Most film festivals promote themselves with some variation on the following sales pitch:
Come to the Brand X Festival where you can discover a wealth of cinema from all over the world, the likes of which rarely, if ever, grace the screens of your local multiplex.
Trouble is, the come-on's no longer true.
As the evidenced by the panoply of these
gracing most posters and trailers, there is increasingly only one small pool of "independent" films that run through the international circuit of high-profile festivals.
So festivals are now, largely, a stop on the way to the multiplex, rather than an outlet for otherwise-neglected material.
A friend who shall remain nameless recently relayed the following surreal conversation he had with the programmer of an internationally recognized festival of great stature. My friend reps a number of independent films and so, in this capacity, had the following conversation. It went something like this.
Mr. Rep: Have you had a chance to view films X, Y and Z yet?
Ms. Programmer: Not quite. But soon. I promise. It's just been insane this year. But, listen, regarding Film Y...
Mr. Rep: Yes?
Ms. Programmer: Well, I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, so I probably shouldn't say this but... Do you think you could guarantee an appearance at the festival by Actress A [insert name of somewhat famous actress with several big box office hits under her belt] if we were to play the film?
Mr. Rep: Well, I don't know. I mean, as you know, Actress A only narrates the film (which is a documentary) and she's not actually in it--
Ms. Programmer: I know, I know... but it's just. I know if you could guarantee she'd actually make an appearance, we'd get a huge spread in the paper.
Mr. Rep: I'll see what I can do.
The situation is dire for those of us hell-bent on following our gut and working outside the system with unknown (but enormously gifted) talent. I have been told countless times that if my latest film had a bigger name in it, it would be programmed here or there in a flash.
(For more on this, topic, see David Licata's post: Starring: Haaz Sleiman....)
There was a time when film festivals offered a safe harbor where films could be seen without the influence of the celebrity-obsessed media machine. Where quality trumped everything else. This is no longer true... if it ever was.
If film festivals are going to behave like media whores, then I say, fine. Just please stop marketing yourselves as public servants. You can't have it both ways!
