[Filmfestivalresearch] Size matters

Mon Sep 23 15:10:03 CEST 2013

Thanks Dina.
I think Greg hit the nail on the head with his line about taking time to
"look up".

Mike

On Mon, Sep 23, 2013 at 12:54 PM, Dina Iordanova <
dina.iordanova at st-andrews.ac.uk> wrote:

> Dear Greg, Richard, Mike and all,
>
> There are several things that I want to react to in what seems to have
> become an interesting exchange.
>
> 1. Greg, thanks for listing the main sources of festival information.
> Surely these are very interesting and important sources for current info
> for us to follow. And, of course, each publication features the
> information from point of view of the needs of its perceived audience.
> However, we need to be conscious that there is no publication that caters
> for the needs of those who research festivals -- but as this is a
> relatively small community, I doubt the need for a periodical publication
> of such type. All that is important in my opinion is to be aware that
> there is no periodical that approaches matters from this point of view. If
> I stand to be corrected, I would like to hear about it.
>
> 2. Richard, over the years I have been reading festival reports in the
> Cineaste, Sight and Sound and a range of other cinephile publications. All
> these reports are structured in a similar way and try to do two things in
> one go -- on the one hand there is a report on the festival
> format/sidebars/architecture/politics/ aesthetic vision, followed by
> discussion of the concrete films these presented on the other. Over the
> years, I have come to see this format as inherently flawed as it covers
> two issues that are not hugely compatible. If festival format was covered
> separately from the films, I think we would know more of the way festivals
> work and on the important role they play within film culture at large. If
> these two things -- container and content -- were explored separately, we
> would have better insights. I am writing more about this in the
> introduction to the new Film Festival Reader which is just out. Critics
> writing on festivals -- such as Nick Roddick or Marc Cousins -- who have
> written pieces on festivals only without commenting on specific films,
> have given us most insights. I am particularly saddened, in this context,
> to see Nick Roddick's Mr. Busy column disappear from the pages of Sight
> and Sound.
>
> 3. Mike -- indeed Screen International today is a shadow of its former
> self. I must say that a great deal of my understanding of the way
> festivals operate has come  from faithfully reading SI during the years
> when you were the editor. This was the period of the absurd rushed demise
> of MIFED and of some important reconfigurations on the festival scene
> alongside the entry of new distribution patterns. I hope, therefore, that
> the issues of SI from this period will remain as an important source for
> festival research. One example only -- reading your annual survey of
> 'festival-hoppers' where you were asking about 40-50 festival insiders to
> tell you which festivals they go to, which ones they find value for money,
> which fests are too expensive, and to which ones they go for the food
> mainly (in this category San Sebastian was routinely coming on top) has
> given me more insights into festivals than many texts written with the
> specific intention to highlight the festivals galaxy. I surely miss your
> vision for this publication. Thank you!
>
> Dina
>
>
>
> Prof. Dina Iordanova FRSA
> Chair in Film Studies
> Director, Centre for Film Studies
> Publisher, St. Andrews Film Studies
> University of St. Andrews, Scotland
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> On 22/09/2013 02:17, "Greg DeCuir" <gdecuir at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >Dear Michael:
> >
> >I understand everything you're saying and agree. It wasn't really my
> >intention to attack or question the trades. I know their function well
> >and appreciate it for what it is. I worked in Hollywood for 10 years and
> >the first thing I did every morning at my desk was read Variety from
> >cover to cover. The second thing I did was read the Hollywood Reporter
> >from cover to cover. Plus I originally come from a journalism background,
> >so I know what it means to write for a wide audience and to service an
> >industry, to pound a beat. Nothing inherently lazy about hitting
> >deadlines at all. I think it's easy for us researchers to be insular at
> >times and look askew on anything that doesn't adhere to our rigorous
> >standards. We get caught up in our world and I often wonder if we spend
> >too much time talking to ourselves, preaching to the choir, so to speak.
> >But also, particularly those of us in film festival studies, we tend to
> >wear a lot of hats. There are a lot of sites of
