by Jen Sall
Rapid advances in technology make it significantly easier and much less expensive to make a film today. A record 12,218 films were submitted for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, 72 more films than the 2013 festival. Of the 4,057-plus feature films submitted, 121 were selected. Of those approximately 15 were purchased by the close of the festival. A few more have been bought in the past few months, not many.
Perhaps you beats the odds (you have around a 4% chance of your film premiering at a major festival and then 10% of distribution deal once it makes the festival) your film premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, SXSW or a festival with a track record of sales. Lightening strikes a second time and your film is bought. You are in the minority and you can stop reading this article. If you are one of the thousands of other films premiering at a festival with no distribution deal or buyer in sight, a film that has never screened in a festival, or you developing a film keep reading.