film deliverytechnicalfestivals

Technical Checklist for Delivering Festival-Winning Indies to Sales Agents

mmulti media

2026-02-01

10 min read

A filmmaker’s 2026 technical checklist: IMF masters, validated DCPs, EDLs, captions, LUTs, and QC to get sales agents to say yes.

Deliver festival-winning indies to sales agents: the 2026 technical checklist

Hook: You finished the film — now the real battle begins. Sales agents like EO Media get dozens of promising indies at Content Americas and other markets. If your deliverables are messy, missing files, or fail QC, they won’t get screened, negotiated, or sold. This checklist is built for filmmakers targeting sales agents in 2026: clean, industry-standard technical packages that pass QC fast and sell better.

Top-line priorities (most important first)

One clean master (IMF or mezzanine) + clear offspring deliverables — avoid shipping camera originals as the primary asset.
Validated DCPs for festival/theatrical screening with proof of playback and subtitles where needed.
Comprehensive QC report (automated + manual) with waveform, loudness, and flagged issues.
All edit lists and creative notes (EDL/AAF/XML, color CDL, LUTs) so agents can prepare M&E, trailers, or changes fast.
Closed captions/subtitles in multiple formats (SRT/VTT + TTML/IMSC for broadcast + DCP subtitle XML).

Why agents like EO Media care about technical hygiene in 2026

Sales agents curate slates and move titles quickly at markets like Content Americas. Since late 2025 the bar has risen: agents expect one professional package that is easy to ingest to global platforms, festivals, and buyers. Packages that contain IMF masters, validated DCPs, and robust QC shorten negotiation cycles and reduce delivery back-and-forth. Agents prefer films that are 'distribution-ready' — fewer surprises mean faster deals.

Trend context — what changed in 2025–2026

IMF adoption accelerated among international buyers as the standard master format (SMPTE ST 2067), enabling single-master multi-version workflows — if you’re thinking about storage and provenance, see the Zero‑Trust storage playbook for 2026.
Cloud-based QC and automated metadata checks became mainstream in festivals and buyers’ ingests, reducing manual handoffs — read about observability and cost-control patterns for content platforms: Observability & Cost Control.
Wider requirement for HDR and Atmos-ready assets — festivals and digital buyers asked for HDR passes or signed-off pass-through LUTs even if you provide SDR deliverables. For advanced on-site and live-audio considerations (including Atmos-capable workflows and portable power), see Advanced Live‑Audio Strategies.
AI-assisted captioning and QC are now reliable first-pass tools — but manual review is still essential for accuracy and legal safety; observability guidance for automated pipelines is useful: observability & QC chains.

The canonical deliverables sales agents expect (and how to prepare each)

1) Master files & mezzanine

Provide one high-quality master plus the mezzanine files derived from it. The master should be an IMF package where possible, or a mezzanine ProRes/DNxHR mezzanine if IMF is not feasible.

Preferred mezzanine codecs: ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes 4444 (if alpha/clean plate), or DNxHR HQX/444 for cross-platform compatibility.
Container: MOV or IMF (SMPTE ST 2067) — IMF is the forward-looking choice for global sales.
Audio: multi-channel interleaved WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz; stem deliverables (dialogue, effects, music) are highly recommended.
Color space: provide both the graded HDR master (PQ/BT.2100 or Dolby Vision if used) and a validated SDR (Rec.709) conversion.
Include technical metadata: codec, bit depth, frame rate, timecode, color space, and file checksums (MD5/SHA256).

Actionable: Recommended master filename format

Keep agents happy with predictable names.

title_original_language_MASTER_IMF_v1.zip
title_EN_ProRes422HQ_24fps_ST_2026_MASTER.mov

2) Edit decision lists & timeline exports (EDL/AAF/XML)

Why: Agents often need to repurpose material for trailers, TV edits, or compliance cuts. EDL/AAF/XML plus the original timeline ensures cuts, VFX handles, and audio sync remain intact.

Provide: EDL (CMX3600), AAF (with embedded media or media references), and Final Cut/DaVinci/Resolve XML where applicable.
Include a simple change log: timecode ranges and notes for any offline/online changes made during finishing.
Reference original reel names and camera file IDs when relevant — this speeds up relocations and re-conforms.

3) Closed captions & subtitles

Deliver subtitles and captions in multiple usable formats. Agents need ready-to-ingest files for buyers across platforms and countries.

