During a film festival, films are screened at one or more movie theaters over a short period of time of time, which varies from a few days to a week. The movies may be related to a particular subject or may be mainstream films which are recently released or will be released soon. Prizes are usually awarded to the best film in a particular category.

A film festival allows films to be showcased to an audience, critics as well as the film trade (distributors). If the film is not yet released, the film maker may incorporate changes in the film based on the feedback from the audience. Some scenes may be added or deleted. The distributors get a preview of the film and can decide on the marketing strategy. The main actors, actresses, directors and producers of the film usually attend its screening at major film festivals.

Most films are two to three hours long and it is difficult for a person interested in films to see all films, since they may not be screened at theaters nearby. For the average movie goer, a film festival allows him/her to view multiple movies over a short period of time. Since passes are available for the duration of the film festival, the cost of seeing a movie is also much lower.