Festivals of Their Own

I found the history of film festivals to be really interesting. I had never thought about their origins, and even the differences among them. Growing up with SIFF as the biggest influence in terms of what I thought a film festival was, anything smaller felt like a mere imitation. However, I thought this article did a great job at highlighting some of the blessings that come with smaller film festivals. For one, the sense of community. I thought the idea of giving audience feedback on index cards to some of the winning filmmakers was great, and added such a personal touch. Also in terms of programming, while festivals such as Sundance are now focusing more on the mainstream, I love that other festivals are showcasing films that may otherwise never be seen. I love that Visions does this for shorts. It is our job to make them feel special and showcase their work, where at some other festivals they may be slighted as there is more attention on feature-length films. What I have also always loved about film festivals besides the great array of films you're exposed to, is the social aspect of it. Like I mentioned earlier, the sense of community. Before I was able to fully appreciate it, I was attending opening night galas, after parties, Q&A's with directors, etc, with my dad at SIFF. I think those are half the festival--bringing filmmakers and film fanatics together in a pseudo-casual setting, where we can all learn from one another. And I think that is the true spirit that transcends all film festivals.