The trick, it seems, is how to get the word out. For Minors, this meant calling in help on all fronts. He got us a half page article in the Toronto Star, interviews on a couple major Toronto TV shows. We did interviews with university newspapers and university and underground radio shows. Pace created a web site for his film and left word about it in film forums on other web sites.
Pace warns that unless a filmmaker has the budget, there are few options for serious advertising.
The problem with many independent films, and why they rarely make any money, is that they lack a clear audience. In my case, for instance, I couldn't even figure out who my audience was. I realized this after I finished it and after showing it to a few people in the industry. Festivals and contests can help advertise a filmmaker's work, especially if it picks up an award. There it picked up the award for Best Undistributed Feature.