How to build lists of festival picks for short film and indie trackers

Steps for short film and indie trackers to build festival pick lists, plus a tool that turns a public IMDb list into Radarr and Sonarr links.

By VLClean · 2026-11-06

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Trackers can build a festival pick list by gathering titles, writing a rule for what counts as a pick, and putting the finished list where readers can open it. One tool option below, Watcharr, turns a public IMDb list into links for Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1]

Option	Build method	Cost details
Watcharr	Paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]
Another list tool, checked against these steps	Check how it reads a public list and keeps it updated.	not published
Your own plain list	Keep the picks in one list you update by hand.	not published

What you need before you start

Start with the titles you want on the list. Write down where each one came from, such as a festival programme, a screening you attended, or a note from someone you trust, so the list can be checked later.

Decide which festivals, years and kinds of short or indie film count, and write that rule down in one line. A rule on paper keeps later picks consistent with earlier ones.

Next, decide who reads the list and who adds to it. A list that more than one person edits needs one person in charge of final choices.

Have a way to look up each title's IMDb page, so you can check the name, year and type before adding it. Finally, pick where the finished list will live, such as a public IMDb list, a shared note, or a shared document. Choose the place your readers can reach easily.

Step by step

Gather the titles from the festival lists and notes you already have, and put them in one place.
Remove duplicates and any titles that do not meet your rule for picks.
Check each title's name, year and type against its page.
Group the picks by festival or year, so readers can scan them quickly.
Write one line above each group that says what the group is.
Put the list where readers can open it, and tell them where to find it.
Review the list on a set schedule, add new picks, and remove any that no longer fit your rule.

If you want a tool to keep the list in step with your movie and show helper programs, choose one from the options below and check it against these steps before you rely on it.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste one public IMDb list into it and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key, its private access key, which is not sent anywhere else. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, and each one opens TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

When you compare tools, check how each one reads a public list, how it keeps the list up to date, and what it does with a title it cannot match.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid building a list without checking each title's type and year. A festival pick may be a title that the helper programs cannot match, so check it before you add it to the list.

Avoid expecting a new pick to appear at once. Radarr checks a Watcharr link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5, so a new pick can take a while to show up. ^[1]

Avoid reading a missing show as an error in your list. Watcharr tells you which shows it skipped, so check those names instead of rebuilding the whole list. ^[1]

Avoid sharing a Watcharr list in a way that makes money or serves a business. Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

Frequently asked questions

How can trackers build a festival pick list for short films and indie titles?

Start by writing down the titles, the festivals they came from, and the rule for what counts as a pick. Keep the list in one place that others can read, then check each title against its page before you share it. Watcharr is one option for turning a public IMDb list into links that Radarr and Sonarr can read, and the steps above apply whichever tool you choose. ^[1]

Can Watcharr turn a public IMDb list into Radarr and Sonarr links?

Yes. Watcharr makes one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows, from a single public IMDb list. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] The same list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

Does Watcharr need to be installed before it can be used?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app. ^[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]

Can Watcharr share one list with a whole household?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. ^[1] A title that appears on two lists is added only once. ^[1] If a read of a list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Is Watcharr licensed for commercial use?

Watcharr's code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)