5 Programs That Guarantee a Premiere
A lot of times, filmmakers need a little help—like a super-secret event where they can grow their cool ideas into big-screen hits. These labs are called “incubators.”
Think of a science lab, but instead of bubbling potions, they are full of people brainstorming story ideas, practicing how to use fancy cameras, and even getting money to build their movie sets. The coolest part is that some of the biggest and best film festivals in the world have their own secret incubator events. When the event is done, the festival says, “Hey! You made an awesome movie! Let’s show it at our huge party!”
Here is a look at the five best movie-magic labs that lead right to the big premiere.
Sundance Labs
This is like the top academy of movie-making! The Sundance Film Festival is a massive celebration, but they are also famous for their Sundance Labs. They have different labs for writing, directing, and even making movie music. They invite new filmmakers to come to the beautiful mountains in Utah for special workshops even though the festival is moving to Colorado. Experts—like famous actors and directors—come and teach them everything they know. Once the films are all finished, many of them get to premiere at the official Sundance Film Festival.
Venice Biennale College Cinema
Imagine a lab where they give you a magical ticket: “Complete your movie, and we promise to show it!” That’s what happens in Venice. The Biennale College Cinema is an advanced workshop where people learn how to make movies with a smaller budget. It’s tough work, but the payoff is huge. The festival gives a few projects a big stack of money to produce their film. The only rule? The filmmakers must finish the film in time to have its world premiere at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival, which happens every September in a city built on water!
Tribeca “Untold Stories”
This lab is focused on finding new stories from all kinds of people. AT&T Presents: Untold Stories is a competition hosted by the Tribeca Festival. Filmmakers pitch their awesome ideas, and the winner doesn’t just get a little help—they get a $1 Million grant to make their movie! That’s enough to build some really cool sets. Plus, the festival helps them every step of the way with mentorship. When the movie is done, it gets an automatic guaranteed slot to show at the Tribeca Festival in New York City.
Zions International Film Festival + Living Scriptures
he Zions International Film Festival works with a group called Living Scriptures. They have an incubator that helps filmmakers find money and support for projects that teach good values and bring families together. They mentor the filmmakers to make sure their stories are polished and powerful. And where do these movies get to shine on the big screen? Right back at ZIFF, where the filmmakers can celebrate their completed project with their community.
Footcandle FilmLAB
The Footcandle Film Festival has a super-fast lab called the FilmLAB. This isn’t a year-long program; it’s a 48-hour filmmaking incubator weekend! Teams are given a random genre (like “Sci-Fi” or “Comedy”), a goofy prop they must use, and one specific line of dialogue. Then they have to write, film, and edit an entire short movie in just two days! It’s crazy and exhausting, but the best part is that every finished film is shown at a special FilmLAB Premiere event right away at the festival!
Right now the Utah International Film Festival does not have an incubator program. If you feel that is something you would like to see the festival offer in the future, feel free to reach out to us on our socials and let us know.
In the meantime, if you are looking for guaranteed selection in a festival you have had your eye on for a while, be sure to check out these incubator programs and get to telling your stories.
