Three steps to get to the big screen

The American Black Film Festival yielded several important practical lessons for independent filmmakers, ranging from the value of self-promotion to securing star power to tips on obtaining distribution. Without further ado, here are the lessons from the festival.

Lesson #1: Self-promotion. Although it was never stated anywhere, this lesson was demonstrated through the actions of one specific independent filmmaker: Q came to the festival from London to promote his film Deadmeat.

He was the only filmmaker to put in an appearance just before the press conference to talk to reporters and hand out press packets containing information about his film and previous news articles covering it.

He was also present at both screenings of his film, promoting it by standing near the box office to encourage audience members to see it. And he turned up at events where he could network with successful members of the film industry.

Additionally, Q had branded himself. He was always wearing a bright suit, much like the character he plays in his movie. Granted, he comes from an acting background, so this strategy may have come more naturally to him than it might to someone else, but any independent filmmaker could consider a trademark piece of clothing, even if it's only a hat or a bright scarf.

Lesson #2: Star power. In terms of obtaining star power for your film, the main conclusion drawn at various panels and Q&As was that it never hurts to ask. Filmmakers shouldn't think they have to settle.

The worst a star can do is say no, and they may say yes. After all, actors want to work, and many black actors in particular have trouble finding roles, presumably this goes for other minorities as well. If a filmmaker has a great script and uses every connection he or she has, there's no reason why the film can't obtain several known stars.

It also helps to find an established producer who believes in the script and can secure talent.

Lesson #3: Distribution. Star power comes into play here as well. For faith-based and family films, retailers such as Walmart, who account for a large percentage of sales in those genres, won't stock films unless they've heard of the stars or the brand.

And studios are unlikely to return calls from filmmakers in any genre who have no name stars in their film. For filmmakers without star power, a good option before seeking distribution is to create a following online through sites such as YouTube.

Another great option when seeking distribution is to attend the NARM convention, which is a convention of retailers, many of whom are buying films directly and also have ties to foreign markets.Networking with retailers there could lead to a deal.

Additionally, independent filmmakers shouldn't overlook giants such as Amazon and Netflix, both of which are acquiring content and have distribution in place.

Of course, making a successful film requires persistence and a certain amount of luck, but these lessons from the American Black Film Festival should help in the process.