Film Studies 297F - ST- Film Festival Curation

Since the first film festival in Venice in 1932, film cultures around the world have seen an ever-expanding field of festivals of all imaginable varieties, from local, niche celebrations to vast, international events. Film festivals gather together remarkable films for exhibition and recognition, whether juried competitions conferring awards or programs curated to celebrate selected works of cinema. Larger festivals can provide opportunities for industry professionals to conduct business, for filmmakers to find distributors, for actors and directors to speak at press events, and for film scholars, critics, and cinephiles to screen the newest films and speak with figures in cinema. Local, smaller, or more focused festivals can bring to light talent, voices, and perspectives not otherwise discovered or recognized. In this course we will concentrate on the local, theme-based model of film festivals, exploring the process of curating a festival from developing a concept through the logistical work of selecting films, building a program, creating promotional materials for web, print, and social media, engaging with filmmakers and other guests, and running events and screenings. We will take as our primary example the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival, the first University-based film festival in the U.S. The MMFF is an annual film series bringing together international films and filmmakers around a specific new theme each year. Work in the class will also include designing a film festival of your own inspiration, culminating in an in-class presentation of your envisioned festival, with promotional materials and proposed program of films, filmmakers, and events

Class will meet in ILC S446.