Well, there has been quite a proliferation of wide-ranging Films Festivals in the past couple of years.
I was just coming off the "Backlot Film Festival" when I received word that the "Beverly Hills Festival" was starting up.
And, when I logged into my e-mail, I was confronted with a series of frenzied communications from the "Very Short Films" venue, urging me to attend a couple of final events before the big wrap at their Hollywood fest.
The "Arab Film Festival" (gave them a big promo last year) has been firing off news releases, too.
On "Facebook" in May - the Cannes Film Festival "group" I joined - was gearing up for the big bucks extravaganza where big names were sure to be bouncing off Festival walls throughout a dizzying array of high-profile high-energy events on the Riviera.
Of course, festivals are a dime-a-dozen and come in garden varieties.
The world's first major film festival was held in Venice in 1932 with major film festivals in Berlin and Moscow to follow on its heels.
The longest-running fest is - "The Edinburgh International Film Festival" - established in 1947.
North America threw its reels into the ring in 1953 - and with little fanfare - started up the Columbus International Film & Video Festival ("Chris Awards").
"The Chris Awards" - fifty-four years in the running now - primarily focus on documentaries, educational films, and business and informational competitions in the U.S.
When the San Francisco International Film Festival was launched in March 1957, the festival played a major role in introducing foreign films to avid American audiences. In the initial year of screenings, film-goers were delighted to thrill to the captivating original works of Akira Kurosawa (Throne of Blood) and Satyajit Ray (Pather Panchali).
Film Festivals often showcase films in one or more movie theaters during their runs. So, you may have to dash helter-skelter all over town to keep up. Most offerings are recent, and include major international releases, as well as those made outside a country's established film industry.
A particular genre (film noir) or type (documentaries) may have a drawing power for a specific audience that promoters will utilize to their advantage to get film enthusiasts in the door.
Some Fests have a definite mission, although they may stray from it without notice.
Sundance notes on their site,
"Sundance Institute is a year-round non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Individual donations to Sundance Institute support theatre, film, and music artists. The community of supporters help these artists navigate the challenges of creating new work and see their projects succeed. Individual donors support the Institute by making general contributions, providing program specific support, purchasing tables and tickets to the annual Gala in New York, or by joining the Patron Circle."
Other festivals of note include the - "The Toronto Film Festival” - which is centered around upscale Yorkville (once a hippie hangout before the yuppies moved in) where trendy alfresco cafes, luxury hotels, and VIP movie theatres (they serve popcorn and soft drinks ringside in your comfy high-back leather seats) lure the big whales in.
There has been a lot more focus on mainstream Hollywood films over the past decade; but, the Festival has not forgotten its roots in the independent vein.
TTFF - as it is known, features retrospectives of National cinemas, individual directors, and highlights of Canadian cinema - along with a veritable staple of African, South American, and Asian films.
The festival is considered a place to listen for "Oscar-buzz".
It's great organizers open their doors wide and permit first-timers to unveil their fledgling projects, and likewise, provide a forum so that newcomers can rustle up much-needed feedback.
But, is that what's unfolding these days around the circuit?
Last week - promoters of the "Backlot Festival" complained that some filmmakers weren't showing up for their own screenings - let alone hanging around to take in the labors of love screened by their peers.
Young auteurs these days are more focused on landing a spot at a prominent Film Festival. If luck and timing is on their side, they may garner a coveted prize, to tack on their film resume as a noteworthy credit.
The Icing on the cake?
Just maybe, a young maverick can rustle up a distribution deal or additional funding to blitz the heck out of his "baby".
Feedback? Forget-about-it!!!
In some cases - some constructive criticism would have been a Godsend to a handful of the slip-shod producers I've crossed paths with - believe me.
For example, one project at the Backlot ("Roses in April") was a friggin' mess.
The production values were poor and the editing equally lousy.
The narrative - what there was of it - was lost in a tangle of clichés and what-ifs.
Although the young director took a novel approach in a couple of scenes - which signaled her potential as a "film artist" - a few innovative visually-stunning minutes on screen do not a film make!
About a quarter of the way into the screening "Roses" turned into a thorny proposition.
Undoubtedly - the first-time-outer would have benefited from some honest input from friends, fellow filmmakers, show organizers - you name it.
So, there goes another pile of celluloid onto the old scrap heap, because it's doubtful it will even make it to DVD.
In my view, Festivals should be a breeding ground for artists.
For instance, a hotspot where creative folks can unveil their projects, engage in a meaningful dialogue, and explore the artistic temperament in a purposeful, nurturing, and satisfying way.
In such a forum - filmmakers have an insightful opportunity to discuss the latest trends (leading-edge developments in the industry, for example), or mull over new product (like camera gear and film stock) with fellow shooters.
Chit-chatting about the skuttle-butt - and the "who's who" and "what's what" - is a great way for industry-newcomers to fathom ways to survive in an ever-growing filmmaking landscape now predominated by innovations in rich media.
The goal?
To nurture and develop the talent and improve the product for market.
Curiously, "Roses" did create some dialogue, albeit unexpectedly.
When the young director chose to feature a photographic still of a child playing in the nude, the organizers of the Backlot Film Festival were stridently opposed to showcasing the poster (after labeling the image "porno").
Ha! What nonsense.
I studied the Mapplethorpe case in the days when the key legal issues were relevant - and more recently - the Robin Sharpe case in Canada (Sharpe was a neighbor of mine in Kitsilano, B.C. years ago) and am quite cognizant about what constitutes "art" verses "porno".
Essentially, the argument boils down to this.
Is the image being used to exploit the subject in a sexual way or to satisfy prurient interests?
In the case of "Roses" - an image depicting the innocence of a child - can hardly be construed as pornographic by any stretch of the imagination.
Look to the HOWL litigation for further guidance.
In that landmark case - where the issue of obscenity was raised in respect to poet Allen Ginsberg's literary work ("Howl") - Judge Horn (who presided over the case) was inclined to set a few guidelines for future cases on obscenity after dismissing the criminal charges.
For instance, in his opinion he wrote,
"If material has the slightest redeeming social importance it is not obscene because it is protected by the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution."
A second legal finding is my favorite,
"In considering material claimed to be obscene remember the all-important motto: honi soit qui mal y pense."
Or, in plain old English, "Evil to him who Evil thinks".
In the hands of the "Backlot Film Festival" committee, censorship would have a chilling effect on artistic expression in the community at large.
In the final analysis, that's what determines if a festival is relevant and highly regarded - prestigious, in fact - or just one of many bogged down in a smattering of mediocrity.
Artists should strive for the higher ground, in my estimation.
As Buck Rodgers once said,
"There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity."
Red Carpet glamour pose...