I’ve always been at a crossroads when it comes to being tasked with analyses that have agendas attached to them. On many occasions, I was instructed by financial executives to do post-mortems on movies and shows that had just taken six and seven-figure hits to their bottom lines for costs associated with entries into festivals. That would often happen when I’d be chastised for my five-figure expenses on research studies, which said executives didn’t look all that favorably upon, either.
But if you’re going to be in a business where public opinion is a determining factor on what actually does work, the cost of gaining visibility amongst peers and tastemakers that a disproportionately influential sector of that public eats up like gourmet popcorn is not negotiable. Especially since creatives value the chance to get such feedback as essential as any statistics anyone could put in front of them.
In a 2016 SCREENDAILY piece that asked the existential question “(w)hat’s the purpose of film festivals in the 21st Century?“, several impassioned defenses were offered. Among the more significant:
Olga Birzul, Programme Coordinator, Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ukraine
First of all, in the 21st Century we need festival diversity: in my perfect world, all of them should encourage the breadth and variety of views. Cinema is the most democratic art: it uses the most appropriate language for audiences and can be accessible almost everywhere because of the Internet. Film festivals can consolidate and maintain democracy, peace and freedom.
Victoria Leshchenko, Programme Coordinator, Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ukraine
It’s sharing. Thanks to global digitalization film festivals are now an exceptional tool for crossing the communication channels from the most distant places. Film festivals are helping at the frontline of an increasingly polarized world. Speaking multiple languages, they give you the ability to hear a rich diversity of voices from the divided areas. Whatever happens in the farthest place of the world, it occupies the festival screens within the next year.
Anna Bogutskaya, Festival Producer, Underwire Festival, UK
One of the key things film festivals have the power to do is provide a platform for films and filmmakers that don’t have the support of distributors and marketing campaigns behind them.
And a series of FAQs for a smaller festival attacked these issues in a still more matter-of-fact manne:
1. Expose independent cinema to new audiences
Most of the general public are bombarded with marketing messages about mainstream movies. A good festival shows films and related content that are resistant to the commercial pressures of the standard mainstream fare. It is through independent films made by independent voices that new ideas are expressed. A great film festival champions these ideals at its core.
2.Test screenings
Over the decades we have seen many filmmakers use the platform of our festival as a test screening. They attend and canvas the audience in much the same way as commercial film production companies test screen their films. After weighing and gauging the audience reaction at a film festival screening, the filmmaker may choose to re-edit their film prior to a commercial release.
3.Marketing exercise
The importance of film festivals to a filmmaker rests in the marketing nous of the film festival they attend.
Any filmmaker, large or small, needs to raise awareness of their film. Large studios use large-budgeted public relations and marketing campaigns out of the financial reach of an independent filmmaker.
So when creatives start spewing out those kind of words that are music to my ears, I pay attention.
And this just happens to be the time of year when these expenses and passions are out in full force. No less than three major exhibitions have been underway since last week, as VULTURE.com’s Bethy Squire reported yesterday:
It is once again film festival season at home and abroad. The Venice International Film Festival started last week, and Telluride got chugging along in Colorado shortly thereafter. Soon TIFF comes for the 6.
With Venice in the books, Squire used the metric of length of standing ovation to determine her “winners”. The medalists:
Maria: Bravas for 8.7 minutes
Vulture’s Alison Willmore found Angelina Jolie’s performance less-than-operatic, but the Venice crowd seemed to disagree. Jolie received nearly 9 minutes of adulation, before hopping on a plane to Telluride. Venice scheduled the film festival so that exes Jolie and Pitt wouldn’t even be in the same hemisphere on the same day.
I’m Still Here: Obrigado for the 10.3-minute ovation
The only record we have of I’m Still Here’s standing ovation is from Deadline, who counted 10 minutes and 20 seconds of applause for Walter Salles’ political drama.
The Brutalist: Adrien Brody soaked up 12.7 minutes of applause
So far the time to beat is for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. The trades counted between 12 and 13 minutes of applause for the sprawling story. The film is 3 1/2 hours, covers 33 years, and includes a 15-minute intermission. The ovation was nearly as long as the intermission(.)
The gorgeous backdrop of the Rocky Mountains is where the Telluride festival has taken place over this holiday weekend. DEADLINE’s Pete Hammond offered his list of those he felt were deserving of the ovations they got:
Conclave: A superbly crafted – in every respect – stunning dramatic achievement, this is the kind of well-regarded, praiseworthy adult drama that used to be a staple for studios but now is an increasingly rare bird.
The Friend: Scott McGehee and David Siegel have crafted a wonderfully human, quintessential New York movie that makes you realize Hollywood so rarely does this kind of thing anymore. One line pops up throughout the dramedy: “What happens to the dog?” Answer: His own morose heartbreak will also break yours.
Piece By Piece leaves you with hope and a whole bunch of songs you will not be able to get out of your head. Is it a documentary? A biopic? An animated movie? A musical? A character study? You bet – and more. Williams and Neville have taken it apart and put it all back together to perfection.
And ready to step into the breach beginning Friday is TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, and as I personally know there are few prettier places to be this time of year than on the shores of Lake Ontario. THE MOVIE BLOG’s Shah listed his most anticipated entries:
Saturday Night Is Hollywood Telling Hollywood Stories
The live sketch comedy show of Saturday Night Live! has been a staple of network TV for decades. But the well-oiled machine that launched some of the biggest names in comedy ever didn’t start out that way. The Jason Reitman-written and directed movie Saturday Night goes behind the scenes of the first-ever show, and how it all unfolded, despite, or due to the chaos of everything happening off camera.
Nightbitch Has A Lot Of Buzz
With a catchy title that immediately invokes interest, the movie is meant to be an exploration of motherhood, told from the eyes of a stay-at-home mother, whose isolation and loneliness leads to transforming into, something else. The odd and weird story promises a very interesting movie with a great cast.
Anora May Be A Hidden Gem Movie Of TIFF 2024
Sean Baker has given audiences some of the most intriguing and most talked about movies with films like Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket. And Anora looks like another great film that is fascinating and a great exploration of love and chaos and other drama that seemingly unfolds at a break-neck pace. Anora may be another Baker hit, and TIFF 2024 is the perfect place for this movie to premiere.
Few of these films portend to be significant moneymakers, though there are admittedly outliers every now and then. From the cursory reviews, most of these seem to be fit for the exotic venues and the stunning people that get to grace them than for the typical mallrat or couch potato.
But compared to recent years filled with news of strikes and lockdowns, it’s more than a little refreshing for some good old-fashioned hype to rise to the occasion, especially when those impacted by it seem to support that it’s a viable petri dish to incubate how to message this better to those who will eventually consume them at some point.
Party on, folks.
Until next time…