belt. But how to know where and how to submit?
There is a website that will make your life infinitely easier when it comes to picking the most suitable film festival to market your comedy film. Meet FilmFreeway. Arranged somewhat similarly to Facebook’s interface, FilmFreeway is one-stop shop for independent filmmakers. Once registered and logged, you can sort through all available film festivals and submit your film in just one click. You can filter by type of event, category, entry fee, festival focus i.e. genre, region and submission deadline.
Not every festival is accepting submissions through FilmFreeway though – the DAFTAS for example is a film challenge not just a festival. For that reason we don’t accept previously created work. But a quick search for a Comedy Festival of FilmFreeway will give you over 250 various festivals. Good searching!
One of our latest alum Artie Brennan has submitted his film (#NomadLife) to Battle of The Sketches festival and was shortlisted for the Best Dark Comedy category.
How the DAFTAS Promote Your Comedy Film
Here at the DAFTAS we understand the importance of marketing. We also know that filmmaking is a business and unless your films make money, you won’t be able to make them for long. So, marketing is built into our DNA.
Articles
As number of our entries and submissions grows, we might not be able to write a feature article about every submitted film but at the very least, we will feature all shortlisted films and an exclusive interview with all winners.
We are working to expand our reach by collaborating with other niche websites, publications and influencers. As our reach grows, so does yours.
Social Media
Your passion is to create comedy, we get it. But, as sad as it is, social media is kind of a big deal right now. We’re sure you must have heard of certain roles being awarded to actors purely due to their following and fan base. Filmmaking is a business and it all comes down to how well you can sell your film.
We are here to help you to create some buzz on social media. We actively promote your work and engage with your posts. We provide you with some eye-catching artworks and other content to help you grab the attention of your followers and engage with you.
Exposure and Networking
With background in media and publishing, our founder knows that a lot can be achieved with socialising and direct exposure. That’s why we aim to hold gatherings and live events whenever possible. We handpick the best suitable judges with bags of experience and clout in the industry and build working relationships with casting directors and talent agents who are always on a lookout for fresh talent.
Our nominated teams can be seen mingling with the judges and invited press during the awards and at the afterparty – when we used to have those. We love working with people we know and trust. The DAFTAS networking events provide a platform for great people to meet, exchange ideas and hatch new creative plans.
If you like what we can offer and are up for a challenge, please sign up to our mailing list to be the first to know about the DAFTAS submissions.
If you have a brilliant idea on how to promote your comedy film or would like to be featured, get in touch at contactus(at)daftas.org.
