Once the films are selected, the festival programmer will begin assembling the schedule, looking at themes and runtimes. Short films are often grouped together into a single screening while features will have their own screening. Some festivals will have themed evenings, like a local filmmakers’ night, to help draw audiences in. After the program is set, it is published and audiences can begin purchasing tickets for the screenings they are most interested in or purchase a festival pass, allowing them to see several screenings at a discounted price. If you are one of the lucky filmmakers whose film was accepted, you are often given a free pass to attend the festival.
