Also, rayw, when you say that I should focus funds towards advertising as opposed to t-shirts, what do you mean? Do you mean flyers, or do you mean actual print ads?
Originally I was thinking "Yes!", the money
(about $300+ just for 100 1C/1S printing) would be better spent getting feet through the door.
But after reading PaperTwin's post I'm thinking he's got the better idea of meaningful giveaways and "won" premiums will create a better user experience (Blech! Can't believe I just used that term. WTH is wrong with me?!).
Skip the wienie pens and t-shirts, but consider allocating a small amount of funds towards just silly fun sh!t, something akin to Mardi Gras Beads. Just some token takeaway.
$50 in rubber vomit patties frizbeed out into the crowd may be better than $300 t-shirts.
Audience participation is synergistically paramount!
Think Rocky Horror Picture Show in the theater (not at home on DVD. Spare me.)
"A toast..."
"TO MELBA!!!"
It's not so much you need to make a perfect impression this year as much as you want each person to bring back 3.7 people next year.
Segregating and grouping the entries into genres and allocating into appropriate time slots is almost a given.
And you'll likely have to form a small reviewing committee to guesstimate faux-MPAA ratings.
People are weird.
In your film you can have a minor child gun down her glue huffing principal and say "F#ck you" and guess what everyone will get all up in arms over?
The swearing.
OMG.
SURVEYS
These are crucial.
Find out "How?!" all these freaks found out about this gig? Spend next year's promotion budget accordingly.
What were their expectations?
What did they like/didn't like?
How can next year's festival be better?
EDIT: And for all the (legit) grousing folks make around here about the paucity of funding for indie projects, have the audience vote for a fan favorite - maybe online? (just to mine emails!) - an award a worthwhile/meaningful amount to that filmaker's next project.
It's not a payment durring this event, but rather a promise to pay upon completion of the next.
Gotta get those carrots out there, folks.
Indie Survivor.