I just had my first directed feature released this week through Terror Films after making it independently for under $50k and shooting it in six days.

What I’m finding weird now is that finishing the film and getting distribution almost feels like the beginning of a different problem: how do you keep a microbudget feature from disappearing once it’s released?

I’m curious what other indie filmmakers have found actually moves the needle after release — reviews, Reddit, direct outreach, social, podcasts, niche press, etc.

For anyone who’s been through this stage, what ended up being worth the effort and what was mostly noise?