Film festivals have mushroomed over the years and even quite small towns host them. For people in the film industry, they are a terrific way of networking and it’s an opportunity for independent filmmakers to showcase their creations. They also benefit the local economy and give the public the chance to see films not normally distributed to the multiplex cinemas.
| |
StarReviews Top 3
Movie Ticket Websites |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Cannes Film Festival however, is a private affair, and the attendance of celebrities makes it the most famous
film event. Founded in 1946 and normally organized in May, every director wants to win the coveted Palm d’Or (Golden Palm) award for Best Film. Previous winners include 'Taxi Driver', 'Apocalypse Now', and 'Pulp Fiction'. The largest independent
film festival in the USA is the
Sundance Festival, which comes around every January with most screenings taking place at the Sundance ski resort in Utah. It began as the
Utah/US Film Festival in 1978 with Robert Redford as the Chairperson.
Sundance is famous for giving several directors their career breakthrough, including Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderberg.
The oldest
film festival in the world is the
Venice Festival, which takes place in late August or early September. Founded in 1932, the most prestigious award is the Golden Lion for Best Film.
The Berlin Film Festival, running since 1951 and organized in February, awards Golden Bears for Best Film. The longest continually run
film festival in the world is in Edinburgh, Scotland. This June festival was founded in 1947 and is the most prestigious one in the UK.
There are some unusual
festivals across the world. Many of them have a loyal following, particularly in remote areas where there isn’t a cinema. Films are shown in different locations, wherever a screen can be temporarily installed.
The Midnight Sun Film Festival in June takes place in Sodankyla in Lapland, Finland. This is for the true
film lover! Films are shown without a break throughout the day and night for five days whilst the sun continually shines. The actress, Tilda Swinton is responsible for another unusual
film festival. She created the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams Festival in 2008 in the market town of Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, where she is a resident. Films were shown in the old bingo hall. In August of 2009, she helped to organise the
Pilgrimage Film Festival. This involved taking a portable cinema around the little Highland villages, pulling it with ropes for part of the way, before arriving in Nairn for the culmination of the festival.
Film festivals will happen wherever there is a demand for good cinema, even in the absence of conventional facilities. Blockbuster movies and distribution through multi-screen chains may prevail but there is a real desire for an alternative. Festivals show features, shorts, and documentaries. Some of these will go on to mainstream success. Funding for
filmmakers is all-important for the future and the festivals play a vital part in promoting our love of cinema.