FilmFreewayReviews of filmfreeway.com

Too many Fraudulent Film Festivals. They say you are in consideration (sometimes even offical selection) but then like 'Keyser Söze' in Usual Suspects says - poof and just like that your money and effort is gone! Beware, stick to the trusted festivals, many of them offer submissions without getting on FilmFreeway with no processing fee. I learned my lesson. You have been warned!

We were excited to launch our first film festival — Zimt Festival — and chose FilmFreeway believing it was the standard platform to connect with filmmakers. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply frustrating and ultimately damaging. Despite fulfilling every requirement they set, including securing a prestigious physical venue in Rome, we were denied a public listing without explanation. We submitted official confirmation from the venue and remained polite, responsive, and cooperative throughout months of email exchanges. Yet, their replies were increasingly abrupt, vague, and non-transparent. They ultimately refused to clarify why our listing was rejected, while hundreds of far less legitimate "first-year" festivals (some clearly low-effort or even suspicious) were approved and remain visible on their site. To make matters worse, we were charged an activation fee despite never being listed publicly — meaning we had zero visibility and received no submissions. It's hard not to see this as predatory behavior: taking money from new festivals while denying them access to the very visibility the platform promises. The fee was ultimately refunded but the whole process was excruciating. We dedicated months to trying to meet their expectations. We even adjusted internal structures and chased venue administrators to satisfy every shifting demand. But we were met not with guidance or partnership — only dismissal and a final note telling us they would "not respond to any further inquiries." At no point were we treated like valued customers or creative professionals. On the contrary, we were made to feel like we were trying to game the system — despite having a registered company, a clear curatorial vision, and a hybrid model designed to support and distribute independent work. We built our festival not just as an event, but as a platform to nurture community and empower filmmakers. It's disheartening that FilmFreeway, instead of supporting genuine initiatives, appears more focused on gatekeeping, obfuscating policies, and enabling established or shallow listings while penalizing thoughtful, grassroots efforts. In short: we were gaslit, ignored, and treated as if we didn’t matter. In the end, we moved our call for entries to Festhome, which, while smaller and less well-known, approved our listing and provided exactly the kind of fair, responsive service we had hoped for from FilmFreeway. It’s time to democratize the film industry and seek out platforms and models that offer truly inclusive, transparent opportunities for diverse voices—without subjecting creatives to the arbitrary gatekeeping of outdated and ill-intentioned entities. We urge fellow organizers and filmmakers to look elsewhere.

Submitted for festivals a very good short movie. Paid like $80…didn’t get selected, no explanation why. And most important $80 for what? It’s unclear. Tried to contact them….no response. ROI is worthless. I hope others have a better experience. Not worth the money.

It's a well run film site with everything you could need to enter all the festivals around the world. This is the 5 star bit that reflects the actual film festival website. The overall low score on Trustpilot, accumulated from people saying this site is a fraud, are actually mostly talking about individual festivals, some of which are genuinely fraudulent. Could Film Freeway do more to signpost or block problem festivals? I genuinely don't know, but my two tips for anyone submitting to festivals is to avoid online only festivals (i.e. no live event component) and doubly avoid festivals that are only available from a link - i.e. they can't be found in a search from the browse festivals section. They are labelled as "non-public listings" on their film freeway page. All bets are off with these festivals, so enter at your own risk.

FRAUD! Avoid subscribing - it's completely deceptive and I'm baffled why this site remains operational when it's clear they're collecting HUGE sums from customers without providing any actual film promotion services whatsoever.

The best experience I had from using Filmfreeway was the day I deleted my account. If you are an independent filmmaker who is just looking for exposure, go any other route than these 'film' festivals. Unless you are already a part of that ecosystem, these festivals only want your money.

Rejected our new festival for no reason despite us having a strong track record of other such film festivals in other cities.

I fear FilmFreeway is a scam. I received a random $99 foo from them this month even though i have not submitted a film through them for over three years. Of course there is no contact number to resolve what may be an oversight, but could be a grift.