The Film Festival Doctor

Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, a renowned Film Festival Strategist, has played a pivotal role in helping her clients win over 2,500 awards for their films, including contributing to three Oscar success stories. She also takes immense pride in her podcast, The Film Festival Doctor’s Podcast, which has been gaining momentum both on the festival circuit and as a live show a creative endeavor she thoroughly enjoys.

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Her journey into the film festival world is marked by resilience and innovation. The path to launching The Film Festival Doctor was far from smooth. The greatest challenge she faced was discovering how an epic failure could evolve into one of her most valuable business services. Her company, The Film Festival Doctor, specializes in crafting successful film festival strategies to ensure clients’ films are showcased in festivals across the globe.

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Approximately two years into her business, Dr. Smith sought to further support filmmakers by addressing their difficulties in selling their films. Many filmmakers struggled to secure distribution deals that would allow their work to be screened in cinemas, on television, or online platforms like Netflix. In response, she founded another company, The Film Sales Doctor, with hopes of achieving significant success in film sales.

 Reflecting on that venture, Dr. Smith realized she lacked the necessary experience in closing sales deals and navigating the complexities of film distribution. The industry, she found, required considerable negotiation skills and established connections with distribution companies. During a pivotal meeting with two filmmakers in Soho, London, she recognized her shortcomings particularly the absence of strong relationships with distributors, which are crucial for any film sales business.

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This realization was humbling. While Dr. Smith had an extensive network of film festival programmers, her contacts among distributors were limited. Despite her commitment and supportive colleagues, she understood that without essential connections, The Film Sales Doctor could not thrive. The experience led her to a moment of vulnerability and ultimately to the decision to refocus on The Film Festival Doctor, the area where her true passion and expertise lay. Several years later, at the Berlin Film Festival, this “epic fail” revealed its value. The stress of the experience had helped her identify another gap in the market and a better solution for the problem she once attempted to solve. She met Billy Hurman, then a sales agent for a UK-based film sales company, who later established his own consultancy to help filmmakers find suitable sales agents. Recognizing his expertise and extensive network, Dr. Smith invited Billy to join The Film Festival Doctor team, where he now works to connect her clients with accomplished sales agent successfully resolving the challenge she once faced.

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Today, Dr. Smith’s company is championing over 100 films on the festival circuit, completing Oscar submissions, and supporting both emerging and established filmmakers. Notably, one of her client’s films, THE PEARL COMB, is currently enjoying a successful festival run and was recently selected for its sixth Oscar-qualifying festival. She is often quoted as saying, “A film is not finished until it has been seen on the Festival circuit.” This sentiment perfectly encapsulates her philosophy and commitment to the world of film festivals.