There are few things more frustrating in festival curation than discovering a truly beautiful film… and realizing we cannot program it.

Not because of story.
Not because of performances.
Not because of cinematography.

Because the sound is unusable.

This happens more often than filmmakers realize, and it is one of the most absolute deal breakers we face.

Bad sound does not just weaken a film. It disqualifies it.

A real world example

We once encountered an exceptional short film. Strong direction. Gorgeous visuals. A compelling tone. Shot on a high end camera with obvious production value.

Then we listened.

The dialogue was thin and echoey.
The room reflections were overwhelming.
Voices drifted in and out as the camera moved.

It was clear the film relied on the camera’s onboard microphone.

The result made the film impossible to screen.

We reached out. We explained how much we loved the work, and why the sound was a problem. The response was honest and heartbreaking.

“That’s all we have.”

We had to reject it.

And that rejection had nothing to do with taste.

Why sound matters more than you think

Audiences are surprisingly forgiving of imperfect images.

They will tolerate grain.
They will tolerate rough lighting.
They will tolerate experimental visuals.

What they will not tolerate is struggling to hear or understand dialogue.

Sound is how viewers emotionally connect. It tells them where to focus. It shapes realism and tension. When sound feels wrong, the illusion collapses.

You can screen a visually rough film with great sound and keep an audience engaged.

You cannot screen a beautiful film with bad sound and expect them to stay with you.

The danger of onboard microphones

This is one of the most common mistakes we see.

Onboard camera microphones are designed for reference, not final audio.

They capture room echo.
They shift direction as the camera moves.
They pick up everything except what you want.

In reflective spaces like restaurants or bathrooms, the problem multiplies. Voices bounce. Distance increases. Clarity disappears.

Expensive cameras do not fix this.

A great camera does not automatically produce great sound.

The ADR trap

When sound fails on set, filmmakers often turn to ADR in post production. While ADR has its place, it is extremely difficult to do well, especially on a limited budget.

Poorly matched ADR pulls the viewer out immediately. The voice does not live in the space. The timing feels off. The performance changes.

It becomes a distraction instead of a solution.

Nothing replaces clean production sound.

What we look for instead

We are not expecting perfection. We are expecting intention.

Lavaliers or boom microphones when possible.
Consistent audio levels.
Dialogue that is clear and present.
Sound that feels anchored in the scene.

Most importantly, we want to see that sound was monitored.

Check your audio after the first take.
Check again during the day.
Listen with headphones.
Do not assume it is fine.

Catching a problem early can save the entire film.

The hard truth

We have rejected films we genuinely loved because the sound could not be fixed.

That is painful for everyone involved.

Months of work.
Talented actors.
Careful cinematography.

All undone by audio that was never truly listened to.

Sound is not a technical afterthought. It is storytelling.

The simplest takeaway

If you have limited resources, prioritize sound.

You can compromise on image.
You can simplify production design.
You cannot ignore audio.

Good sound gives your film credibility.
Bad sound ends its festival journey.

If you want your film to be programmed, heard, and experienced the way you intended, start with the thing audiences notice first when it goes wrong.

They stop listening.