The festival circuit is the traditional way for filmmakers to show their work and applicants need to target the right venues.

Congratulations, you just finished a film. Now, you can put it in the bottom drawer or send it out to festivals. Nobody I know takes the bottom drawer option.

That leaves two big questions: Which festivals do you target? And how do you deal with the rejections?

There are a myriad of animation and film festivals out there, so how do you choose among them? If you go wide, it may cost thousands of dollars. If you go narrow, you may miss just those venues that are looking for your kind of work.

Because the stakes are so high and the energy around this issue is so charged, I decided to ask two fellow animators to share their highs and lows with us.

Patrick Smith and Signe Baumane are independent animators, both living and working in New York City. Patrick managed to get his last film, Handshake, into what to looks to me like a record number of festivals for an independent filmmaker —more than100. Signe wasn’t far behind with her new film, Dentist, which hit about 55 U.S. festivals. What’s the secret of their success and what kind of resources did they put into it?

Sharon Katz: Pat, what are your hopes and dreams for your films?

Patrick Smith finds that film festivals are important because they assemble a large group of people who are very interested in film. Also, it’s an epic party and gives the lone animator a chance to meet others and see many films.

Patrick Smith: I hope that they mean something to people, just like other films have meant something to me; that they will influence other artists in the way that others have influenced me; that my work will age well, remain solid and truthful. I hope that I learn from each film (in craft and in storytelling), keeping up a curve that will benefit future work. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s really true.

SK: What role do festivals play? How important are they to you?

PS: Film festivals are important because they assemble a large group of people who are very interested in film. This audience not only sees your film, but sees it in a fantastic venue with top quality picture and sound. The people who come can be critics, buyers, festival programmers, or fans; all of which are important to the independent animator. Festivals also give you a chance to meet the audience, answer questions about your technique or style, or whatever.

It’s thrilling to talk to an animator about work you admire and respect the hell out of. On a lighter note, it’s an epic party. It’s fun to be away from the studio, stay out all night, watch hundreds of films. It’s a good time to recharge and get inspired by others (their work as well as their personalities).

SK: Signe, what are your submission strategies? I was advised years ago to “Get rejected by the big fests first.” Does that work for you?

Signe Baumane has strict guidelines to which she adheres. She doesn’t aim for big festivals, but submits to events closest to her finish date.

Signe Baumane: I don’t submit to the big festivals first and wait for their response (more often than not it’s a rejection). I do submit to whatever festival is closest to my finish date.

I don’t submit to smaller festivals that would not waive a fee. So, when I see there is a festival I am vaguely interested in submitting to, I email or call them and ask for a waiver or discount, There are hundreds of festivals every day, so when a festival tells you, “No we won’t waive your fee,” the festival didn’t meet your criteria and you move to another festival. Yes I know writing emails takes time, but it does save me some money — which I don’t have, I know festivals don’t have money either, but I do give them my film for free, don’t I?

When I’m out of town, I don’t submit.

So I think I submitted to some 60 to 70, paid maybe six entry fees (that I know because my check book tells me, but never more than $25 per fee — that is a very strict rule of mine) and got accepted into 55 festivals.

My biggest expense submitting to festivals is the postage and VHS or DVD replicating (I’m faithful to one company for the last eight years — Rainbow Video — and my favorite employee there is Geo). When I pull my taxes together in March I see that I have spent about $600-800 on postage alone, and about $1,000-1,200 to Rainbow Video.

I save this money by not buying new clothes, by not eating out more than once in two weeks and a few other tricks. It’s a lifestyle, you know… what else I can say?