Many film festivals face a growing concern about the ageing demographic of their audience. Various festivals working with Votemo have highlighted this issue, prompting our particular interest in this challenge and potential solutions. Recently, we had an amazing opportunity to involve our intern in this research to delve into the subject and provide us with insights and ideas directly from the source.
Anna Dolinina, a student at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, eagerly conducted a survey among the youth to shed light on this topic. The primary objective of the survey was not to confirm or deny the trend but to explore the factors preventing younger individuals from attending festivals.
This article aims to suggest tactics for festivals to attract a younger crowd, recognizing the significance of Gen Z participation for cultural enrichment and sustained financial value. Additionally, as many surveys indicate that brand community building is one of the most effective ways to reach the Gen Z audience, the article includes several community-building tactics used by film festivals around the world.
Keep reading to discover:
Why don't young people find their way to film festivals?
What would motivate young people to visit film festivals?
What community building is and why it is important.
What major festivals like the Toronto International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festivals have done in terms of community building and attracting young people to cinemas.
Despite Craving Cinematic Experiences, Youngsters Rarely Attend Festivals
All respondents expressed openness to new film experiences, indicating a clear interest among younger audiences in cinema. However, our survey reveals that this interest does not extend much beyond standard cinema visits. Despite 100% of respondents being open to new film experiences, 43% have never attended a film festival, a notable statistic given the presence of an A-category film festival in their city during the survey month. The discrepancy between high cinema visitation (70%) and lower festival attendance raises questions about the barriers preventing participation.
2.1 Survey Insights: Shortcomings of Useful Information
A significant 43.5% of respondents identified a lack of information as the primary reason for not attending film festivals. This aligns with the observed gap, where 70% frequently visit cinemas, but only 43% have experienced a film festival. Leveraging effective communication methods, especially among film and media students, presents a growth opportunity. As one respondent stated: “For me, the main reason is the cost of tickets usually.”
Communication Suggestions: Attach invitations to university email systems so young students can be aware of upcoming film festivals. This is also a good opportunity to send questionnaires and gather insights from young people.
2.2 Survey Insights: Cost of the Tickets
While 20% cited cost as a significant barrier, over 30% expressed willingness to attend with a discount pass. This suggests a potential communication issue rather than an insurmountable cost barrier. Ensuring effective communication about existing discount options could enhance accessibility.
Communication Suggestions: Adopt a “bring your friend” offer where the person who brings someone else to the cinema, instead of going alone, will receive a free ticket for the next film premiere. This strategy effectively fosters a sense of community, as many young people mentioned that what would encourage them to attend a film festival is a recommendation from a friend.
Why is Community Building Important?
Enhanced Audience Engagement – Community building creates a sense of belonging, transforming casual viewers into loyal fans who actively participate and return for future events.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing – A strong community acts as an effective word-of-mouth marketing tool, with attendees recommending the festival to peers.
Feedback and Improvement – Communities provide valuable feedback, allowing organisers to tailor and improve the festival experience to better meet audience needs.
Creation of Unique Experiences – Communities enable the creation of personalised, engaging experiences that resonate with younger audiences and enhance festival value.
Sustained Relationships and Loyalty – A well-nurtured community fosters long-term loyalty, with members returning annually and acting as ambassadors for the festival.
Community Building as a Film Festival Brand Development Strategy
It's often stated that Gen Z wants to feel a sense of belonging. They seek a group of people they can bond with over mutual interests. They desire a community and are willing and ready to engage with brands that prioritise this. Many film festivals are already doing this effectively. We'll look into examples shortly.
What is a Brand Community?
A brand community is a group of people who share a common interest in a brand or topic, such as film art and cinema in general. They are brought together by their love for the film festival brand and the experiences and benefits it provides.
To build authentic relationships with your target audience, particularly young audiences, consider creating a custom community where they can engage in unique, informative, and fun interactions. Creating a community around your festival brand will help you build and grow your audience and generate more ticket sales. Understanding the dynamics of Gen Z’s engagement with communities is crucial for festival organisers and event marketers who want to build brand awareness and connect authentically with this demographic.
2.3 Survey Insights: Expectations for Festival Experience
Young people often seek social and lively experiences, which may lead them to choose other events over film festivals. Providing guidance on creating a vibrant festival atmosphere and enhancing social aspects can address this preference.
Community Suggestions: To create a lively festival experience, consider offering additional attractions for young attendees. One concern is whether the movie is worth their time and money, so providing added value can make the festival more appealing.
2.4 Survey Insights: Difficulty of the Selection Process
Thirty percent of respondents rely on friend recommendations, while 22% prefer an easier selection process with categorised movies based on interests. This highlights the need for targeted advertising and messaging to simplify film selection.
Comments from Respondents: "I think that what is actually missing is time and interest on the part of young people. Perhaps a more targeted marketing strategy for a younger audience could work. I see a lot of people not going because they don't have company."
