Film Festivals Are Part of the Path, Not the Destination
- Jason OHara
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
Festival strategy can get abstract fast.
People talk about “getting into the right festivals,” “building buzz,” and “landing distribution” as if there is one clear path every independent film follows.
The reality is much more complicated.
A festival run is a combination of programming, audience, timing, relationships, and a little bit of luck. Every film enters that ecosystem differently, with different strengths, different goals, and different challenges.
As I move HAPTIC through this process, I’m trying to keep one thing clear:
Festivals are part of the path. They are not the destination. This is something that I learned on my first three short films and something that I'm applying to my strategy here.
The first two submissions are officially in: NewFest and Wicked Queer. Both are meaningful opportunities for different reasons, but more importantly, they are festivals that align with the type of film I made and the audience I hope finds it.
That alignment is important.
HAPTIC is an LGBTQ+ psychological drama built around intimacy, restraint, and internal pressure. It is not a film that depends on spectacle. It is a story about control, vulnerability, and what happens when someone is forced to confront the things they have worked hard to suppress.
The festival strategy needs to reflect that.
I’m not looking at festivals as a lottery ticket or a scoreboard. I’m looking at them as opportunities to find the right audience, start conversations, build relationships, and create momentum for the next stage of the film’s life.
But the most important thing to remember:
A festival acceptance does not define the value of a film. Neither does a rejection.
The work existed before anyone saw it, and it continues after the last submission deadline passes.
Of course I want HAPTIC to find its audience. I want people to connect with the story. I want conversations to happen. I want the film to open doors for future work.
But the goal was never simply to get into a festival.
The goal was to make something meaningful and put it in front of people who might need to see it.
If festivals become part of that journey, that is an incredible opportunity.
If they don’t, the journey continues.
The work does not stop. It just changes shape.
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