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Your Guide to Film Festivals

By Yvette Fernandez

‘Tis the season of film festivals and all through the city, while blockbusters reign supreme, at a few venues, “non-Hollywood” fare can also be seen.

For film lovers, these festivals are like getting a gift from someone who took the time and effort to make it by hand—rather than a present from someone you know shopped on line: made a couple of mouse clicks, charged it and hit send. Sure you still get a present, but there’s a world of difference in personal sentiment.

Don’t get me wrong—we are still talking about the Hollywood staple: films. And the fanfare is always a show. The closing night gala at the American Film Institute’s International Film Fest (November) here in Los Angeles was truly a show. The film, “Curse of the Golden Flower,” was a visually stunning epic, introduced by its world-famous director, Zhang Yimou and flanked by stars: Chow Yun Fat and the beautiful Gong Li.

Then at other festivals, movie-goers can still get the Hollywood show but with an added element: where “movie stars,” somehow seem more like working actors pursuing their craft as they tout their latest labor of love. Often they are on hand to introduce and discuss their film.

Film festivals are a great platform for seeing films that don’t follow the same predictable, 1-2-3 story structure formula of Hollywood films. They also present diverse viewpoints whether they be: ethnic, cultural or gender-based. For “specialty audiences,” film festivals are the only oases in the celluloid desert. As for Documentaries, although an emerging genre, they are still difficult to find in mainstream outlets.

At the L.A. Latino Film Festival (October), I had the opportunity to see a variety of cinematic projects, I would not have seen elsewhere: Movies in English, Spanish, Portuguese and a wonderful combination of languages. I was impressed with the growing number of documentaries on the lineup—a favorite genre for me. A great accomplishment was the presentation of a special segment of documentaries all dealing with different aspects of the prominent issue of: Immigration. One in particular stood out to me, “De Nadie,” which addressed Mexico’s migrant dilemma with its southern neighbor countries.

Documentaries have the ability to be educational without being scholastic—thereby insighting that simple, but elusive thought among the audience of: “I didn’t know that.” For me, that documentary was the Argentinean documentary: “Chagas: A Hidden Affliction.” Chagas is a deadly disease affecting poverty-stricken communities. Transmitted by an insect, it slowly (over some twenty years) kills the person by eating away at the internal organs.

One of the most interesting experiences for film audiences is the behind-the-scenes access. Film fanatics get to hear from the filmmakers themselves, exactly what it took to complete their projects. It’s always an effervescent discussion as audiences find out how filmmakers took loans out against their homes to finance their film or the incredible obstacles they faced. As a filmmaker who has had the opportunity to participate in film festivals, aside from the public screening of your work, this Q & A session is an incredibly validating experience.

If you ever have an opportunity to just be in the mix, the discussions are fascinating. I enjoyed the lively banter between composers who talked of their “journey.” One composer shared a story about living downtown next to a guy who collected war surplus items. The Vietnam-era hippie was making microphones out of pipes and grenade casings. To this day, that composer boasts about his unique microphone and how the struggling street man is now a wealthy businessman who makes audio equipment. What’s more I had the privilege of using this microphone!

There are literally hundreds of film festivals all over the world. Not as well known as the premiere festivals: Sundance, Berlin and Cannes; but there are plenty that offer unique opportunities for audiences to be exposed to new artistic discoveries and diverse expressions. In Los Angeles alone there is rarely a time when you cannot attend a film festival. There are plenty of festivals that are focused on certain ethnic groups and subgroups: Asian, African-American, Chicano and many others. And new venues continue to emerge, like the New First Annual Cross Cultural Film Fest held in LA earlier this year.

For those of us with an ethnic background we know the pride associated with seeing an artistic work that represents us and the changing society in which we live. As people of diversity, lets spread that pride by learning about other communities and bringing a friend with us to share that journey.