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👋 Howdy, y’all. A quirky truth about the industry: the biggest festival of them all leads into… a lull. After Cannes, there’s Tribeca in June, but the next major stop isn’t until Telluride — three months away. So here’s a pause to reflect on why we go to festivals in (besides the movies), what makes them uniquely challenging, and why they’re worth any discomfort.
Agree? Disagree? As always, reach me at the contacts above.
- Don’t try this at home
- Quiz: Are you smarter than a film festival?
- Feeling awkward? Good!
Gather ‘round because I’ve got an embarrassing story to share.
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I’m telling it now because this was my 10th visit to the Cannes Film Festival, my first in 12 years — and, by far the easiest. Here’s what happened when film festivals weren’t.
A few months after The Hollywood Reporter hired me in 1997, I was assigned to cover all major film events across five countries, starting with the Venice Film Festival in August and ending with Milan’s November film market, MIFED (RIP).
Some people would thrive on that kind of challenge. I was not one of them.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
As a reporter, I was Kermit green. A film expert, I was not. I filed my stories with a 28K modem and a baffling array of international adapters.
Most of all, I was shy. Spending two and a half months finding stories and sources in unfamiliar cities, surrounded by strangers and foreign languages, felt like a psychological experiment in terror. (Narrator: It was.)
What I didn’t know then was this: If you want to be part of the independent film world, learning how to be adept at attending festivals is one of the best things you can do — and movies are only part of it.
Festivals are a masterclass in educated bumbling. They teach you how to read a room and start a conversation. It’s where you learn to engage with dozens (or hundreds) of people who may appear without rhyme or reason, figure out who they are and what they do, and present yourself in a way that’s memorable for the right reasons.
In short: It’s a crash course in what this industry actually requires, every day.
Pop Quiz!
Want to prepare yourself for a festival? Take this simple quiz, which would have been a huge help 30 years ago:
🟡 You want to attend a film’s after-party. Can you:
A. Identify the publicist?
B. Politely request an invitation?
C. Know who else you can ask when she says “no”
(If you’re new, the best parties are probably ones you weren’t invited to. Learning how to get invited — and eventually, to be on the list — is a key skill. But be cool about it: desperation is never a good look.)
🟠 You got in! And you know almost no one. One familiar face gives you a thin smile mid-conversation. Do you:
A. Take that as an invitation to join
B. Hover awkwardly nearby
C. Introduce yourself to someone standing alone at the bar.
D. Leave.
(Answer: Depends. A thin smile usually means “not now.” Hovering gets weird fast. Option C is often your best bet. Choose D only if you’re truly spent.)
🔵 Hooray! You’ve found a conversation. Someone name-drops a person they assume you know. You don’t. Do you:
A. Admit you have no clue
B. Smile and listen for context
C. Change the subject.
(Answer: B. A is honest but risks making the other person feel awkward. Ditto for C. Learning to glean context, especially when people are vague, may be the skill you use most in your career.)
So if you find yourself at a festival feeling awkward, invisible, or like you missed the memo — congratulations. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. The trick isn’t to fake expertise; it’s to keep showing up, keep listening, and keep learning how this world works one baffling party and half-heard conversation at a time. It gets easier. Not because the industry changes, but because you do.
Weekly recommendations for your career mindset, curated by IndieWire Associate Editor Harrison Richlin
5. How to grow a cinema in your backyard by Alex Rollins Berg
At the Cannes press conference for “Sentimental Value” last week, writer/director Joachim Trier declared, “Tenderness is the new punk.” We’d like to add to this by stating “Community is the new cool kids’ table.” Alex Rollins Berg builds on this thesis in the latest piece for his Underexposed substack, explaining how movie clubs like NYC’s Seneca Cinemas may be creating new cultural hubs between neighbors.
4. Are industry events still relevant? by Stacey Parks
Written by Parks for Film Specific substack back in March 2025 following the European Film Market, this write-up is a good debrief on the challenges that surround industry events such as this or Cannes. Parks is a producer involved in independent financing and distribution and has found that in recent years, the money spent traveling to these festivities is better put towards the physical production.
3. 5 side…okay fine, maybe, main…hustles as you start your writing journey by Kristen Tepper
When kickstarting your career, it’s natural to hold tight to your dreams as a guiding force, but the reality is…you need to pay your rent. Writer Kristen Tepper does an excellent job of not only communicating this, but also offering ways for scribes to make money utilizing the abilities they’re already so passionate about. Check out her Tepper Talks substack for more.
2. Working the edges by Tomas Leach
Everyone likes to say “opportunity is everywhere,” but what is like to actually seize that mantra? For his Little Scraps of Filmmaking substack, writer/director Tomas Leach breaks down how he recently used moments between set-ups on a commercial shoot to film a personal short and the benefits in never wasting a location or a performer that inspires you.
1. Let’s talk about… Should you still screen at film festivals as part of your indie film distribution strategy? by Kelli McNeil-Yellin
We love a good pros and cons list and McNeil-Yellin draws up the perfect one for our current chaotic times in her KLA Media Group substack. The writer/producer/marketing & PR consultant points out that for newbies, attending festivals are a must in terms of forming connections, but for those trying to conduct business, the gamble might not be worth the price of admission.
