How to write a short film synopsis and press kit
Templates and examples for the logline, short and long synopsis, director's statement, bio and stills that every festival submission needs.
Programmers and catalogue editors read hundreds of synopses. Yours will often be printed exactly as you wrote it, in a festival catalogue, on a website or beside your film in an online screening room. A clear, specific synopsis makes the film easier to programme and easier to sell to an audience.
The logline
One sentence: who, what they want or face, and what makes it particular. For example, this is how we describe one of the films in our archive:
A mammoth is thawed out of the ice and dropped into a future that has no place for it.
Tusk, Rory Waudby-Tolley
Notice what it leaves out: themes, adjectives and the director’s intentions. Those belong elsewhere.
The short synopsis (about 50 words)
Expand the logline with the situation and the tension. Write in the present tense and the third person. Leave out the ending.
Charity is sixteen and comes from a travelling family. When her brother is released from prison early, she has to find a way to cope with what his return does to her and to the family.
after Charity, Jimmy Dean and Ellie Gocher
The long synopsis (about 150 words)
Add the setting, a sense of tone and what is at stake, still without spoiling the end. If the film has a distinctive form, mention it briefly. Two Films About Loneliness is a split-screen film, and saying so is part of the appeal.
The director’s statement (100–250 words)
This is where intentions go. Why this story? Why this form? What should an audience feel? Be specific and personal, and avoid big claims about what the film “explores”. Programmers notice honesty.
The director’s bio (about 75 words)
Write it in the third person. Include where you’re from or based, your training if relevant, previous films and any selections or awards. For a first film, that’s fine: say so.
Stills
- Three to five frames from the film, at least 1920 pixels wide.
- Choose images that work small: a clear face, a striking composition, a distinctive location.
- Avoid behind-the-scenes shots in the main set. Keep a couple separately for press.
- Name the files clearly:
film-title_still-01.jpg.
The full press kit
Put all of this into a single PDF or web page, along with:
- full cast and crew credits;
- technical specifications: running time, aspect ratio, sound, language, country and year;
- a list of festival selections and awards, which you update as they come in;
- contact details, and a sales agent or distributor if you have one;
- a poster, if you have one.
Keep it up to date, and send the link with every festival submission.
Questions people ask
How long should a short film synopsis be?
Prepare three versions. A logline of one sentence, a short synopsis of about 50 words and a long synopsis of about 150 words. Festivals ask for different lengths, and catalogue editors often use your text as written.
Should a synopsis reveal the ending?
For catalogue and audience use, no. For programmers, a short note on where the film goes can help, but most simply watch the film. Write the public synopsis to make people want to see it, not to summarise it.