Q&A Nerves: How to Answer Questions After Your Film Screens

If your film is selected, you may be invited on stage afterwards to answer questions from the audience — and often a young audience asks the best, most direct questions of all.

Prepare three short stories. Have ready a funny moment from the shoot, a challenge you solved, and the reason you wanted to make the film. Most questions can be answered with one of these.

Answer the question that was asked. Listen to the whole thing, repeat it briefly if the room is large, and give a short answer. Stop when you have finished.

Credit your team. Name the people who made specific parts of the film. Audiences love hearing about the crew, and it is the right thing to do.

It is fine not to know. "I'm not sure — I'll find out" is a perfectly good answer. So is asking the questioner what they thought.

Handle the unexpected kindly. Kids sometimes ask surprising things, like how much the film cost or whether the actor is really your sister. Smile, answer honestly, and move on.

Breathe, speak a little slower than feels natural, and remember the audience is on your side.