ATTENDING FESTIVALS
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:55 pm
Jan and I have been to several festivals around Europe in the last few years. We are puzzled why some attract large audiences and others relatively small ones.
A great many film makers enjoy sending their work to festivals hoping that their films will be seen ... and if they get a certificate or an award that is a bonus. Most cannot afford to visit every single festival in which their films might take part. But ... if festivals do not attract decent audiences:
a) is it worth sending your film where not many people will see it
b) how long can the festival survive without the income and (just as important for organisers) the active support of visitors?
Many festivals have gone to the wall in the last few years, partly as organisers retire and partly due to the financial crisis which makes grants and sponsorship hard to find.
Of course I am not suggesting we should attend festivals simply to help keep them going. Every festival brings new delights with films we have never previously come across, new ideas and techniques, old ideas revived in timely fashion ... and the sociable buzz of friendly contact with other film enthusiasts. If your film is shown there is the terrifying thrill of observing a different audience reacting to it. A few festivals offer written comments on all entries, whether they are screened or not. Most only offer spoken comment by the jury on the films which are selected for screening. You - or a friend with a recorder - have to be there for you to gain any critical insights.
So should we, as film makers, try to plan to attend at least one or two festivals each year? BIAFF being in Britain is pretty easy for us to get to. It lasts for a long weekend. Some European festivals last up to a week.
Should we make the effort???
A great many film makers enjoy sending their work to festivals hoping that their films will be seen ... and if they get a certificate or an award that is a bonus. Most cannot afford to visit every single festival in which their films might take part. But ... if festivals do not attract decent audiences:
a) is it worth sending your film where not many people will see it
b) how long can the festival survive without the income and (just as important for organisers) the active support of visitors?
Many festivals have gone to the wall in the last few years, partly as organisers retire and partly due to the financial crisis which makes grants and sponsorship hard to find.
Of course I am not suggesting we should attend festivals simply to help keep them going. Every festival brings new delights with films we have never previously come across, new ideas and techniques, old ideas revived in timely fashion ... and the sociable buzz of friendly contact with other film enthusiasts. If your film is shown there is the terrifying thrill of observing a different audience reacting to it. A few festivals offer written comments on all entries, whether they are screened or not. Most only offer spoken comment by the jury on the films which are selected for screening. You - or a friend with a recorder - have to be there for you to gain any critical insights.
So should we, as film makers, try to plan to attend at least one or two festivals each year? BIAFF being in Britain is pretty easy for us to get to. It lasts for a long weekend. Some European festivals last up to a week.
Should we make the effort???