1. Film Festivals: The Long View

Several scholars and critics have devised models, suggested concepts and applied theories that offer general frames for understanding film festivals. Primary challenges faced by early festival studies were to differentiate between types of festivals, disentangle the multifaceted phenomenon into researchable parts, and identify distinctive functions and characteristics. The books, dissertations and articles in this category are characterized by an interdisciplinary orientation and, in this way, contest the inherent complexity of the film festival “object,” which is in fact multiple objects in one. Taking a meta-perspective on film festivals, these studies frame and discuss the various festival constituencies (on which separate studies are included under categories 2–10 below). Some do so by presenting one or more case studies. Questions that are addressed include: How do festivals function? Can festivals’ historical development be divided into phases? Which “models” underlie their institutionalization? What is their raison d’être? Which actors are involved? What relations exist with Hollywood? And what critical perspectives can help us understand the diverse range of festival practices? Also included in this category, directly below, are publications that approach the film festival phenomenon from a more anecdotal or journalistic angle. Concern about the proliferation and future of festivals dominates the recent non-academic agenda (e.g. Gass 2008, Gass ed. 2009, Kammermeier 2008).

1.1 Film Festival Studies
1.1 a) Film Festival Theory
1.1 b) Reports and Responses to Film Festival Studies
1.1 c) Book Reviews
1.2 Political Aspects of Film Festivals (History)
1.3 General Academic Studies on Festivals (Not only Film Festivals)

Abis, Mario. “I festival come impresa.” [“Festivals as business.”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, p. 13.

Bachmann, Gideon. “Confessions of a Festival Goer.” Film Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 4, 1976, pp. 14–17.

Bailey, Cameron. “Das Festival als Dinnerparty.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 38, 40.

Barber, Lynden. “A Fistful of Festivals.” Meanjin, vol. 67, no. 4, 2008, meanjin.com.au​/​editions/​volume-​67-​number-​4-​2008/​article/​cal-​meanjin-​essay-​a-​fistful-​of-​festivals.

Canova, Gianni. “Anche i leoni invecchiano, anche le palme ingialliscono” [“Even lions get old, even palms become yellow…”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 4–5.

Canova, Gianni. “Editoriale: Porsi le domande giuste anche quando non piacciono” [“Editorial. Asking the right questions even when you don’t like them.”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, p. 1.

Canova, Gianni. “Servono ancora a qualcosa i festival del cinema? [“Are film festivals still necessary?”].” 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013.

Canova, Gianni. “Viale del tramonto” [“Sunset Bulevard”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, p. 6.

Cousins, Mark. “Film Festival Form: A Manifesto.” Film Festival Academy, 1 Sep. 2012, www.filmfestivalacademy.net​/​publications/​film-​festival-​form-​a-​manifesto. Accessed 24 Sep. 2012.

Cousins, Mark. “Widescreen on Film Festivals.” Film Festival Yearbook 1: The Festival Circuit, edited by Dina Iordanova and Ragan Rhyne, St Andrews Film Studies, 2009, pp. 155–58.

Fujiwara, Chris, and Adrian Martin, editors. Film Festivals. Edited by Chris Fujiwara and Adrian Martin. Spec. issue of Undercurrent 62010.

Gass, Lars Henrik, editor. Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals. Edited by Lars Henrik Gass. Spec. issue of Schnitt 54, 2009.

Gass, Lars Henrik. “Vom Markt zur Marke.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 42, 44. www.schnitt.de​/​211,​0054,​01.

Gass, Lars Henrik. “Wer das Kino erhalten will, muss es zerstören: Überlegungen zur Zukunft der Filmfestivals.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, vol. 2, 2008, pp. 18–25.

Gass, Lars Henrik. “Wie Oscar! Ein Zwischenruf, für einen eigenständigen deutschen Film.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, 2009, pp. 40–42.

Gass, Lars Henrik. “Wie viel Kunst braucht der Film: How Much Art Does Film Need?” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, 2007, pp. 37–41.

Gosetti, Giorgio. “Vie d’uscita dalla liturgia senza fede dell’evento vecchio stile” [“Ways out from the faithless liturgy of the old style event”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 10–12.

Greco, Michela. “I premi non sono tutto. Ma aiutano. Intervista a Paola Corvino” [“Awards are not all but help. Interview with Paola Corvino”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 24–25.

Gregor, Ulrich. “Filmfestivals: Letzte Bastionen der Filmkultur?” Medien, Markt, Moral: Vom ganz wirklichen, fiktiven und virtuellen Leben, edited by Reinhold Jacobi, Herder, 2001, pp. 61–65.

Grünfelder, Romeo. “Public Relation: Filmfestivals für Filmemacher.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, 2009, pp. 51–58. www.shortfilm.de​/​public-​relation-​filmfestivals-​fuer-​filmemacher-​1109/​.

Hebron, Sandra. “Im digitalen Kindergarten.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 16, 18.

Hénon, Nathalie, and Jean-François Rettig. “Die Grenzen verschieben.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 34, 36, 38.

Hurch, Hans. “Das Filmfestival als Erfahrungsraum.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 28, 30.

Jost, Jon. “The Big Circus.” Undercurrent, no. 6, 2010, fipresci.hegenauer.co.uk​/​undercurrent/​issue_​0609/​jost_​circus.htm.

