I recently directed my first feature length documentary film called (A)sexual. Produced with Arts Engine, Inc, the film follows the growth of a community that most find unlikely – people who experience no sexual attraction. Studies show that 1% of the population is asexual. And in a society obsessed with sex, how do asexuals deal with life as outsiders? David and four other characters in my film grapple with this universal question and the outcomes are surprising.

When we were at “roughish fine cut”, we began the daunting task of submitting to film festivals. I should note that I was not new to this process. I had produced a few documentaries and had been at this stage before. I knew to be open to what ever happens. I knew not to waste time and energy submitting an unpolished edit to a huge festival that might not even accept my film to begin with. I read Film Festival Secrets. Heck, I had even done outreach and distribution on films before! But when the moment came to finish up my directorial debut, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the festival hoopla.

I did have my heart set on a big festival. Everyone has dreams for his or her film and should strive to achieve them. We submitted an unpolished version of our film to said big festival (Okay it was SXSW!). And when it wasn’t accepted, I thought I got over it pretty quickly but deep down inside, I was crushed. I was convinced that this was the place my film should premiere. After time, I came to realize that I wanted a festival that I respected to tell me that my film was good. I wanted to know that my film was worth spending four years of my life on.

More rejections came. (In retrospect, not an egregious amount, but just enough to make me mopey.) We continued to work on the film and make it better. I now see that this time was really valuable for the film. It is better for it.

One day over drinks, my good friend and respected programmer and film festival consultant, Basil Tsiokos, asked me what I was sulking about. (He did use those words.) I hadn’t let him see the film because I was acting like a freak at that point and couldn’t take any more “constructive” criticism. He reminded me that he gets paid to consult with filmmakers on their festival strategies. He obviously could provide some good advice.

I told him about my various rejections and he asked, “Well, I am sure you are applying to all of the big LGBT festivals, right?”

Now, let me give you a bit of background here. Some members of the asexual community are fighting to be acknowledged as part of the LGBT community. This is controversial and both communities are pretty divided about it. A big portion of the film is about this struggle and it culminates in the asexual community marching in San Francisco’s Pride parade. (I didn’t give anything away!)

It’s clear that the LGBT festival circuit is a logical place to show the film, but I was always nervous about the film being pigeon holed. If it screens mainly in LGBT festivals, will mainstream festivals not want to program it because those festivals “have it covered”? I do think my desire for a diverse audience to see the film was fair, but also a bit short sighted. A good premiere at a major festival that many programmers and broadcasters attend was also my dream, and there are a good number of festivals that meet those requirements.

That night, Basil gave me a list of festivals to apply to and – this is the important part –  helped me understand which ones were most attended by programmers and broadcasters. Then I spoke to my filmmaker friends about their favorite festivals that I might not know about. That was central for us in creating a film festival strategy that catered to the film.

(A)sexual went on to premiere last June at Frameline35 International LGBT Film Festival. (We had missed the deadline and had to beg to have them consider it. Thankfully, they did! Have I said I was lucky yet?) Our main character lives in San Francisco, so our screening was full and our Q&As were lively! We went on to screen at NewFest in my hometown of New York City, and at about 10 other festivals all over the world, with additional screenings lined up for 2012.

Many people give the advice to widen your festival search, but the advice tends to stop there. You really need to think broadly about different interest groups that might be interested in screening your film and then talk to people about the top festivals within those interest groups.

In the case of both Frameline and NewFest, LGBT programmers from all over the world literally raid their catalogues to program their festivals. If you are lucky enough to be in those festivals, many other festivals will reach out to you for screeners. Every festival screening we have had of the film has been in beautiful venues with packed audiences. It has truly been a joy!

Because the film has a social science component, the film is beginning its life in science film festivals. We screened the film at Academia Olomouc in the Czech Republic and plan to screen at more festivals in 2012.

In this new era of digital downloads, film festivals are one of the few ways that you can see your film with an audience. Film festivals are like colleges – you need to apply to a wide range. And if you find that you need to have that icky conversation where you have to turn a festival down because another one offers you a premiere that is more ideal for you film, there are worse problems to have.