> > convergence. Many of us research, but also program, perhaps also write
> >journalistic pieces, or even make films and videos. A sensitivity to this
> >fluidity is key. Indeed, the connections are important. And I always try
> >to remember one of the best pieces of advice I ever received regarding my
> >writing and research: look up.
> >
> >Best,
> >
> >Greg
> >
> >
> >
> >________________________________
> > From: Michael Gubbins <michael.gubbins at gmail.com>
> >To: Greg DeCuir <gdecuir at yahoo.com>
> >Cc: "filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org"
> ><filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org>
> >Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 1:54 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Filmfestivalresearch] Size matters
> >
> >
> >
> >Greg,
> >As a former editor of Screen International and Screen Daily, I think it
> >is important to understand the position of the trade press.
> >The trades are in Toronto and at other festivals and markets as
> >representatives of their industry subscribers, not as means of explaining
> >the festival to the wider world.
> >At the markets, their business model is predicated on convincing those in
> >sales and distribution to advertise their films in their daily papers,
> >based on a critical mass of industry readers at the event.
> >This role is central to Screen International's existence.
> >Beyond the festivals, it has to keep up international subscriber levels,
> >largely by covering the subjects that interest those subscribers.
> >Sometimes those issues can seem superficial. I can tell you though that
> >screening times and the workload at festivals are very high on the agenda.
> >For researchers, the importance of Screen and Variety may be in the way
> >that they reflect the superficial concerns of the industry, rather than
> >any inherent laziness.
> >Having said that, you do allude to an important point. The business model
> >was once based on print advertising, which paid for higher staffing
> >levels, allowing more critics to go to festivals and more journalists in
> >more places able to look in more depth at issues that we felt the
> >industry ought to be more concerned about.
> >When I was editor (2004-2009), Screen was a weekly publication and now it
> >is a monthly.
> >As Greg rightly points out, there are great benefits in the breadth and
> >range of publications now available to researchers.
> >And speaking as a supporter of the growing body of brilliant academic
> >work on film festivals, the work of people in this forum is adding really
> >valuable knowledge.
> >Perhaps the key issue is the connection between the industry and these
> >new sources of knowledge.
> >In drawing conclusions about publications, it is necessary to remember
> >that Screen and Variety exist because the industry thinks they are
> >essential, and remember they have influence, even if you question their
> >insight.
> >
> >Michael Gubbins
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 7:53 PM, Greg DeCuir <gdecuir at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>It depends where you look. Not all of it is superficial. Maybe Screen
> >>Daily can be at times, ditto for Variety - but Variety is the classic
> >>model for superficial entertainment journalism. It's more about trade
> >>news and insider speak than anything else. Indiewire is a different
> >>story. They have a lot of great content and great writers, and many
> >>affiliated with the academic world are peppered throughout the various
> >>pages. Then you can take a publication like MUBI Notebook as another
> >>example. They publish a lot of hardcore theory-cognizant film criticism,
> >>also mixed with academic writers, and their festival coverage is
> >>excellent if a bit in a poetic and crusading journalistic style. Film
> >>Comment publishes a lot of great online festival coverage from many of
> >>the usual suspects, as does Cineaste.Ditto for Artforum, but they tend
> >>to play the snooty/sarcastic role a bit too heavily. There is a new
> >>online journal called The Dissolve that has a lot of detailed
> >> and smart writing, with some in-depth festival coverage. The only
> >>academically-inclined resource I will mention is NECSUS, which has a
> >>dedicated festival review section edited by our very own Skadi Loist and
> >>Marijke de Valck. Of course there are more. For example, Senses of
> >>Cinema flirts with both sides of the boundary, and they have great
> >>festival coverage. And forget about mentioning the various blogs run by
> >>both professional journalists and academics alike.
> >>
> >>
> >>It's a golden age. Whatever (and whoever) you want is out there for the
> >>finding.
> >>
> >>Best,
> >>
> >>Greg de Cuir, Jr
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________
> >> From: Dina Iordanova <dina.iordanova at st-andrews.ac.uk>
