Festivals and markets are different tools. A festival is mainly a showcase for audiences, critics and programmers, while a market is a business event where buyers, sellers, financiers and sales agents meet to trade rights and set up deals. If you are selling content, a market is where most licensing conversations happen, but you need to arrive prepared, with the right materials, a clear pitch and realistic expectations.
Festival or market: what is the difference?
| Festival | Market | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Showcase, awards, audience and press attention | Buying, selling, financing and networking |
| Typical activity | Public screenings, juries, premieres | Meetings, screenings for buyers, pitching sessions |
| Who matters most to a seller | Programmers, critics, sales agents who scout | Buyers, distributors, sales agents, financiers |
| Success looks like | Visibility, reviews, a sales agent’s interest | Signed interest, requests for screeners, licence offers |
Some events combine both, and a festival often runs alongside a market. Read each event’s own description to see what it actually offers.
How markets are structured
Markets typically bring together two groups: exhibitors, who sell or present projects, and accredited buyers, who look for content. The American Film Market describes itself as a business-focused marketplace for independent film and television, covering acquisition, development, financing and distribution. Production and sales companies rent offices or meeting tables and present films and projects, including packages seeking partners and finished titles, while accredited buyers apply for accreditation and attend to find new content. Attendees also include producers, sales agents, financiers, writers, directors and lawyers, and the event runs screenings and panel programs alongside the trading floor (American Film Market, About).
The Marché du Film in Cannes describes a similar mix. Its site lists a film market with exhibitors, premieres and buyer initiatives, programs for documentaries, animation, genre and co-production including workshops, pitch sessions and one-to-one meetings, conferences on topics such as AI and film financing, and services such as booths, screenings and national pavilions (Marché du Film). Its published facts and figures page reports more than 15,000 participants from 140 countries and around 600 exhibitors, with the 2027 market scheduled for 11 to 19 May (Marché du Film facts and figures)..
The details, such as dates, prices and registration rules, change every year. Check each event’s own page before planning.
Who you will meet
- Buyers and distributors, who license content for territories and platforms.
- Sales agents, who represent titles and sell them across territories on behalf of rights holders.
- Financiers and co-producers, relevant if the project is not complete.
- Platforms and broadcasters, with specific content needs.
- Service providers, such as subtitling, localisation and delivery companies.
- Lawyers and consultants, who advise on contracts and rights.
Understanding the role of each saves wasted meetings. A sales agent wants a title they can sell repeatedly. A buyer wants something that fits a slot or audience. See building international distribution partnerships for digital content for how these relationships work after the first meeting.
Decide whether attending is worth it
Ask honestly:
- Do you have finished content, or a project far enough along to pitch?
- Is your rights position clean? Buyers will ask who owns what.
- Do you know which buyers or territories suit your content? See how to choose an export market.
- Can you cover the costs of accreditation, travel and materials, and do you know what a successful outcome would be?
- Could meetings by video, a sales agent or a smaller regional event do the job first?
A good alternative for a first-time seller is to book calls with sales agents or distributors before committing to a physical trip.
Prepare your materials
- One-page sheet per title: logline, format, runtime, genre, language, key credits and available rights.
- A short sample: a trailer or sizzle reel with clear permissions, plus a private screener link.
- A rights summary: territories and media available and any existing licences. Packaging guidance is in the licensing basics in the guide below.
- Delivery information: formats, subtitle languages and available artwork.
- Business cards or a simple contact page, with a way to follow up.
Never claim awards, sales or partnerships you cannot document.
Pitching basics
A strong market pitch is short and specific.
- The hook (one sentence): what it is and why it is distinctive.
- The audience: who watches it, and where similar content has found an audience.
- The package: format, runtime, language, stage of completion and key creative credits.
- The ask: what you want from this person, for example a screening, a meeting with their acquisitions team, or a licence discussion.
- The next step: agree on what you will send and by when.
Practise it aloud until it takes under a minute. Listen more than you talk. Buyers will tell you what they need if you let them.
Before, during and after
Before
- Book meetings in advance where the event allows it.
- Research each person’s recent acquisitions or catalogue.
- Prepare a short list of target meetings, not a long list of maybes.
During
- Keep notes of every conversation and what you promised.
- Ask what formats, territories and price structures they usually work with, without quoting figures you have not decided.
- Do not sign anything on the spot. Take terms away for review.
After
- Follow up within a few days with what you promised.
- Update your catalogue sheet with feedback.
- Review costs against outcomes and decide whether to return.
Contracts and rights
Interest at a market is not a deal. Licence terms such as territory, term, exclusivity and payment structures should be written into a contract reviewed by a qualified professional. Our introduction to international content licensing explains the key concepts. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Global division supports content licensing preparation and localisation for international audiences. See Global Expansion and Content Licensing or contact us to discuss preparing your titles.
Sources
- About AFM, American Film Market (IFTA)
- Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes
- Marché du Film: facts and figures, Festival de Cannes
