FestForge Launches to Help Independent Filmmakers Build Smarter Festival Strategies

FestForge, a new festival strategy platform designed for independent filmmakers, has officially launched at FestForge.art.

Created to help filmmakers navigate the increasingly crowded and confusing film festival landscape, FestForge gives users a structured way to plan submissions, manage budgets, track deadlines, understand eligibility, and build a festival strategy that actually makes sense for their film.

With thousands of festivals and competitions now operating around the world, filmmakers face more choice than ever before, but also more risk. Submission fees can quickly add up, premiere rules can be difficult to understand, deadlines can be missed, and not every festival offers the same value, credibility, or opportunity.

FestForge has been built to solve that problem.

The platform allows filmmakers to create a tailored festival plan based on their film, goals, budget, genre, premiere status, and preferred strategy. Rather than blindly submitting to dozens of festivals and hoping for the best, users can build a clearer route through the circuit, identifying which festivals are most relevant, which deadlines matter, and how to avoid wasting money on poor-fit submissions.

The aim is simple: to make festival strategy more accessible, affordable, and useful for independent filmmakers at every level.

FestForge was created by filmmaker Brendan Cleaves, whose work has screened at more than 250 festivals worldwide. Drawing on years of experience submitting short films, navigating festival runs, and learning the hard way how quickly the costs can spiral, Cleaves developed FestForge as a practical tool for filmmakers who may not have access to expensive consultancy services or industry insiders.

“Festivals can be brilliant, but they can also be overwhelming, expensive, and frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing,” said Cleaves. “I wanted to build something that helps filmmakers think strategically before they start spending money. A good festival run isn’t just about submitting everywhere, it’s about knowing where your film belongs, what your goals are, and how to make the most of your budget.”

FestForge helps users consider key festival questions before submitting, including:

• Which festivals suit the film’s genre, tone, and ambitions?
• How should the festival budget be spread?
• Which deadlines are worth prioritising?
• Does the film need to protect a premiere status?
• Which festivals are credible, useful, or potentially poor value?
• How can a filmmaker build a realistic long-term submission plan?

The platform is aimed at short filmmakers, feature filmmakers, producers, emerging directors, and anyone preparing to take a film onto the festival circuit. It is especially useful for independent filmmakers who are working with limited budgets and need to make careful decisions about where to submit.

Alongside the platform, FestForge will also be expanding into festival-focused content, including the upcoming ForgeFest podcast. The podcast will explore the wider festival ecosystem, with conversations around festival strategy, submission mistakes, filmmaker experiences, budgeting, festival scams, industry trends, and how filmmakers can get more from the circuit.

FestForge arrives at a time when film festivals remain one of the most important routes for independent filmmakers to gain exposure, build credibility, meet collaborators, attract press, and progress their careers. But with so many festivals now competing for attention, the need for better strategy has never been clearer.

Rather than promising guaranteed selections, FestForge focuses on something more useful: helping filmmakers make informed decisions.

The platform is now live at www.festforge.art.