Primary caption deliverables: SRT and VTT for web previews; TTML/IMSC1 for broadcast; SMPTE-TT/Subtitle XML for DCPs.
For theatrical DCP: provide DCP subtitle XML or timed-text as required by the theater/delivery house.
Supply translations and a bilingual transcript for all languages included.
Include alignment to timecode, and proof of human review (date and reviewer name) — AI-first captions must be quality-checked.

4) QC reports — automated + manual

Why: Agents and buyers reject packages with undisclosed defects. A combined automated and manual QC report demonstrates technical due diligence.

Automated QC: use recognized tools (Interra Baton, Venera, or cloud QA vendors) and export the full report (XML/HTML). Modern pipelines benefit from observability and cost-control practices to ensure automated checks are reliable.
Manual QC: watch the whole film at native frame rate and log any issues: freeze frames, black/flash frames, audio pops, sync issues, subtitle errors, color shifts.
Loudness: measure using ITU-R BS.1770-4. Report integrated LUFS and short-term LUFS. For streaming, -14 LUFS is standard; for broadcast follow the region-specific spec; for theatrical supply the dynamic range target and stems.
Color metadata: report MaxFALL and MaxCLL for HDR masters when applicable.

Actionable QC checklist entries

Waveform and vectorscope screenshots of 3 representative scenes (dialogue, dark night, bright exterior).
Timecode-stamped manual QC log in CSV with severity (minor/major/critical).
Automated QC report attached and a short summary of actions taken.

5) HDR, LUTs, and color pass-through documentation

Sales agents value clear creative intent. If you deliver an HDR master, include the color decisions and technical LUTs so downstream partners can reproduce the grade or create SDR conversions correctly.

Deliver the final color-corrected master in the display-referred format you graded to (ST.2084/PQ or HLG), plus a Rec.709 SDR version.
Include the exact LUTs (.cube) used for deliverables and a small README: monitor LUT, creative LUT, and a pass-through LUT for HDR→SDR mapping.
Include ASC CDL values and any Resolve .drx or .xml color session notes; timestamp the grade session and name the colorist.
Provide HDR metadata: mastering monitor model, peak brightness, MaxFALL/MaxCLL, and whether Dolby Vision or HDR10+ metadata is embedded.

6) DCP preparation — make it theatre-ready

Festivals still use Digital Cinema Packages for theatrical projections. A reliable DCP is non-negotiable for festival screening, and it makes your film instantly presentable to buyers.

Standard DCP specs: JPEG2000 (2K/4K), XYZ color space, 24/25/30/48 fps as required, PCM 24-bit 48 kHz audio. Follow SMPTE ST 428-1 & ST 429-2.
Subtitle handling: DCP subtitle XML or Timed Text; verify placement and font support on several players.
Create a Distribution DCP (no watermarks, full color conversion to XYZ) and a HFR/Alternate frame rate DCP if your film uses 48 fps or 25 fps for specific territories.
Validate the DCP with DCP-O-Matic or a professional mastering house. Always include a playback report (screen capture and audio recording) from a known test projector or a validated software player (DCP Player Pro, OpenDCP validations). See a practical field rig review for testing practices and play-out checks.
For Atmos or Dolby Cinema screenings: supply the ADM/MA files and coordinate with the festival’s playback team — these packages are complex and often require vendor assistance.

Actionable DCP steps for indies

Render a full-resolution ProRes or DPX sequence from your timeline with burned-in timecode for testing.
Use DCP-O-Matic (open-source) for an initial DCP; then run a validation in a local theatre or use a certified lab. Many maker and mobile-studio playbooks include recommended tools (see mobile micro-studio workflows for related testing approaches).
Produce a test screening report: projector model, server model, screenshot of projector logs, and signed playback confirmation.

7) Audio deliverables and stems

Provide both the full mix and separate stems. Stems accelerate localization, radio/TV edits, and trailer work.

Deliver stem files: dialogue, music, effects (DME), and ambience — 24-bit, 48 kHz WAV files.
Supply a full-reel mix and a 2-channel mixdown for web previews.
Provide a loudness report with integrated LUFS, true-peak measurements, and any de-esser or limiting specifics used during mastering. For advanced on-site audio and Atmos-capable mixing, consult live-audio strategy notes.