> >>To: "filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org"
> >><filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org>
> >>Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 4:31 PM
> >>Subject: Re: [Filmfestivalresearch] Size matters
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>Great to see these references -- thanks Ger and Skadi.
> >>
> >>But I admit -- reading all this stuff, the Screen Daily, Variety,
> >>Indiewire etc. -- which is undoubtedly essential for us to follow, also
> >>leaves me routinely underwhelmed. These guys are always saying valid
> >>things and their observations are valid. But it is just leaving me
> >>wanting
> >>for some more depth. It is all extremely superficial -- perhaps the
> >>format
> >>does not allow for anything else?
> >>
> >>The Archival Film Festivals book which we recently released has a great
> >>interview with Tom Luddy -- check it out. I think it says more about
> >>Telluride's special position on the calendar than many other texts I have
> >>seen.
> >>
> >>Jeff, are you subscribing to this list? You must have been at Telluride
> >>just recently. Maybe you will say something for the benefit of all of us?
> >>
> >>Dina
> >>
> >>Prof. Dina Iordanova FRSA
> >>Chair in Film Studies
> >>Director, Centre for Film Studies
> >>Publisher, St. Andrews Film Studies
> >>University of St. Andrews, Scotland
> >>
> >>--
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>On 20/09/2013 15:21, "Skadi Loist" <skadi at filmfestivalresearch.org>
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>>And here was another one chipping in on the Telluride positioning...
> >>>
> >>>How the Telluride Film Festival Cheats the System
> >>>by Eric Kohn
> >>>
> http://www.indiewire.com/article/how-the-telluride-film-festival-cheats-
> >>>th
> >>>e-
> >>>system
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>--
> >>>Skadi Loist
> >>>Co-Founder / Admin
> >>>Film Festival Research Network (FFRN)
> >>>www.filmfestivalresearch.org
> >>>skadi at filmfestivalresearch.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> >>>Von: Filmfestivalresearch
> >>>[mailto:filmfestivalresearch-bounces at listcultures.org] Im Auftrag von
> >>>ger
> >>>zielinski, ph.d.
> >>>Gesendet: Freitag, 20. September 2013 15:52
> >>>An: filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org
> >>>Betreff: Re: [Filmfestivalresearch] Size matters
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Very interesting, Dina. This one caught my eye earlier "Can Telluride
> >>>Continue to Steal Venice and Toronto¹s Thunder?" by Peter Debruge.
> >>>
> http://variety.com/2013/film/news/telluride-film-festival-wrap-2013-osca
> >>>rs
> >>>-1
> >>>200596759/
> >>>
> >>>All kinds of issues and claims going on.
> >>>
> >>>cheers, ger
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 8:19 AM, Dina Iordanova <
> >>>dina.iordanova at st-andrews.ac.uk> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Dear all,
> >>>>
> >>>> Over the past days Screen Daily run an interesting exchange which I
> >>>> think would be of interest to people subscribing to this list.
> >>>>
> >>>> See Wendy Mitchell's article Toronto, Just Too Big
> >>>>
> http://www.screendaily.com/comment/toronto-just-too-big/5060444.articl
> >>>> e
> >>>>
> >>>> And artistic director Cameron Bailey response:
> >>>> http://www.screendaily.com/5060507.article
> >>>>
> >>>> Dina
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Prof. Dina Iordanova FRSA
> >>>> Chair in Film Studies
> >>>> Director, Centre for Film Studies
> >>>> Publisher, St. Andrews Film Studies
> >>>> University of St. Andrews, Scotland
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Filmfestivalresearch mailing list
> >>>> Filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org
> >>>>
> >>>>
> http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/filmfestivalresearch_listcult
> >>>> ures.org
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>--
> >>>Ger Zielinski, PhD
> >>>Assistant Professor of Film and Media
> >>>Cultural Studies Department
> >>>Catherine Parr Traill College, Scott House 202 Trent University 300
> >>>London
> >>>Street Peterborough, ON K9H 7P4 Canada
> >>>
> >>>T: +1 705 748 1011 X6113 (Office: Catherine Parr Traill College, Wallis
> >>>Hall
> >>>113)
> >>>F: +1 705 748 1826
> >>>http://trentu.ca/culturalstudies/Zielinski.php
> >>>_______________________________________________
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> >>>Filmfestivalresearch at listcultures.org
> >>>
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> >>>es
> >>>.o
> >>>rg
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
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> >>
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> >>s.org
> >>
> >
> >
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