How do filmmakers build and sustain relationships with festival programmers, and how do programmers approach filmmakers?

Practical advice on breaking into the festival circuit and identifying the right platforms for your film. Exploring the pros and cons of submitting independently versus working with a sales agent.

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Jesse Cumming is a curator, writer, and researcher. At the Toronto International Film Festival, he is an Associate Curator for the Wavelengths programme, having previously served as the section’s Programming Associate. He has worked as a programmer with Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and as a consultant with the Berlinale Forum and Open City Documentary Festival. Independently, he has curated, co-curated, and presented programmes with the Museum of Modern Art, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Tallinn Photomonth Biennal, Anthology Film Archives, the ICA London, and more. He holds an MA in Communication & Culture from York University.

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