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Author Topic: Film Festival Experiences  (Read 853 times)

Eric/E.T.

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Film Festival Experiences
« on: February 19, 2020, 12:19:53 AM »
Wondering which you've been to and your impressions of them. Also wondering if there are any you really want to hit at some point in the future?

I've only been to the Phoenix Film Festival (surprise, surprise) and the Cleveland Film Festival (which actually had A.O. Scott as a speaker and attendee, which was cool, I really like him).

In the 2020s, I have my eyes set on a few, although I admit I'm ignorant on whether some of these even show their films in English/with English subtitles. It's an uncomfortable thing to presume, yet I presume it. Ones I'm interested in:

Rotterdam: I've never even been to Europe bc of money. Things have been looking up, and this is one I really want to do. Shooting for 2022 or 2023 at the latest, have to build up days off and goodwill since it's during the school year. Sounds like an awesome, audience-friendly atmosphere. Drew my attention because of how it provides the means to finish films for many, many international film-makers who would not otherwise be able to.

Toronto: Looking for an excuse to go back to Toronto. Lineup is always amazing. Also during the school year, so who knows.

Sarajevo: A festival born from war. Actually during the summer, and 1/2 my family is originally from the region (Croatia).

Edinburg: Another one actually in the summer. I'd like to travel Scotland, but then also hit Liverpool (about a 4 hour drive from Edinburgh), do some Reds stuff, some Beatles stuff.

I'd put Sundance and Slamdance on here, but both also during the school year, and not as high of a priority as the ones above. Also, if someone famous can get me in at Cannes, well, I wouldn't be opposed.

The only time I've ever been off-continent was to Hawaii. Figure here are some good excuses to start traveling in my late 30s into my 40s. I might actually finally have a few bucks to do it. We'll see.

Anyway, share your experiences and you aspirations when it comes to film festivals!
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Will

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2020, 01:22:19 AM »
Los Angeles Film Festival tended to show a lot of super-average indie films that not a lot of people cared about. One year, it threw in works by Hong Sang Soo and Jonnie To, but that didn't become a fixture.

AFI Fest was my go-to, every year fest until they switched from free tickets to market level. It was unfortunate because for so many years, you could see films like RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN or THE WIND RISES for free right at the start of November. I'm not even against them stopping the free tickets, but when it's the same price as usual for movies that, for the most part, will receive US distribution at some point, you question why it can't just be between 5 and 10 dollars. Oh well.

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2020, 07:01:41 AM »
The Melbourne International Film Festival is my main festival. I have gone to the French and Italian film festivals, here, as well.

MIFF is a well curated festival that runs for about 2.5 weeks, they have around 400 films (including shorts) for the festival. The festival has focuses on Australasian films, Asian films, Documentaries, International, and a special focus on a film maker or actor (past ones have been Chang Cheh, and Anna Karina)

All the festivals I have been to here have subtitles for the films not in English (except once when they got the wrong print for a French film at MIFF). In terms of festival experiences I love going, finding hidden treasures, seeing films I am unlikely to ever find again (lots of the films do not get much of a release), even the bad bits are interesting. Worst experience was going to see Save the Green Planet which the guide write up likened to Juenet and Caro's work, but was more like torture porn. It was my 4th or 5th film for the day and I was sitting next to someone who stank of urine, so for one of the few times in my life I walked out of the film well before it had finished. The good is getting to see films like A Page of Madness, The Holy Mountain on the big screen, or seeing Boxing Day which I am not sure got a separate release.

I would not mind going to Venice, Berlin, Cannes, or Sundance film festivals, or at least one of them.

In a smaller festival it would be interesting to experience the Midnight Night Sun Film Festival which is in Sodankylä, Finland. Or possibly the Screenplay Film Festival in the Shetlands (north of Scotland). I seem to have a thing for festivals in the far north.

Bondo

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2020, 08:28:24 AM »
The Denver International Film Festival is my "home" festival. It gets a reasonable slate of big festival films each year (that will be getting theatrical releases in the subsequent three months). As such, my strategy on it is to focus on smaller profile films which have the advantage of being cheaper and often being screened at a multiplex that participates in the festival. That venue is more comfortable (recliner chairs) and generally less crowded/chaotic. The venue run by the organization that runs the festival is too small for the festival traffic (but fine the rest of the year).

My first "big" festival was Tribeca back in 2009. The main lesson I learned is to the degree that I travel to major cities for a film festival, I need to have a smaller involvement. There is just too many things to see in New York City to spend my entire time there in a movie theatre. Tribeca did have slightly higher star presence than Denver, but I am not sure it is really significantly more prestigious seeing as it is dwarfed in its own city by the New York Film Festival.

I went to Toronto last year and only saw four films, practicing my lesson from Tribeca. It does have a nice buzz as a top-5 festival. Berlin and Venice are two other major festivals where it would feel like a waste to sit around watching films when you could be seeing the cities. Cannes of course isn't really viable unless you have connections.

I am going to Telluride this fall. Unlike NYC/Toronto, there isn't a lot else to do in Telluride but watch movies so I'll be able to guiltlessly take on a heavy load (plus if I'm spending $500 on a pass, gotta get my money's worth). Sundance would probably fall into this type of festival where I can guiltlessly load up.

In the opposite direction you get your very small festivals: Fargo Film Festival (where I saw It Follows), Indie Spirit Film Festival (in Colorado Springs, I actually did screening and vote tabulating for this one...a few gems pulled out from a lot of dreck). One particularly good experience was the Lavender Film Festival in Colorado Springs...it was a one-screen format where you just have a curated set of films over three days. Takes out the paradox of choice. Saw Leave It On The Floor there. Been to similar small festivals focused on LGBT, Women, or other national/identity focuses.

Teproc

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2020, 11:39:05 AM »
The only film festival I've ever been too is the Festival Lumière in Lyon. I lived two years in Lyon so I went twice. It's a patrimonial festival, meaning they show old films, with a particular individual being honored (Catherine Deneuve and Martin Scorsese the times I went), but many subsections which have nothing to with that person as well. It's pretty great.
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FLYmeatwad

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2020, 10:12:35 PM »
Only been to PFF, which I think has a relatively strong line up most of the time, if not always spectacular. I would like to hit Telluride since it's so concentrated and iKeith! has spoken so highly of it, but between travel and it being LDW (I think), it's an expense I have to plan for and it seems like every year I end up having a big wedding or some other thing I need to spend on first.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: Film Festival Experiences
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2020, 12:16:11 AM »
The perspectives here... :-*

Bondo, you got me thinking about some of the nuts and bolts of going to one of these, such as, you're not seeing a city if you're sitting inside watching films all day, all night. Makes total sense. Telluride sounds like one I might target someday based on what's said here.

Dave, I've been poking around the MILL website a bit, I'd really like to hit it up, plus I like to check out the local sea mammals, dolphins, whales, sea lions, seals, it's a strange fascination of mine. Problem is, we start school on like August 1st. But it's on my radar, I at least need to get to that part of the world this decade.

But obviously, I'll need to plan some day trips for the days leading up to or after the film festivals. You all got me thinkin'...
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