The following article will be highlighting key methodologies used by Jong and Carrión (2015) in order to secure funding for a film festival. These methodologies were used in the context of human rights film festivals and NFPs (Non-for-profits) however could also be extended out to other festivals and screening activities. Due to my current role within the partners and sponsorships department, this reading was of interest to me. I will critically analyse our current processes against it and where possible make rectifications for future strategy. The authors highlighted the importance of developing a strategy and writing down a project plan displaying all festival activities (this includes clearly defined objectives and a respective timelines). By doing this direct correlations can be made between festival activities and the benefits attained by partners and sponsors. There should be some intersectionality between the project plan and the development of sponsorship packages.
Plans and research that could advise the sponsorship package could include; identifying target groups, competitor analysis’, the political and social context of the festival, expected outcome and evaluation plan, programme description, production and logistic plan, publicity plan, budgeting and financing plan, material and personal plans, and outlook objectives.
Unfortunately due to our limited time frame and hunger for funding, we developed the sponsorship package prior to doing the aforementioned in-depth research and plans. Some tentative partners could be developed early, however for future events I would recommend that marketing, production and finance departments should develop the baseline festival processes before launching any callouts for funding.
Identifying suitable funding and financial sources can be done early in the planning process, however one must consider the importance of having all of your ‘cards in order’ before contacting them. Sources could include: foreign funds and donors (governments, foundations, international agencies etc), domestic funds and donors (non-governmental), public sectors (local and national government), corporate sponsorships and in-kind partnerships, individual donations, benefit events, fundraising activities, crowdfunding, box office, advertising and various other sources.
Like any business model the importance of diversifying your funds is essential to the longevity of film festivals. As reported donors are often engaged for the first year of the festival (and/or second year) but quite often stop supporting due to finding new organisations to work with. Developing world festivals will need to rely on foreign funds and donors initially until the project becomes completely sustainable. There are implications of these actions, some governments of these countries will require in-depth communication and procedures in order to run festivals. This may limit particular films from being shown due to regulatory measures.
The authors developed three stages that the partners and sponsorships department of film festivals should adhere to. The initial stage being the ‘funding process’, that is, getting acquainted with applying for a grants, sponsorships or in-kind partnerships. Double checking the guidelines, criteria and recommendations. This especially includes deadlines and timeline conditions. By this correctly, you will save wasted time and potential resources. Sponsors will want to see tangible results after the project has ended. The importance of formulating clear, measurable indicators and evaluation methodologies (as noted earlier). Deliver these results in a succinct sponsorships package.
The second stage is that of ‘developing your relationships’ which highlights the importance of sharing successes and failures with your immediate network, sponsors and partners. Always advising them when your budget changes or you deviate from the plan. By doing such they may be able to advise you further on prospective actions. Inviting them to give a talk or participate in a discussion so they are actively involved in the festival experience will also aid within this phase. If this is not feasible, send them periodic emails on the status of the festival.
The authors state that the festival should always remain independent, leverage shared goals, but don’t include sponsors directly in the process.
The final stage is that of ‘evaluation and reporting’ which is when all festival activities and data is disclosed to the partners and sponsors. This is done to assist them in their own reporting and whether engaging with the film festival has delivered an acceptable ROI. This process entails setting requirements for an evaluation report and the timeframe in which you need to deliver it to your sponsors and partners. Writing down all of your successes and how they variated from your original proposal/application. In all honesty, stating what went well and what went wrong. A good report states the description of the event and original objectives. Exact outcomes are always welcomed; number of visitors for screenings, number of visitors participating in specific events, earned media, owned media, and paid media. If the festival is a new occurrence it is important to gauge visitors overall experience, this can also be used to advise future events.
References
Jong, M and Carrión, M 2015 “Adding Water to the Soup Pot: Finding Resources for Your Festival” in Setting Up a Human Rights Film Festival, vol. 2, Human Rights Film Network, Prague, pp. 115-129.