Suggestions to Ease the Selection Process: Young people prefer categorised information, so providing more comprehensive data, such as criteria and suggestions, can help. Additionally, organise roundtable discussions with filmmakers and artists for young attendees to explore filmmaking, discover films to watch, and connect with like-minded individuals.
Prioritise Authenticity Over Everything When Building Communities
When it comes to communities, it’s about the long-term, not short-term wins. They need to be at the top of every festival's social impact and marketing strategy. Communities aren’t just beneficial for individuals; they’re also a good business strategy.
Essentially, a group of unofficial brand ambassadors, your communities spread the word about your brand, festival, or satellite events online among their friends and peers, encouraging them to join in on the fun. Peer-to-peer marketing is among the most effective with young people. According to Nielsen’s 2021 Trust in Advertising Study, 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than other forms of marketing.
However, it’s not enough to just build a community and hope for the best. Much like everything Gen Z stands for, authenticity needs to underpin your community. It’s a space that needs to stand for something - something that gives you purpose and guides your entire operation.
How Can Brands Prioritise Authenticity Within Communities?
Communities are about connection, and to practise authenticity, this needs to be the focus. People want to be in a brand community to build social connections, and brands should help facilitate these connections. Authenticity and humanity go hand in hand; therefore, the secret to building a community authentically is by showing vulnerability and connecting with your audience as human beings. The beauty of a community is its two-way relationship. This can be used to drive authenticity. Take the time to listen to your community and learn what they like and dislike: create a community for them, by them.
2.5 Survey Insights: Social Anxiety as a Barrier
Social anxiety and the lack of companionship were identified as additional barriers. Festivals can make a difference by helping young people overcome social anxiety and find companions for the festival. Brand communities and community events are great ways to support young people in this journey and help them find their way to film festivals.
Film Festivals Successfully Building Community For The Young
Cracking the Code of Youth Engagement
Some film festivals have already mastered the art of attracting young audiences. They understand what younger viewers expect and what they want to see at festivals. Votemo organised a panel discussion on this topic at Marché du Film, inviting festival organisers to share their strategies for attracting younger audiences and building communities.
The discussion was hosted by Maarit Mäeveer-Eller, CEO and Founder of Votemo, and featured Jennifer Frees, Chief Business & Marketing Officer at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF); Mark Fishkin, Executive Director and Founder of the California Film Institute (Mill Valley Film Festival, DocLands); and Triin Tramberg, Managing Director of Discovery Campus and First Feature Competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
“There is a big misunderstanding that younger audiences only want to watch fluffier, Marvel-Disney type content, but they actually also want to see art house films," says Jennifer Frees from TIFF.
Mark Fishkin from the California Film Institute agrees, noting that many festivals are already doing a lot to engage young audiences, like organising special events tailored for them.
Innovative Approaches from Leading Festivals
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival takes youth engagement seriously with its Children and Youth Film Festival and special collaborations with educators to teach young people about film and filmmaking. Their program includes workshops and scriptwriting competitions to help young people explore the world of film.
The panellists agreed that young people are curious and interested in specific subjects like the environment, sports, relationships, and love. Approaching them from these different angles helps generate interest in film overall.
Addressing Social Isolation Through Community
Young audiences face significant mental health challenges and feelings of isolation, exacerbated by the pandemic. It's crucial to establish a sense of community for them, offering easy access to social networks and experiences.
TIFF recently launched a free membership for people under 25, quickly signing up over 8,000 young members. This initiative shows that young people are looking for a sense of community. By offering a low-barrier entry and inviting them to experience the festival, TIFF hopes to build lifelong loyalty.
Overcoming Social Anxiety
One idea from the community to address social anxiety is to create workshops that empower young people to develop social connections. For instance, Berlinale Generation offers a competition program featuring films about young people, with students receiving discounts and the chance to provide feedback on the films. Young people also get to attend premieres and walk the red carpet, with their votes determining which film wins the award.
These workshops can also serve to raise awareness about film festivals, addressing concerns about cost and time. By introducing young people to the festival experience, they can make informed choices about what they want to attend.
Conclusion: Partner Up With Existing Communities To Get Things Running
Although many young people feel that cinema and theatre are not for them because they haven't grown up with these experiences, it's crucial to consider other topics, major world issues, organisations, and brands they care about. By forging partnerships around these interests, film festivals can showcase their values and get young people interested. Creating a sense of community and belonging is key.
Where to start? Identifying the main barriers stopping young people from actively participating in film festivals—such as ticket costs, inaccessible venues, lack of proper information, perceived lack of quality time, and social anxiety—can unlock the potential for increased youth engagement. By implementing targeted communication strategies, addressing cost perceptions, enhancing the festival experience, and easing the selection process, festivals can foster a more inclusive and vibrant environment for younger audiences.
About the Survey
The survey titled “Film Festival’s Young Audience and Their Interest in Them” was conducted in collaboration with Anna Dolinina, a student at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School and an intern at Votemo. The audience consisted of about 23 students aged 16-19 and 20-25. Students from eight countries studying film-related courses participated in the study.
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