ABSTRACT
This chapter details the mechanics of orchestrating film festivals, and how those processes evolved and adapted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020. As an event-based industry, multiple cancellations meant the festival ecosystem faced near collapse and migration to online platforms. These platforms played a major role in supporting the business and art of film exhibition and curation, including the development of hybrid forms and alternative modes of collaboration and dissemination. Drawing from fifteen years of direct experience in the field, this chapter investigates the stages involved in taking a film from completion to exhibition. It addresses financial considerations, the challenges arising from the pandemic, and confronts common misconceptions and assumptions made about film festivals.
