Filmmakers often participate in exciting film festivals which are social and educational events dedicated to the film industry. There are creative film festivals in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska that focus on cinematic interests and also attract a diverse array of films.

But there are also companies dedicated to helping filmmakers find their own audiences. They provide acquisition, marketing and distribution services to filmmakers, distributors, and film festivals. For example, one company has more than 2 million audience members sharing their opinions. They have created the world's largest focus group for independent films.

They provide filmmakers with the tools they need to figure out who their fans are, communicate with them effectively, build buzz for screenings and sell DVDs. Distributor partnerships provide filmmakers access to audiences and economic opportunities worldwide.

However, by and large, these kinds of companies rely on on demand technology for DVD fulfillment packaging. For example, if there's need for 100 films to be duplicated and shipped, thanks to on demand technology, the job can be turned around fast.

All of this helps us fulfill what is known as a self serve distribution platform which offers better economics to filmmakers than anything else in the industry. This allows filmmakers to pocket much more of the profits than with traditional film distribution.

Nobody has to lay out money in advance to replicate and produce 500 DVDs. On the other hand, if the film takes off and is selling like crazy, and is proven, it may be time to transition over to cd duplication and packaging, and warehousing of thousands of DVDs.

"We wanted to change things and make it much easier for great films, regardless of their initial commercial potential, to get a chance to develop and grow an audience," said B-Side Entertainment product manager Joe Boutros.

With over thousands of independent films in competition worldwide, some of the key festivals include the Anchorage International Film Festival, Anchorage, Alaska; Big Sky Documentary film festival in Big Sky, Montana; the Forest Film Festival in Portland, Oregon; the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival in Sun Valley Idaho; or in Wyoming, there's the Jackson Hole Film Festival.