We need to recognize some TRUTHS & ATTRIBUTES about Film Festivals
What is it we really KNOW about Festivals?
You can’t use something to its full advantage if you don’t recognize its truth. What does it do? What makes it distinct?
I’ve tried to do this on a few topics now. I’ve looked at the feature film form and cinema exhibition. I’ve looked at so-called Indie Film provides (in contrast to the studio variety). Perhaps it is time to look at Film Festivals.
After all…
how can we develop a festival strategy if we don’t first understand festivals’ truth?
40+ Film Festival Truths (or at least mine…)
Everyone who attends a festival wants to have fun. Most people in fact want to have fun, regardless of where they are…
Distinct events should deliver distinct experiences. Every festival yearns to be different from other festivals and events in their region (yet most are quite similar).
Festivals are culture and culture changes with the times, thus the goal of a festival should be to change year to year. To change year to year, experimentation and risk needs to be part of the design of the festival — yet this is hard to spot at many festivals.
Festival curation is dependent on what the market provides, and thus is always hard to have a specific focus. For example, you can’t do a mumblecore festival, if there aren’t many mumblecore films.
Everything improves for attendees at a festival, when someone says hello to a stranger and starts to discuss what they’ve been digging. This should always be encouraged.
