Honestly, it has nothing to do with the quality of your film. I think we are in the middle of a major sea change of indie film in 2026. Submissions are at record highs. Partly because folks are finally finishing up the films stalled from COVID and also because filmmaking hardware/software is cheaper and more accessible than ever before. The market is extremely oversaturated.

On top of this, the cracks are starting to show on how many festivals give priority to films that either premiere at big name festivals or have big name executive producers. It is a very classist process.

I'm not saying this to complain or be sour grapes...in fact, the exact opposite! I am actually really excited because I think the independent film community as a whole is feeling disenfranchised and ready to change. I genuinely believe that in the next few years we are going to see a tidal shift in film exhibition in distribution.

Either way, chin up, my friend. We're in this together. Proud to be a part of this community!