8) Documentation bundle

Package these documents in a single PDF called title_TECHNICAL_PACKAGE_v1.pdf and include within the root delivery folder:

Deliverables manifest (file list + checksums)
QC report(s) and manual QC log
Colorist/CPL notes, LUTs, and CDL
Caption/transcript files and language list
Contact list for the post-production team (editor, colorist, re-recording mixer)
Legal clearances and music cue sheets (if applicable)

Practical folder structure and naming convention

Make ingest effortless. Use this structure inside your delivery ZIP or cloud folder:

/title_MASTER/IMF_or_PRORES/
/title_MEZZANINE/ProRes422HQ/
/title_DCP/2K_24fps/
/title_AUDIO/FullMix_48k_24bit/Title_STEMS/
/title_CAPTIONS/EN_SRT/ES_TTML/
/title_QC/Auto_report.html/Manual_QC_log.csv/
/title_DOCS/technical_package.pdf/lut_cube/

Real-world example: how this helped one indie close a deal

Case summary (anonymized): a US independent feature premiered at a regional festival in late 2025. The filmmakers delivered an IMF master, a validated 2K DCP, ProRes mezzanines, full-caption sets in three languages, a QC report, and a clean EDL set with AAF. The sales agent immediately uploaded the mezzanine to their cloud, generated preview H.264 proxies, and created trailer edits using the provided AAF. Because the technical package was complete and validated, the agent dispatched deliverables to three buyers in different territories in under a week, accelerating negotiations and securing a multi-territory deal at Content Americas.

Advanced strategies and future-proofing for 2026 and beyond

Deliver IMF where possible. Single-master IMF workflows reduce duplication and reduce mistakes across versions and languages; storage and provenance practices are discussed in the Zero‑Trust Storage Playbook.
Embed machine-readable metadata (schema.org-like metadata in sidecar JSON) to speed catalogue ingestion by agents and platforms — this ties into broader identity and metadata strategy thinking: identity strategy.
Use cloud-based encoding and QC chains for faster turnaround — automated pre-flight checks catch many common failures before you hand the package to an agent. Observability and cost-control practices help keep cloud pipelines predictable: observability playbook. If you prefer other approaches, consider local-first sync appliances for privacy-focused teams.
Prepare Atmos-capable deliverables if your film’s audio mix warrants it; even if you don’t plan theatrical Atmos release, agents appreciate the option — see audio workflows & power planning.
Maintain a version control log for every deliverable — when an agent requests an edit for a buyer, track versions and time-stamped changes. A short, consistent version log (and occasional one-page stack audits) reduces confusion: one-page stack audit.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Missing or mismatched timecode between files — always embed a consistent LTC in masters and reference files.
Poor caption quality — AI captions help, but always perform a human pass and include reviewer sign-off.
Undeclared HDR/SDR conversions — always indicate the mastering target and supply SDR conversions made from the HDR master using your LUTs.
Lack of checksums — agents will reject files without checksums; always provide SHA256 or MD5 for every large asset.

"Sales agents don’t want surprises. Deliver a single, validated, well-documented package and you’ll be at the front of the queue."

Quick printable checklist (actionable summary)

Master: IMF or ProRes mezzanine (24-bit audio 48 kHz) + checksums
DCP: validated 2K/4K JPEG2000 in XYZ with playback report
EDL/AAF/XML + original timeline notes
Closed captions/subtitles in SRT, VTT, TTML, and DCP-friendly XML
QC report: automated + manual log, loudness (LUFS), MaxFALL/MaxCLL for HDR
LUTs (.cube), ASC CDL + colorist session info
Audio stems + full mix WAVs
Technical package PDF with manifest and contact list
Cloud delivery link or hard drive shipped with clear labeling and checksum manifest

Final notes: pricing, time estimates, and practical tips

Budget for at least one full day of mastering and QC after picture lock. Expect DCP creation and validation to take another day if you use a mastering house. IMF packaging may involve vendor fees in 2026; small festivals may accept ProRes but global buyers increasingly expect IMF. For tight budgets, prioritize a validated DCP and a high-quality ProRes mezzanine plus full documentation. Use trusted partners for Atmos work or complex theatrical packages.

Call to action

If you’re preparing a package for a sales agent like EO Media, start with our checklist and run one full pre-delivery QC pass. Want a printable PDF of this checklist, a sample technical package template, or help converting your master to an IMF or DCP? Contact your post team or book a short consult with a mastering house — the extra effort pays off in faster deals and wider reach.

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