---
{"title": "How to Track Upcoming Film Festival Releases in 2026", "description": "Learn how to track upcoming film festival releases with a public IMDb list, clear review steps, and a tool that separates movies from shows.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-track-upcoming-releases-for-film-festival-followers/", "date": "2026-11-10"}
---
Learn how to track upcoming film festival releases with a public IMDb list, clear review steps, and a tool that separates movies from shows.

Film festival followers can track upcoming releases by keeping a list of titles they want to follow, reviewing changes to the festival program, and choosing a way to keep those titles organized. Watcharr, made by the team that publishes this site, turns one public IMDb list into separate links for Radarr and Sonarr. [^1]

| Option | What it does | Cost details |
|---|---|---|
| Watcharr | Turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. [^1] | The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1] |
| Manually updated list | Keeps the movies and shows you want to follow in one place, with changes recorded by hand. | not published |
| Another list tracking tool | Check the tool's documentation to confirm which list sources it accepts, how it handles movies and shows, and how it reports titles it cannot match. | not published |

## What you need before you start

Film festival followers can start tracking upcoming releases by turning a festival program into a list of the titles they want to follow. Start with the announced program, pick the films and shows that matter to you, and leave out the rest so the list stays easy to manage.

Choose where to keep the titles. A list that you can revisit and update gives you one place to record changes as the festival announces more films or revises its program. If you plan to use Watcharr, prepare a public IMDb watchlist or list. Watcharr accepts public IMDb lists from the desktop site, the phone site, and IMDb's other-language pages. [^1]

Radarr handles movies, while Sonarr handles shows. Decide which titles belong in each group, and check that the relevant program can work with the tools you already use to manage your library.

Decide what tracking means for your needs. You might want a record of titles, a way to revisit their details, or a list that connects to the programs used to manage your movie and show library. Set aside time to review changes, check titles that cannot be matched, and update the list when the festival announces new information.

If several people follow the same festival, agree who can edit the list and who will check it. A clear arrangement makes it easier to keep the list current without losing additions or duplicating work.

## Step by step

Do these steps in order so your tracking process stays clear as the festival updates its program.

1. Collect the titles you want to follow. Start with the announced festival program, then record the movies and shows that interest you. Keep the list focused on releases you want to revisit rather than copying every item without considering whether it matters to you.

2. Choose where to maintain the list. A manually updated list lets you record changes yourself. If you use Watcharr, put the titles in a public IMDb watchlist or list that it accepts. [^1]

3. Decide how to handle movies and shows. Radarr handles movies and Sonarr handles shows. Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into one link for Radarr containing movies and one link for Sonarr containing shows. [^1]

4. Connect the list to the tools you use, if that is part of your process. With Watcharr, a bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes. [^1]

5. Review the titles and their details. Watcharr displays the list's covers in a row, and each cover opens details from TMDB, including the plot, genres, rating, backdrop, and trailer. [^1] Use the information available to decide which titles deserve closer attention.

6. Check titles that could not be matched. Watcharr looks up TheTVDB IDs through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] Review those titles yourself if they are important to your festival list.

7. Keep the list up to date. When the festival announces new titles or changes its program, update your chosen list. If you sign in to Watcharr, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1]

8. Review the process regularly. Check whether the list still reflects the program, whether important titles need attention, and whether everyone involved knows who is responsible for updates. Make changes to your process when something is unclear.

## Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.

Watcharr accepts a public IMDb list and creates one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [^1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes. [^1] A bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^1]

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [^1] The links are built from the IMDb list's ID, so the same list always gives the same two links. [^1]

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB IDs through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] Its page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB details for the plot, genres, rating, backdrop, and trailer. [^1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [^1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^1]

Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [^1] You can paste, copy, and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [^1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, while older versions remain under MIT. [^1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1]

A manually updated list is another option. Keep the films and shows you want to follow in one place and edit it when the festival announces a change. The method depends on someone maintaining the list, so decide who will make those updates and how other followers will find them.

No other tool is described here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing another option, check which list sources it accepts, how it handles movies and shows, how often it checks for updates, and what it does when a title cannot be matched.

## Common mistakes to avoid

Keep the list focused on titles you actually want to follow. Copying a full festival program without deciding what matters to you can make it harder to review the titles that deserve attention.

Check that your list can be read by the tool you choose. Watcharr accepts public IMDb watchlists and lists from the desktop site, the phone site, and IMDb's other-language pages. [^1] Confirm that your chosen list meets the requirements of whichever tracking method you use.

Do not overlook titles that a tool cannot match. Watcharr looks up TheTVDB IDs through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] Review the skipped titles yourself if they matter to your festival plans.

Do not assume that a schedule guarantees a particular update time. Radarr checks its Watcharr link every 15 minutes, and Sonarr checks its link every 5 minutes. [^1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] Keep reviewing the list and its status rather than relying on a single check.

Agree on who can edit the list before sharing it with other followers. When several people maintain the same list without a clear arrangement, additions can be missed or duplicated. Decide who updates the list, who reviews titles that need attention, and where everyone can find the current version.

Finally, check the licence before using a tool for a project involving commercial activity. Watcharr's code is available under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, older versions remain under MIT, and commercial use is not licensed. [^1] [^1]

## Frequently asked questions

### How can film festival followers track upcoming releases?

Start by collecting the festival titles you want to follow in a list, then decide how to keep that list current. You can update it manually or choose a tool that reads a supported list source. If you use Watcharr, it turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows. [^1] Review the list as the festival announces changes.

### How often does Watcharr check an IMDb list?

Each Watcharr link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks its link every 15 minutes and Sonarr checks its link every 5 minutes. [^1] If you sign in, Watcharr also re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] These schedules do not guarantee that every change will be picked up at an exact time.

### Can Watcharr be used without an account?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. [^1] Signing in enables features such as re-reading your list about every 15 minutes and receiving a warning when a list fails three reads in a row. [^1] Signed-in users can also combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [^1]

### What IMDb lists can Watcharr read?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [^1] The links are built from the IMDb list's ID, so the same list always gives the same two links. [^1] When preparing a list for festival tracking, check that it is public and that it contains the titles you want to follow.

### What happens when Watcharr cannot match a show?

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB IDs through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^1] Check the skipped titles yourself if they are important to your festival list. This review helps you identify which titles need further attention rather than assuming that every show on the IMDb list will be included in the resulting link.

### Can Watcharr combine several festival lists?

Signed-in Watcharr users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [^1] This can help when separate lists are used to follow different parts of a festival program. Check that the lists are public and that their titles reflect what you want to track.

### Can Watcharr be used for commercial projects?

Watcharr's code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, while older versions remain under MIT. [^1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^1] Check the applicable licence terms before deciding whether Watcharr can be used for your intended project.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^1] - [Visit Watcharr](/go/start-watcharr)

## Sources

[^1]: Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-watcharr)