What Makes a Film Stand Out to a Festival Programmer?

When filmmakers imagine a festival programmer, they often picture someone hunting for perfection.

That’s not what we’re doing.

We’re hunting for films that will work in a room full of people.

A programmer is building a vibe. A series of moments that make an audience laugh, lean forward, get quiet, or stay after the credits to talk about what they just saw.

So what makes a film stand out?