Towards a Re-Envisioning of Film Festivals

Towards a Re-Envisioning of Film Festivals

Despite doubts of the continuing success of film festivals, the current state indicates that they are thriving. According to one study conducted by Stephen Follows, over 3000 film festivals have run at least once in the past two years and around 75% of those were founded in the past 10 years. These doubts are seemingly founded in the fear that movie theaters (in their current state) may become obsolete themselves with the increase of new media outlets, online streaming, and personal viewing devices.

Additionally, there is a growing divide between festivals designed to show films to new audiences versus those that are strictly for business and people already in the industry. A business festival is something like Cannes, in which all of the screenings are private and are purely to allow buyers and journalists to decide whether a film will make the cut to be purchased and lauded. Audience festivals, like the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) allow individuals from the public to purchase tickets to see the films as they premiere and show.

However, rather than debating the politics of film festivals, there needs to be a fundamental re-design of the way we think film festivals should be structured. Today, festivals are typically structured around screenings. The EIFF, for example has a large number of screenings for press only and then screens each film 2 additional times for the public. These public screenings will sometimes include Q&As after with some variation on cast and crew who could attend. Then there are a series of other secondary events that can be industry specific (for example, speed-dating pitching of film ideas) or open to the public (panels and discussions with film-makers.)

The difficulty of a film festival is that one of the ultimate goals is to see the films – a time consuming and, often, cumbersome activity that is increasingly outdated. If, however, the festival were to provide the films for streaming beforehand and then allow people to come to the festival for discussions, talks, and Q&As about the films it could prove to be a more successful endeavor. You have to have a strong presence and engagement with the public in order to have an industry.
A different Edinburgh festival provides an example of this model, albeit from a different medium,  the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Here you do not go to the festival expecting to read books. You go to hear people speak in more depth on specific topics and about their creative processes or research techniques. While you may listen to a reading, this is to hear specific people read it, not just to absorb the text. There can be events for experts and novices alike, typically with the assumption, however, that some form of shared reading list is what led people to the event itself. Providing a viewing list or screening prior to the actual film festival could be the equivalent in film. Then, the festival would consist of an expansion upon the creative aspects (that are sometimes lost) and the discussions that the films provoke.