Underrated Places to Promote Your Indie Film Online
When indie filmmakers think about promotion, the usual suspects come to mind: Instagram, X, maybe TikTok. However some of the most effective and overlooked places to promote your film online can be community-based, niche, and built around genuine interest.
Here are a few spaces worth paying more attention to:
Reddit (Niche Film Subreddits)
Reddit can be intimidating, but when used correctly, it’s one of the most filmmaker-friendly platforms online.
Subreddits like r/ShortFilm, r/Shortfilms, r/indiefilm, r/indiefilms, r/indiemovies, and r/ShortFilmPromotion have a healthy balance of weekly visitors and posts, meaning your film is less likely to get buried.
Many of these subs explicitly allow filmmakers to share and promote their work, as long as you follow their guidelines and engage respectfully.
One key caveat: Reddit works best if your film is already publicly available to watch and teasing a private project rarely goes successfully.
Letterboxd Reviews (and Lists)
Letterboxd isn’t just for logging movies, because it’s also a powerful discovery tool.
If your film is listed in the database, you can seek out micro-reviewers (with anywhere from a few hundred to 10K followers) who already watch and champion indie films.
Look for reviewers who list contact info on their profiles (Instagram, email, Linktree, etc.) and whose taste aligns with your film.
A thoughtful DM offering a screener can go a long way and even a handful of sincere reviews can create social proof you can amplify elsewhere.
Festival Alumni & Film School Mailing Lists
If you or your collaborators attended film school, labs, residencies, or workshops, don’t overlook those networks because alumni newsletters and community mailing lists are often eager to spotlight members’ work, especially festival premieres or releases.
You can also think beyond your own affiliations, as a local film school, community college, or arts program connected to your film’s location or subject matter may be open to sharing updates or even hosting a screening.
Facebook Groups
Facebook Groups remain surprisingly effective, particularly for VOD or streaming releases, and indie film groups, “best new films to watch” communities, or interest-based groups tied to your film’s themes can be powerful.
A road-trip film? Look for biking or travel groups. A period piece set in the ‘80s or ‘90s? Nostalgia or Gen X groups may be a natural fit.
When the audience already cares about the subject, promotion feels less like marketing and more like discovery.
Sometimes, the best promotion doesn’t come from shouting louder; it comes from showing up in the right rooms!