Since 2006 Directors Notes - a British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Qualifying Festival - has featured the work of the world’s best filmmakers, sharing the production stories behind their outstanding films with a worldwide audience of industry professionals, festival curators and dedicated film fans. Eclectic in its tastes, Directors Notes is where you can find the most cutting edge films regardless of genre, length or technique.

The Directors Notes team works closely with all accepted filmmakers to create a feature article for the DN website detailing the production story behind their work as well as presenting the film to the thousands of subscribers of our curated WeAreDN Vimeo channel and social media profiles.

What type of films do you feature?
Directors Notes has always been eclectic in our tastes, featuring a broad spectrum of films across all genres and forms, and so the best way to gauge what we’re looking for is to take a look at the work we feature.

Do you accept both shorts & feature submissions?
Yes we do. We consider anything under 40 minutes a short and over that length a feature.

How long until I hear back?
Once submitted, the Directors Notes curation team will respond to your submission within 7 working days.

What if my film is already online?
Not a problem. Directors Notes doesn’t require exclusivity or premiere status to feature your film, although we do give priority to our premiere releases.

Can I submit my unreleased film?
Of course, be sure to include the password in the submissions form so we can watch it.

My film is still on its festival run and not ready for an online release yet, do I have to wait until it is to submit?
Not at all, we regularly run features for films on the festival circuit and not yet available online.

Will a Directors Notes feature earn me a Vimeo Staff Pick?
Whilst many of the films we’ve featured have donned that most coveted of badges, there is no guaranteed route from a Directors Notes feature to a Vimeo Staff Pick. However, as discussed in our How to Get a Vimeo Staff Pick interview, we do know that DN is one of the sites the Staff Pick team regularly check in on when hunting for films so fingers crossed!

Can I get a refund?
The submission fee covers the process of the Directors Notes curation team assessing your film and is therefore non-refundable.

Will you definitely feature my film?
Of the thousands of films submitted to Directors Notes, only a small percentage make it to our pages. We’re very selective about the work we choose to feature – it’s what makes DN what it is – and so submission in no way guarantees coverage.

If selected, when will my film be featured?
Once selected, we will work with you to find the best date to feature your film on Directors Notes. We have a very busy editorial calendar here at DN so if you have a particular date in mind the more notice you can provide, the higher the likelihood of that publication date being available.

What copyright clearances do you require?
By submitting your film to Directors Notes you attest that the work in question is not in breach of any copyright and that all required intellectual property rights have been adhered to.

How will Directors Notes promote my work?
As well as being featured on Directors Notes, your film will be added to the WeAreDN Vimeo channel, our weekly newsletter and shared across our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). We also suggest that you do the same across your accounts and get cast, crew, friends and family to pitch in spreading the word too.

Can I get feedback?
Sorry, at this point in time Directors Notes does not offer a feedback service for submissions.

Do you grant fee waivers?
No, we do not offer submission fee waivers.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Amir Zargara

    Appreciate the care and thoughtfulness that went into the article. One of my fav on A GOOD DAY WILL COME thus far.

    October 2024
  • Alejandro Gerber Bicecci

    Do it. It's a terrific way to put your independent film into the spotlight. Directors Notes team is serious and has an excellent taste in film.

    October 2024
  • Raphael Pettigrew

    One of my favorite festival experiences. Thank you to the incredible team at DN for supporting and championing filmmakers. Whenever I have a new project, I will always submit to DN!

    October 2024
  • Siona Davis

    Having our short film featured at Director’s Note was an incredible experience! Sarah Smith and the team were so supportive, providing a seamless online platform. The festival’s thoughtful curation and personal touch made us feel truly valued. We're honored to have been part of such a special event!

    September 2024
  • Julia Patey

    Directors Notes posted one of my music videos earlier this year, along with an interview. I had a great experience dealing with them and enjoyed the process. It's hard for me to say how much visibility the work got as a result of DN posting it, but I can imagine we reached a wider audience as a result, which is super valuable. I gave the networking a low score because there is no networking with an online festival, at least that was my experience. Happy that DN is continuing to do what they do and happy to have been a part of that.

    September 2024