2-Part Class: Building Your Film Festival And Market Strategy for the Year

Recorded Zoom class with a top producer and distributor - plan your film’s festival and market strategy!

Receive a downloadable Festival and Market Strategy Planning Worksheet!

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

Film festivals and film markets are powerful tools when used correctly, and career-ending traps when misunderstood. Many filmmakers spend years making a film only to submit blindly to festivals without a strategy, unintentionally aging their project out of distribution consideration. Others skip festivals entirely and go straight to distribution, only to wonder why their film launches quietly with no momentum, press, or buyer excitement.

One of the biggest challenges you can face is not understanding the difference between a film festival and a film market, and how each serves a different purpose. Submitting to the wrong festivals, misunderstanding premiere status, or allowing a film to circulate too long on the festival circuit can severely limit distribution opportunities. On the other hand, bypassing festivals altogether can strip a film of credibility, visibility, and leverage.

This two-part class teaches you how to strategically use festivals and markets together, not randomly, to support distribution, sales, and long-term career growth. Drawing from real-world experience attending major international festivals and markets, students will learn how to build a smart, intentional festival strategy for the year that aligns with where their film actually belongs and what they want it to achieve.

Your Stage 32 educator, Michelle Alexandria, brings more than two decades of hands-on experience navigating the global festival and market landscape as both a producer and distributor. She has attended the Cannes Film Festival for over 20 years and has worked extensively within the Marché du Film, while also participating in major international and U.S. festivals including Berlinale, Sundance, SXSW, and many others. As President of Light Year Pictures, a Producers Guild council member, advisory board participant, and longtime festival judge, she understands how films are evaluated, programmed, sold, and positioned and she uses that real-world insight to guide filmmakers toward smarter decisions.

PLUS! You will receive the following handouts the help you:

• Festival and Market Strategy Planning Worksheet

• Festival vs Market Overview: What Filmmakers Need to Know

Praise for Michelle's Education With Stage 32:

"I can't say enough good things about Michelle! Talk about a woman who knows her stuff. I highly recommend all writers, producers, and directors take a course with her to hone their craft and propel their careers." - Kaitlin L.

“There's so much to learn about the craft and business of working in this industry and I'm grateful to have Michelle's expertise in guiding me through it.” - Nick S. 

"Michelle Alexandria proves to be an excellent guide cutting away at the barriers, self or industry created. Stellar webinar, she provides selflessly a deep knowledge, her experiences towards acquiring interest from the least expected sources, helps streamline efforts towards gaining the optimal financial support and guiding products towards audiences. Going to “throw clay onto the wheel” with confidence. Kudos, highly recommend!" - Jen K