With the election behind us—finally—we can finally exhale—focus on the future!
These are exciting times for the Atlanta Film Festival.
Our 2009 dates are set: April 16-26.
ATL Film Fest crowds mingle outside the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, and nosh at Apres Diem
Our venue is locked: Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.
Filmmakers Danielle Bernstein & Anne Slick (When Clouds Clear) at the Independent between screenings
Our Call for Entries is open: Friday 11/7 marks the next graduated Without a Box deadline—so the time to submit is NOW!
If early returns are any indication, we’re headed towards a record year for submissions!
Here’s some valuable feedback from last year’s festival from Chris Holland:
When it comes to movies, ATL FF (under the watchful eye of programmer Dan Krovich) strikes out on its own, apparently drawing from its pool of submissions more often than relying on crowd pleasers from larger fests. Some of the usual suspects were in the program—American Teen and Son of Rambow can hardly be considered “undiscovered”—but for the most part the lineup feels cultivated for the Atlanta audience. Locally-made (Rome, GA) horror comedy Dance of the Dead packed three screenings and Southern-interest doc ‘Bama Girl earned an additional screening after a strong first night. This is good news for submitting filmmakers, particularly those with local ties or with pics of special interest to a Southern audience. The fest’s homegrown “Teen Screen” and “Rapid I Movement” segments make for programming unique to Atlanta.
The festival is not without its quirks—post-flick Q&As can be a bit awkward without proper lighting or PA systems and films can jump from theater to theater without warning. (Confusing but hardly fatal when the alternative venue is a few yards away.) (Note: We’ve heeded Chris’ advise here, and have already hired an A/V specialist with Festival Experience to address lighting, mic, and other technical concerns which perpetually dog underfunded film festivals.) More important, however, are the fest’s growing pains: how do you add more opulence, attract more prominent filmmakers, and bring in bigger crowds without sacrificing the intimate vibe that current participants seem to enjoy so much? I don’t have an answer, but I think the tight-knit bunch at the Atlanta Film Festival do. I look forward to finding out at future ATL fests.
What Chris is hinting at regarding growth is our ambitious Strategic Plan, on which we’ve been working all year, and which will be officially unveiled in early 2009!
I’ve already pimped Chris’ book on this blog once—but it stands to reason that many good folks out there haven’t yet heard of his book “Film Festival Secrets” which is on sale now, because, well, it’s kind of a secret.
But like my man, the Masked Magician, who took the Illusionist world by storm a few year’s back by blowing all of Magic’s Greatest Secrets Chris has unlocked the key strategies to a successful film festival run.
Unlike some other books, filled with tired, outdated information, “Film Festival Secrets” is current, and chock full o’ nuggets o’ wisdom.
Buy this book.
(Or download it for free...what do I care.)
Many folks have said today they are proud to be American. My pride in the U.S. has never wavered—though my patience has been tested severely over the past few years.
My Old School
What I am proud of is the fact that I’m an Alum of Bard College…and here’s why:
Bard President Leon Botstein sent the following message today to all faculty and staff at Bard, and asked that the Alumni/ae Office share it with you as well:
To the Bard College Community:
I want to thank all the members of the Bard community, particularly on the Annandale campus but also those on all our campuses and in all our programs, who made possible such an extensive participation by students, faculty, and staff in this year’s presidential election. I particularly want to thank the student leadership, the Dean of Students office, and Jonathan Becker for their work.
I would be less than candid if I did not also express my enormous pride in the outcome. I think it is not an exaggeration to say that for all Americans, including myself, an immigrant to this country as a child, this is an eloquent and moving vindication of America’s promise and potential. From the point of view of those of us committed to education and excellence, and to reconciling the democratic necessity of access to education with the task of ensuring that the education we provide to all is of the highest quality, this day is truly remarkable.
Achieving a high degree of excellence through hard work and ambition is a path available to all. When discipline and ambition are integrated with idealism—whether in the sciences or the arts—and a sense of civic duty, we have the essential components for a free society and for progress. The danger inherent in contemporary mass democracy has always been the potential for manipulation through mediocrity, conformism, intolerance, and an inflexible populism that contains resentment of learning and educational excellence.
The American people have rejected this path. I believe it is a non-partisan statement to assert that this election is not only a tribute to American ideals but also to the importance and centrality of education, and the role that institutions of education which aspire to the highest ideals and standards can play. The victors in the 2008 election are the potential power of knowledge and inquiry, of intellectual curiosity and courage, and finally, the virtues of civility, tolerance, and humility that mark the highest achievements in scholarship, teaching, research, performance, the making of art, and public service.
Once again, I want to thank all of you for participating in the political process and for helping Bard College play its role as a place where culture, critical inquiry, and service to education thrive on behalf of the common good.
Leon Botstein
This, and of course the fact that he went face to face with Colbert:
I recently got an email from the folks at Full Frame, and it seems they’ve updated their logo.
From:
To:
I find the revision odd choice, considering the look of Hot Docs (which also features a dialog bubble) in the “o”.
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