My first film festival experience was last year up in Madison, and the experience was so satisfying that my ultimate regret was not getting more tickets for even more movies. I especially enjoyed it because of the realization that ‘film festival’ films, regardless of whether they are released in home cinema format later on (many of which aren’t and are still currently unavailable a year after the 2008 Wisconsin Fest), have a whole different vibe to them, especially when viewed with a bunch of like-minded film fans in a theater that isn’t in a multiplex, in a place where movies might not even be shown on a regular basis. So this year I eagerly anticipated the release of the multi-page 2009 film festival schedule and actually planned to take precious personal time hours from work to get up to Madison just to be able to see one more early evening screening that I would have been unable to see on a normal work schedule.
Planning a film festival experience that will allow you to find a decent seat and have meals in between takes some precision. Unfortunately, the notoriously unpredictable Upper Midwest winter/spring interim period of weather messed up a lot of my plans. Very ominous looking snow clouds appeared on the radar and warnings from my Madison friends convinced me to beat the sleet and drive home before viewing my final two movies I had scheduled… both from very interesting film-making countries, Korea and Denmark. Since last winter, when I was stuck driving slowly and under extreme duress on many icy highways between Madison and Chicago, I’ve become a weather wimp. It turns out that not a single flake or raindrop fell down after I left. Better safe than sorry, I guess, but geez louise, why do I even have to make bad weather traveling decisions in April!!
So because my saturated film-going experience was cut short, I immediately tried to administer remedies. First, since I got home much earlier than expected, I watched a selection from last year’s film festival that I didn’t see in Madison that was available to my on my Netflix instant online viewing service! Then I began to frantically search for other film festivals in the region to consider going to ASAP. That’s when I realized that however much I liked these kind of movies, there’s something unique about this film festival that makes it more attractive then fests in other places. First of all, when you buy in bulk, the price for a single screening comes down to only 6 bucks a show. Even taking out the two movies that I missed, I ended up paying $9.20 per screening, which is pretty much the going rate for any ordinary movie in Chicago and Rockford, let alone a one-time show of a rare movie that might never be accessible in the near future. Second, this film festival really helps you appreciate the design and beauty of the UW-Madison campus. Moving from venue to venue takes you across the stores and restaurants on State Street and through various plazas and campus architecture, and it’s also pretty amazing how many comfortable screening venues are located a close distance from one another. With a big research University comes access to a large handful of lecture halls and theaters that don't have the best soundsystems in the world, but nonetheless do offer a little variety and excitement. This year I happened to view all my movies in completely different venues that I had been in last year, and there are still two or three more screening spaces I still haven’t experienced. Other film festivals are essentially special screenings in existing theaters, with higher ticket costs to boot. The upcoming Latino Film Festival in Chicago is screening everything at the Landmark Century Theater, for example. But the conversion of these academic and stage spaces to a gathering point for students and film fans is fun, and it gives you many opportunities to take a break between shows and explore. Last year the weather was absolutely perfect for pre-film strolling, this year definitely not as much. I’m convinced that without this particular atmosphere for film viewing (not discounting the group viewing experience at any theater), I might as well have my own little film festivals combining Netflix streaming, Cable On Demand, and rented hard copy DVDs and Blu-Rays.
Minus the 2 full-length movies I missed (sob) I saw 2 narratives, 1 documentary, and 6 interesting short films this past weekend. I should also count my Sunday evening entry in my ongoing ‘supplemental’ film festival, which will include selections from the 2008 Wisconsin Film Festival that I now have access to with Netflix. So a one-film deficit for the weekend isn’t that devastating.
Brief reports on all my viewings shortly. I'm really satisfied with what I saw.
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