How to Crush Film Festivals

The Info You Didn’t Know You Needed

Film festival consultant, filmmaker, author, and curator Jon Fitzgerald from Cause Pictures is probably best known as the co-founder of a little festival called Slamdance. In addition to writing books and producing movies, he is also partner with filmmaker and crowdfunding guru Justin Giddings (whom we have used in the past) in Film Festival Mastery, a 6-module program designed to empower writers, producers and filmmakers with the information they need to succeed at film fests.

We met Jon a few weeks ago at Filmquest genre festival in Provo, Utah, where both Coverage Ink and Film Festival Mastery were doing seminars. We loved what he had to say — especially since we ourselves have made many of the film festival mistakes he talks about.

Whether you’re a screenwriter looking to make a short film or a director with a polished feature looking for a buyer, the importance of having a festival strategy cannot be overstated. This is where Jon comes in. You only get one chance to get it right, and there’s so much to understand about the hierarchy of festivals, how programmers select movies, how to keep your costs from exploding like a munitions dump, and so on.

Free Film Festival Mastery Webinar

So in advance of the final Film Festival Mastery free seminar (more on that in a moment,) we recorded a 1-hr Zoom call with Jon that we’ve split into two parts, and you can watch part one right now on the CI YouTube channel (part two drops next week).

Meet Hiike

Wait – final? Correct. Jon is part of a new venture called Hiike, which seeks to revolutionize the way people search for and select film festivals to enter. Unlike Film Freeway, which has literally over 10,000 contests and fests listed, filmaker-forward Hiike curates and recommends festivals based on your tastes, your film, and your goals. As well, Jon and the Hiike team will offer bespoke concierge service to help you maximize your chances. You won’t get that on Film Freeway!

Hiike is currently live but will be relaunching before year’s end with all-new grooviness. So stay tuned for part 2 of our interview (we will link to it in next week’s newsletter) where Jon talks all about Hiike and other exciting future plans with Filmquest.

If you’re planning to shoot anything in 2026, the time to start thinking about your festival strategy is now. Check out what Jon has to say – you may wish to get off the Freeway and take a Hiike.