Social justice, environmental, human rights and documentary film festivals have flourished around the world in recent years. They are a great way of reaching audiences with an existing interest in the topic of your film. You can use websites such as Without a Box or Short Film Depot to research and contact some of these festivals. You can also rely on local contacts to inform you of which are the important and relevant festivals to distribute your work to in each area.
You can also organise your own community screenings in venues anywhere from houses, to internet cafes, parks and community spaces. In this case you will have to do all your own promotion to get an audience. So keep in mind you may have to do plenty of interviews in the local media, make and distribute posters and flyers, and promote your event on social media sites. You’ll also need to organise things like a projector, DVD player or laptop, sound system and seating. With full control over your own event, you might want to combine a screening with speakers or discussion around the film itself.