Kammermeier, Medard. “Da ist nirgends nichts gewesen außer hier: Woher die vielen Filmfestivals kommen und wohin sie gehen. Ein Unkenruf.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, vol. 2, 2008, pp. 38–41.

Kim, Dong-Ho, editor. Mr. Kim Goes to Festivals. Transl. Cho Eung-joo, Korea P&P Co, 2010.

Martin, Adrian. “Here and Elsewhere: The View from Australia.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, edited by Richard Porton, Wallflower, 2009, pp. 98–106.

McGill, Hannah. “Film Festivals: A View from the Inside.” Screen, vol. 52, no. 2, 2011, pp. 280–85. doi:10.1093/screen/hjr017 .

Muhammad, Amir. “Festivals with Alexis (Mostly without Balut).” Undercurrent, no. 6, 2010, fipresci.hegenauer.co.uk​/​undercurrent/​issue_​0609/​muhammad_​alexis.htm.

Müller, Marco. “Zurück in die Zukunft.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 12, 14.

Père, Olivier. “Schaufenster fürs Kino.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 20, 22.

Porton, Richard, editor. Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, Wallflower, 2009, www.filmfestivalacademy.net​/​publications/​dekalog-​3-​on-​film-​festivals.

Porton, Richard. “Introduction: On Film Festivals.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, edited by Richard Porton, Wallflower, 2009, pp. 1–9.

Porton, Richard. “The Toronto International Film Festival at the Crossroads.” Cineaste, vol. 36, no. 1, 2010, pp. 32–35. www.cineaste.com​/​articles/​the-​toronto-​international-​film-​festival-​at-​the-​crossroads.

Pugh, Adam. “Im menschlichen Maßstab.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 8,10.

Quandt, James. “The Sandwich Process: Simon Field Talks About Polemics and Poetry at Film Festivals.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, edited by Richard Porton, Wallflower, 2009, pp. 53–80.

Quintín. “The Festival Galaxy.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, edited by Richard Porton, Wallflower, 2009, pp. 38–52.

Räbiger, Silke Johanna. “Avantgarde und Filmgedächtnis.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 22, 24, 26.

Rehm, Jean-Pierre. “Die Kinematheken des Jetzt.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 26, 28.

Ronconi, Roberta. “Il red carpet? Un ammasso di polvere e microbi” [“The red carpet? A cluster of dust and microbes”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, p. 9.

Rosenbaum, Jonathan. “Some Festivals I’ve Known: A Few Rambling Recollections.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, edited by Richard Porton, Wallflower, 2009, pp. 151–65.

Sarris, Andrew. “Catch as Catch Cannes: The Moles and the Moths.” The Village Voice [Voice], 12 June 1978, pp. 39–40.

Sciarra, Maurizio. “Elogio dei piccolo festival, dove la gente va per vedere i film” [“In praise of small festivals, where people go to see films”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 14–15.

Sebastiani, Lorenza. “Il red carpet? Non è uno sperpero, perché ci fa sognare” [“The red carpet? It is not a waste, because it makes us dream”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, p. 8.

Stefanutto Rosa, Stefano. “Red carpet? No grazie. Risorse? Insufficienti. Rispondono i direttori di 14 festival” [“Red carpet? No thank you. Resources? Insufficient. Answers from 14 festival directors”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 16–23.

Sterritt, David. “Film Festivals: Then and Now.” Undercurrent, no. 6, 2010, fipresci.hegenauer.co.uk​/​undercurrent/​issue_​0609/​sterritt_​festivals.htm.

Stevens, Kirsten. “Dina Iordanova with Ragan Rhyne (eds), Film Festival Yearbook 1: The Festival Circuit. St Andrews, Scotland: St Andrews Film Studies, 2009.” Screening the Past, no. 26, 2009, www.latrobe.edu.au​/​screeningthepast/​26/​film-​festival-​yearbook-​1.html.

Taroni, Micaela. “Cosa mi piace del cinema italiano: Dieter Kosslick” [“What I like about Italian cinema. Dieter Kosslick”]. 8 1/2 – Numeri, visioni e prospettive del cinema italiano, no. 2, 2013, pp. 24–25.

Triana Toribio, Nuria. “FICXixón and Seminci: Two Spanish Film Festivals at the End of the Festival Era.” Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies, vol. 12, no. 2, 2011, pp. 217–36. doi:10.1080/14636204.2011.600596 .

Turan, Kenneth. Sundance to Sarajevo: Film Festivals and the World They Made, University of California Press, 2002.

Vidal, Núria. La vuelta al mundo en 20 festivales: [Around the world in 20 festivals], T&B Editores, 2006,

Walter, Shane R. J. “Abenteuer in Bewegung.” [Thema: Die Zukunft der Filmfestivals]. Schnitt, no. 54, 2009, 32,34.

Werner, Dirk. “Mit weniger Festivals zu mehr Strahlkraft?” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, 2009, pp. 59–62.

Wolf, Reinhard W. “Ehrlichkeit und Fairness: Ein Ehrenkodex für Filmfestivals.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, 2009, pp. 43–50. www.shortfilm.de​/​index.php​?​id=​3146&​L=​0&​print=​1.

Wolf, Reinhard W. “Filmfestivals, Kinos und die Krise.” Short Report: KurzfilmMagazin, vol. 2, 2008, pp. 4–15.

 

(Last updated: 18 January 2021)