Attending a film festival can be a highly entertaining, engaging, and rewarding experience. There is something about the atmosphere of a festival that cannot be matched by a regular trip to the cinema. While the most famous international film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, attract hundreds of thousands of attendees, there are also plenty of smaller film festivals that you can choose from.
Whether you are going to one of the big events or something a little more of a hidden gem, you may be wondering what to expect. Here we have gathered five tips for making the most of your first film festival experience!
Keep Your Pass Visible
Whether you are simply attending the festival as a film fan or as somebody in the industry, you will probably have some sort of pass that verifies you and grants you access to different parts of the festival. Make sure that you keep this close to hand at all times!
Check the Program Regularly
Any film festival will have a program detailing when and where each film is going to be screened. Don’t go in blind—check the program before the festival starts to plan your personal schedule and avoid missing anything you really wanted to see. Be aware also that schedules can change at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, so make sure to check the festival’s website or app at least a couple of times a day so that you are aware of any changes.
Queue Early
Don’t expect to be able to just rush into the screening of your chosen film two minutes before it starts. You will need to get seats, and some screenings may fill up quickly. It is usually best to arrive around half an hour before the film is due to start to make sure that you get a seat. If you end up queuing for a while, have some activities prepared to pass the time. This could be a game installed on your phone, playing a range of games, which you can find at a reputable online casino UK, including poker, slots, and Blackjack, or even a film magazine to read.
Book a Hotel Nearby
Part of what makes a film festival so exciting is the social aspect and the buzz around the festival. Hundreds or even thousands of filmmakers, actors, and other people in the industry will have been anticipating this chance to show their work for months and are likely to hang around the festival or spill out into nearby bars when screenings have finished. Staying near to the festival instead of leaving to commute home each evening can give you the chance to soak up this buzz and maybe even meet some of your favorite stars!
Show Your Appreciation
If you really enjoyed a film, don’t just sit in silence and walk out like you might do at a regular cinema trip. It is likely that some of the filmmakers and actors are in the audience with you, so show them your appreciation with clapping and cheering! There may also be special guests at the end of screenings holding question and answer sessions.
