This spring the PDC invited its members to share their festival experience by answering survey questions. Members from around the world responded, offering thoughtful feedback and ideas for future advocacy.
Many respondents underlined the complexity of navigating festivals, including ticketing systems, venues, transportation and programs. As a consequence, respondents could miss out on the key features of the festival experience.
Additionally, the survey revealed considerable variation in how production designers are treated once a film is selected for a festival. While many respondents reported being informed when their films were accepted and receiving invitations to premieres, support often stopped there.
Many respondents said they were not routinely included in promotional activities such as red carpet delegations and press interviews related to their film. Several comments expressed the wish to participate and spread knowledge to promote production design in the industry.
The message was remarkably consistent: production designers want to be more visible, better connected, and better supported throughout the festival experience.
Better Preparation Creates A Better Experience
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they would find online orientation sessions valuable before attending major festivals. Members were particularly interested in practical guidance covering accreditation, navigating venues, networking opportunities, ticketing and festival logistics.
Connection Matters
One of the strongest findings from the survey was the importance of community. Members would value opportunities to connect with other production designers while attending festivals, whether through informal meetups, networking events or curated introductions.
Visibility Is the Bigger Goal
Beyond logistics, respondents repeatedly returned to one central theme: recognition. Production designers contribute enormously to the visual storytelling of film, yet many feel their work remains overlooked within the festival ecosystem.
One respondent wrote: "Festivals just aren't set up to see production designers as important to the filmmaking process or as artists."
Respondents expressed interest in events specifically designed to showcase production designers, including masterclasses, designer spotlights and industry conversations.These responses reinforce a shared ambition: not simply to meet one another, but to elevate the profile of production design within the wider film industry.
What's Next?
At the Collective, we are keen to explore ways to enhance production designers’ experience, attendance and visibility at film festivals.
To that end, we are increasing our festival engagement starting this fall, with new partnerships, and a series of orientation sessions ahead of major film festivals.
Our orientation session will help navigate festivals, including accreditation guidance, networking introductions, and event invitations. We will share clear practical local knowledge to the most of limited time during busy festivals.
It is our goal to develop initiatives that raise the visibility of production design during festivals and continue advocating for greater recognition of production designers within festival programming and publicity.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences. Your insights will directly inform the next stage of the Festival Coordination Initiative, helping us build services that strengthen our community and ensure production designers have a more visible and valued place at film festivals around the world.
Stay Tuned!
