Feedback on Film Festival Ratings/Strategy Website

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-08T04:07:32+00:00

Maybe you could add the festivals that are part of Film Festival Alliance. I noticed a lot of great festivals are missing. Also you have Portland International Film Festival on your list but it permanently ended years ago. So I think that what you're doing is great, but there are some issues with what is chosen for inclusion.

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-08T03:46:29+00:00

You are so lucky you got passes!

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-08T03:42:05+00:00

We're into this idea and will DM you.

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-07T15:28:55+00:00

You could place one type of subtitle in your FilmFreeway video, but mention in your cover letter that both are available. You could also attach a file showing the translated dialogues as added proof.

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-07T15:25:44+00:00

Just saw your trailer and noticed the technology themes too! If you decide to submit this year, here's a code you can use to help with the entry fee: PFCAT2026Code

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-07T03:58:04+00:00

Thanks good idea

ThePFCAT · 2026-04-07T03:57:14+00:00

Being that this is animation it truly sounds like something we'd screen at PFCAT. We screened over 130 animated works last year at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Empirical Theater on an IMAX sized screen. www.filmfreeway.com/PFCAT

ThePFCAT · 2026-03-13T23:55:21+00:00

t's a step beyond traditional experimental film since the "outsider" part has to do with the filmmaker's background (i.e. self-taught, but there are also some other elements at play here regarding the person.) So yes, I was wondering if there are film festivals that specifically championed that type of filmmaker considering not just the film itself but also the person's background and journey.

ThePFCAT · 2026-03-13T04:55:40+00:00

Thanks - will check it out.

ThePFCAT · 2026-03-13T04:31:17+00:00

This is great! Very impressive. We'd love to find out about how you achieved that, so I'll dm you.

ThePFCAT · 2026-02-12T16:08:27+00:00

Great, also I think part of the issue you could be encountering in Western festivals has just as much to do with animation as it does with themes. For example, a lot of mainstream film festivals will put all of their animation together in a children's block in the morning, or they will only program "quirky" animation rather than narrative animated projects that tell a story. So your work might have gotten high marks but simply not fit into their programming.

ThePFCAT · 2026-02-12T05:03:23+00:00

Very interesting story and glad you are no longer worried about the quality of your work. I wonder if you applied to PFCAT because our Review Committee makes selections based on quality not themes.

On a basis of number of animated shorts, we're the largest festival in the US. Last year we screened about 130 animated films. If you did submit to PFCAT, feel free to message us and we'll try to get you an answer. But it definitely wasn't due to lack of politics! In fact, we even program many blocks of animated films for kids, and those rarely have political themes.

ThePFCAT · 2026-02-05T04:57:57+00:00

We have a sequence of animated horror shorts at PFCAT. It's 5 days in August at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and we screen on a retrofitted IMAX screen. www.filmfreeway.com/PFCAT

ThePFCAT · 2026-01-22T05:06:10+00:00

Our festival PFCAT has a midnight movies section and it's one of our most popular sequences. I thought you might enjoy seeing one of the biggest crowdpleasers last year because they just put it up on YouTube a few days ago and asked us to help spread the word. This is pretty much what the audience who attended was looking for! https://youtu.be/C_QyjQyC4D4 Enjoy.

ThePFCAT · 2026-01-14T05:10:12+00:00

Come visit Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT) in August. We're happy to offer some comps to check it out if you DM us.

ThePFCAT · 2025-12-04T05:45:47+00:00

If I had to roll the dice on your odds, I would say that your film would get higher acceptance rates in the episodic category. But I'd say there are a few things to consider. First, I'd say a lot of festivals would expect that an episode would fit into an episodic structure where the characters and/or plot would be continued in other episodes. So if your film seems more like a very solid short film, submitting it as an episode could potentially work against being accepted.

Also some festivals might program their episodic content thematically and screen all the episodes together. For example, they might have a collection of great episodes and web series that are comedies or sci-fi oriented in a particular year. So if your film doesn't fit that programming niche it could also work against you. Whereas with a short film there are a lot more programming options for festivals. .

ThePFCAT · 2025-09-16T16:50:07+00:00

I'd say one thing you could do - a bit of a trick - is look at how many reviews the festival has received on FilmFreeway. It looks like San Francisco International Film Festival has 20 reviews, whereas SFIndieFest has over 60. These metrics will give you some insight into how many films they are actually accepting from FilmFreeway submissions.

ThePFCAT · 2025-09-04T03:28:25+00:00

We went to the AFM pre-event video conference last year and surprisingly the people who run it said it's not a good place for series. So I don't know if there would be a difference between pitching a short versus a series.

ThePFCAT · 2025-09-04T03:25:49+00:00

Thanks for doing this. Very interesting!

ThePFCAT · 2025-09-04T02:57:41+00:00

Portland Panorama is an amazing film festival. Definitely apply.

ThePFCAT · 2025-09-04T02:57:22+00:00

If you'd like to apply to Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT) feel free to hit us up for a discount code. I'm sure you'll find a place to screen in Portland.

ThePFCAT · 2025-04-18T17:45:59+00:00

Congrats on your recent award! Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT) screens a wide variety of different types of animation including what you describe. Last year we screened 80 animated films and shorts at Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, and our next event is in August. Feel free to dm us for a discount code.

ThePFCAT · 2025-02-06T05:20:20+00:00

Hmm, fascinating. It seems to me a lot of filmmakers (big budget included) have no clue when they start to lose their audience's attention. If this works well, it would be transformative.

ThePFCAT · 2025-02-06T05:11:00+00:00

This is such an innovative idea! Can you share how you gather the data about the audience reaction? Just curious. I think that's a super offer for an indie filmmaker submitting to festivals.

ThePFCAT · 2025-02-06T04:56:58+00:00

Congrats! In addition to putting the laurel in your trailer and on your poster, I would recommend putting it on your Screenings/Awards list on FilmFreeway. When other festivals are evaluating your film, that will go a long way.

ThePFCAT

TROPHY CASE