The Film Festival is an annual event where new independent or recently made films are shown, well-known or not yet discovered talents, authoritative and future filmmakers, students in the field of cinema, and films from all over the world are shown. Usually, festivals have several venues to showcase. Eligible directors do their best to have their film noticed in the hope of getting a distribution contract, positive feedback in the press and presentation of their film, or to show quality acting and direction. Festivals were a great place to start a new independent film project and discover new talents.
The festival also provides an opportunity for film directors to establish useful contacts and get feedback from film fans. Some festivals offer educational and informational programs, hold press conferences for students and local residents, practical workshops on directing and seminars on scriptwriting, on copyright to music, acting, etc. The educational component of the festival allows potential sponsors to understand exactly what money and services they invest in cinema are spent on. Studios see the advantages of major film festivals in that they can advertise their new film before its release. Countries see an advantage of film festivals in that they can advertise to their region and draw attention before nominating films for an Academy Award in the United States.
Another fresh addition to the festivals is the integration of new media technologies and the screening of the latest innovations in digital technology and mobile content. More and more festivals have pitchfests and round tables where screenwriters and directors can present their projects or listen to others and communicate with film professionals in a narrow circle.
The mission of most film festivals is to attract attention to those films that have unique artistic value, as well as directors from different parts of the world. They allow both directors and viewers to enjoy an eclectic range of films that they would never see anywhere else.
Official film festivals began to appear in the early 30s. They arose due to the desire of people to enjoy a joint trip to the cinema to films of unknown and famous filmmakers, to discover the world cinema and expand their horizons in a relaxed atmosphere in a very short time (3-12 days on average). The rich atmosphere of the festivals, when the days are filled with films, press conferences, meetings in the buffet, can not be compared with anything! Here you can find opportunities for new connections and acquaintances, intellectual disputes and conversations. As long as there are films, there will also be festivals. We can only guess what the next stage of their evolution will be, but obviously one thing is that thanks to the Internet the world is becoming smaller. And as the number of films produced by studios decreases, the demand for independent films starts to grow, and where can you find a place to show better than a film festival, wherever it is?
Usually festivals are organized by someone who dreams of having a film festival in their city, or it could be a film community, a local organization of independent film enthusiasts, the city’s Department of Cinema Promotion to attract tourists to their city and educate new local filmmakers, or a non-profit arts organization. Most film festivals are non-profit and stay afloat thanks to their sponsors. Festivals such as Sundance, AFI Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival receive funding from corporate sponsors such as Audi, Southwest Airlines, Hewlett-Packard, American Express, American Airlines, Microsoft, Apple, etc. Other film festivals may receive some financial support from the government.
Most festivals are non-profit organizations and most countries also have an analogue of such charity status. They are organized and conducted by a group of tireless and dedicated volunteers, and the festivals are managed by a board of directors, which can attract additional staff to help with current tasks.
