Ah, the film festival circuit. That thrilling, hope-filled journey where you upload your pride and joy to an endless loop of submission portals, pay an arm and a leg in entry fees, and then… silence. Maybe a polite rejection. Maybe no response at all. All while your savings dwindle and your impostor syndrome swells like a boom mic in frame.
The truth? The film festival landscape is more crowded, more expensive, and more intimidating than ever before. And without a clear, strategic game plan, even the best films risk being lost in the digital slush pile.
That’s where Festie Bestie comes in—a newly launched Patreon platform created by veteran festival programmer and strategist Mike McNamara, who’s spent more than two decades behind the velvet curtain of programming teams at Sundance, Chicago Underground, San Jose Shorts, Newport Beach, and the ever-cool Key West Film Festival.
“I started helping friends just because I believed in their work,” McNamara tells Reel 360 News. “They had great films but didn’t know what to do next. I thought, ‘I know what festivals are looking for—I can help.’ That snowballed into real results, and I realized I had a skill set that could really support a lot of filmmakers.”
At the core of Festie Bestie is exactly that: film festival strategy. The platform is designed for filmmakers who are either brand new to the circuit or on their second or third project—and still trying to crack the code of how to get their work seen. Through bite-sized modules (most under 5 minutes), McNamara breaks down the actual process of putting together a smart, personalized submission strategy. Watch the video below:
You’ll also get insider interviews with programmers from Oscar-qualifying festivals across the country—giving you rare access to the actual voices behind those opaque selection processes.
And it’s not just education—it’s also about access. Festie Bestie subscribers receive monthly discount codes to real festivals McNamara has worked with or vouched for. “Even if you’ve got 10 films under your belt, those discounts can save serious money,” he says. “This isn’t just for first-timers—it’s for any filmmaker navigating this expensive, confusing world.”
Despite pressure from friends to charge more, McNamara kept the subscription price at just $5/month. “Whether you’re shooting a no-budget short over a weekend or directing a multi-million dollar feature, I wanted this to be something you could afford,” he says. “I want filmmakers of every level and budget to have a shot.”
With a platform built on experience, empathy, and a genuine desire to demystify the festival world, Festie Bestie might just be the industry’s most useful new best friend. For more on the service, click here.
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