Making a short film is hard. The film festival circuit is fun and can be rewarding…but then what? Make the most of your work to help launch your career into the next phase! You do have some options after festivals. Here’s a concise guide:

VOD Platforms: For a first round “window” release, you can make your film available on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like Vimeo On Demand or YouTube for a small fee. Though you are less likely to get new audiences to watch, fans who are the most interested in seeing the project won’t mind paying a dollar or two to view.
Submit to Curated Sites: Submit your film to review sites like Short of the Week, Shorted, Film Shorted, Boom and similar sites. Often these sites will offer a review of some kind as well, or only select their top picks. (There are other sites and critics that will review your film, that don’t require the film being embedded on their site.)
Try Some Online Channels: You can submit your film to platforms like Omeleto, Dust, Altar, Eternal TV and Retrospective of Jupiter. Some of these are genre channels, so do your homework first.
Share it freely and widely: Share your film with no fee on sites like YouTube, Odysee and Vimeo to give it the biggest chance of catching on. If possible, you can monetize your page.
Film Collections: Package your short film with similar works and distribute a collection as a feature on platforms like Amazon.
Look into Short Film Markets: Consider submitting your film to markets like the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market. (This is something you may want to do during your festival run.)
Xerb.tv Channel: Set up a channel on Xerb.tv to reach a wider audience and potentially monetize.

Remember, each path has its own benefits and considerations, and no matter what your short film is a portfolio piece to help secure future jobs or opportunities. Choose what aligns best with your goals and resources! 🎥🌟

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