Are Regional Film Festivals about to become an thing of the past
With rising costs, decreasing sponsorship, and the proliferation of more mediocre films as well as mediocre film festivals, are the comminity-based regional film festivals becoming obsolets?
New festivals seem to crop up at least acouple of times a month. When I last checked California alone has more than one every weekend. But what are these festivals for. Ideally, in smaller communities, they serve to bring films that the people in the community would not otherwisegeta chance to see.The problem is, that many of these festivals are run by people f9r vanity purposes, people who know very little aboutfilm, and who set upflawed selection processes.\
I will probably elaborate of this later.
New festivals seem to crop up at least acouple of times a month. When I last checked California alone has more than one every weekend. But what are these festivals for. Ideally, in smaller communities, they serve to bring films that the people in the community would not otherwisegeta chance to see.The problem is, that many of these festivals are run by people f9r vanity purposes, people who know very little aboutfilm, and who set upflawed selection processes.\
I will probably elaborate of this later.
3 Comments:
Please do elaborate. I'd like to know what you see as flaws in the selection process, and how to set up a less flawed selection process.
Kris
Vanity aside, I don't necessarily see anything wrong with so-called "vanity projects" if the people running it (and especially those running the selection process)know and understand (a) what makes a good film and can recognize them, (b) their audience(s), and (c) how to make a good marriage of the two. (Of course, it also helps if they know how to find the good films.)
Maybe we just differ on what constitutes a "vanity project." I suppose the most common definition would be a festival (or other project) done solely to enhance an individual's or group's reputation. However, I've often heard good projects referred to as "vanity projects" because a group of individuals choose to run it themselves as a tight group rather than get the whole community (geographical, media-based or otherwise) get involved. Hey, if it produces a good event and it fills the needs of those it serves, is that a problem?
On your other point, about the proliferation of more mediocre films and film festivals, you are so right.
Thanks for your comment. You're right on what ought to be the process for selection. Unfortunately, too many directors on non-film knowledgablepeople who set up screening groups with people who have little experience in film. The result is that good films get left out and bad films get in. This is not a matter of opinion, but of fact. I will be addressing the issue of program selections in a future blog.
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