Tier 1 vs. Mid-Tier Festivals: When to Pivot Strategy?

Hey everyone, I'm Emma Gallagher, Props Master on an upcoming indie feature we're all really proud of. We've been working to a pretty standard festival premiere strategy, aiming high for a Tier 1 festival to kick things off. We've done our research, followed the submission timelines, and tailored our materials. We even brought in a consulting producer who specializes in this side of things.

But as we get closer to announcement periods for some of these major fests, and with other excellent, though smaller, festivals reaching out for early consideration, I'm starting to wonder if our pursuit of that 'perfect' Tier 1 premiere could actually be holding us back. Is there a point where continuing to wait for a top-tier acceptance becomes counterproductive, especially if it means missing out on the early buzz and potential sales that a strong showing at multiple, genuinely supportive mid-tier festivals could provide? What's the tipping point you've experienced?