While the non-profit festivals are indeed festivals — they are not "marketplaces", such as Venice Film Festival (the oldest and most prestigious film festival in the world), Toronto International Film Festival (egarded North America's most major and most prestigious and widely attended), Seattle International Film Festival (largest in terms of films screened), Tokyo International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Sundance, Milan Fest, etc. No one is looking to buy films to distribute at the Film Noir Festival, for example. Buyers and Producers simply to not attend these "small", local film festivals to look for product — they will go to to the aforementioned big events — that's how it's always been.

(Interestingly, The San Francisco International Film Festival, which was founded in 1957, is the oldest, continuously running in North America, highlighting trends in international film, with an emphasis one titles not picked up for US distribution.)