How Films Are Similar To Bridal Gowns

For a film festival program director, choosing the right films for a given year's line-up is like what choosing the perfect bridal gown is to a prospective bride. You get to look at so many gowns; you try some on... you get a second opinion, maybe even a third or fourth. You may put styles and trends into perspective or you may trust your gut instinct, but ultimately, you have to make one final choice, and that choice is yours alone (or in the case of a film festival, the selected films may have been the final choices of a programming committee). Whatever the case, your choice will not necessarily be perceived as the "perfect" one, as the same gown may be one person's 'dream dress' and another's 'most repulsive nightmare.' Same rules apply to films, for the most part, with some added stress originating from some of the filmmakers whose films were not selected.

I recently received an e-mail from a filmmaker who submitted his most current project to our film festival, and in that e-mail, the filmmaker intensely described how he felt that his film would be perfect for our event and that, based on our previous years' program line-ups, he just "knew" that we would select his project or that at the very least, we "should." He went on to describe how he was so unimpressed with those festivals who rejected his project, but may have programmed other films that had played alongside his film at some other festivals, adding that "I guess it depends on which programming guys you know personally." I must admit, I was a little stirred by that notion. I'm not sure how different film festivals may arrive at their final program line-up, but I'm certain about our approach, and that filmmaker's statement began to feel more and more manipulative as I thought about it again.

I replied to his e-mail, assuring him that the subjective nature of programming a film festival often forces some choices that may not necessarily be affiliated with the quality of a project. There are many variables to consider, and these may sometimes include subject matter, running time, or prior exposure. When trying to measure the overall impact of a program line-up, the programming director must try to find an appropriate balance of factors that ensure a most effective showcase of projects, without losing focus on what the film festival's primary mission is. In an effort to adhere to this philosophy, the programming director may have to sacrifice a dramatic project in favor of a comedic one; or perhaps a feature length work in favor of two short subjects; and finally, he may choose to include a film that very few people may have seen within a certain region, instead of that one project that has played at 157 other film festivals, has won 300 awards, and already has several distribution options on the table. What good would exposure overkill serve for either the filmmaker or the film festival?

Later that week, he sent in a follow-up e-mail, apologizing for his tone on his previous correspondence. Again, I replied with a simple thank you note that reaffirmed my personal convictions on how we program our event. A few weeks later, final decisions were reached. I happened to like his film and felt that our Selection Committee should view it a second time before casting its votes, but in a final ballot count, I was outvoted and the film was ultimately not accepted to our line-up. Well... suffice it to say that his reply to this decision was not amongst the kindest of e-mails. But, then again, I do appreciate the discomfort that a 'rejection' letter coming from a film festival may cause and how that might trigger someone to write an immediate response that is tinged with anger, and in this particular case, condescending remarks. I could have continued to fire back with my own retort, but what good would that do?

At weddings there's always someone who is whispering to someone else that the bride's dress is "atrocious," while the bride is having a most wonderful day in her dream gown that so many other people are complimenting. Ultimately, no matter what any programming committee decides to do with your project, you must continue your journey of trying as many different options as you can to show it to as many people as possible... because, like that bridal gown, your project is a realization of your dreams and no critic or jury can ever take that from you.

Welcome to Domani Visionfest!

VISIONFEST: The Other Festival promotes domestic filmmaking. All of the works showcased at VISIONFEST are created by U.S. filmmakers and by production entities that are based solely in the United States. The projects may be shot on international locations and have globally relevant storylines, but their origin must be rooted in the U.S.

VISIONFEST exists to provide an exhibition forum for the American auteur; one that is specialized and focused; one that does not dilute the presence of U.S. films within a sea of international product.