AM 398 Spring 2013 T, Th 9:30-10:45am (Lovejoy 313) M 7-9:30pm (Olin 001)
Joe Clark Miller Lib. 254, x4584 Office hours: M,T,W,Th 11am-12pm
[email protected]
Film Festivals: Cultures and Practices From the red carpets of Cannes to grassroots community screenings, this course looks at film festivals as key institutions in contemporary culture and the motion picture industry. We will examine the history of major film festivals as well as the economic, political, and cultural importance of festivals today. A key component of this course will be the development and production of a student-run film festival in May. Students will oversee programming, logistics, print traffic, public relations, marketing, and all other aspects of festival operations. Course Objectives Students will: • develop their skills in visual analysis • develop critical thinking and writing skills • practice writing clear and persuasive arguments • learn about the key role film festival play in the film industry and culture today • learn about the various aspects of festival production, including programming, marketing, logistics, etc. • work cooperatively to organize and execute a major class project. Course Format This class is unusual. This course does not just offer the opportunity to read and think about film festivals around the world, it is a chance to learn by doing. Class time will be split between the discussion of academic writing on film festivals and practical decision-making about the programming and other aspects of our own festival. In addition to regular class meetings, we have an evening screening on Mondays, which we will use to screen films for inclusion in the festival. Students will be expected to watch additional films on their own. Students will also be expected to participate in organizational committees (publicity, outreach, etc). These committees will meet outside of regular class time in the second half of the semester. Committees will report back to the whole class on a regular basis. Required Texts Kenneth Turan, Sundance to Sarajevo: Film Festival and the World They Made ** further readings available on electronic reserve and Moodle
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Course Requirements Festival Profile – 5% Films to Solicit – 5% 3 Screening Reports – 15% Program Book Note – 10% Analytic Paper – 20% Committee Report – 10% Self-Evaluation – 5% Festival Report – 20% Class participation – 10% Attendance and Participation Given the nature of this course, attendance and participation in class will be crucial to your success and the success of the class overall (not to mention the festival!). Come to each class prepared to discuss films and readings thoughtfully with your classmates. If you know you will have to miss a class contact me in advance. All absences will affect your participation grade (10% of your final grade), but 3 unexcused absences will result in a 0 for participation. Office Hours Students are encouraged to visit me during my office hours (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am – 12pm) or by appointment. Academic Honesty Students are expected to read and understand Colby’s policy on Academic Honesty (http://libguides.colby.edu/content.php?pid=74285&sid=649056) as well as the library’s Guide to Avoid Plagiarism (http://libguides.colby.edu/content.php?pid=17726&sid=120664).
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Week 1 February 7 • Intro and syllabus Week 2 – February 12 • Discussion: World of Festivals FESTIVAL PROFILE DUE February 14 • Choose theme/focus for Colby Festival • Discuss criteria for selection Week 3 – Cannes and Sundance February 18 • Screening: TBA February 19 • Cindy H. Wong, “History, Structure and Practice in the Festival World” in Film Festivals: Culture, People, and Power on the Global Screen, 29-64 • Turan, “Introduction,” “Cannes” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 1-30. FILMS TO SOLICIT LIST DUE February 21 • Turan, “Sundance” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 30-48. • Daniel Dayan, “Looking for Sundance: The Social Construction of a Film Festival.” Moving Images, Culture and the Mind, 43–52. Week 4 – Programming February 25 • Screening: TBA February 26 • Film Discussion • Roya Rastegar, “Difference, Aesthetics and the Curatorial Crisis of Film Festivals.” Screen 53:3 (2012): 310–317. February 28 • Robert Koehler,“Cinephilia and Film Festivals.” Dekalog 3: On Film Festivals, 81–97. • Turan, “Pordenone,” “Lone Pine,” and “Telluride” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 125-156. Week 5 – Distribution March 4 • Screening: TBA March 5 • Thomas Elsaesser, “Film Festival Networks: New Topographies of Cinema in Europe” in European Cinema: Face to Face with Hollywood, 82-107
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Iordanova, Dina (2009). “The Film Festival Circuit.” Film Festival Yearbook 1: The Festival Circuit. Eds. Dina Iordanova, and Ragan Rhyne. St. Andrews: St. Andrews Film Studies. pp. 23–39. • Turan, “ShoWest” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 48-61. SCREENING REPORT #1 DUE •
March 7 • Film Discussion SCREENING REPORT #2 DUE Week 6 – Festivals as Local / Global Events March 11 • Screening: TBA March 12 • Stringer, Julian (2001). “Global Cities and International Film Festival Economy.” Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context, 134–144. • Harbord, Janet (2002). “Film Festivals: Media Events and the Spaces of Flow.” Film Cultures, 59–75. • Liz Czach, “Film Festivals, Programming, and the Building of a National Cinema,” The Moving Image 4:1 (2004), 76–88. • Felicia Chan, “The International Film Festival and the Making of a National Cinema,” Screen (2011) 52 (2), 253-260 • Turan, “Sarajevo” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 89-108. SCREENING REPORT #3 DUE March 14 • Final Programming Decisions Week 7 – Festivals North / South March 18 • Screening: TBA March 19 • Committee Assignments • Miriam Ross, “The Film Festival as Producer: Latin American Films and Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund,” Screen (2011) 52 (2), 261-267 • David Slocum, “Film and/as Culture: Use of Cultural Discourses at Two African Festivals,” Film Festival Yearbook 1: The Festival Circuit, 136–152. • Manthia Diawara, “On Tracking World Cinema: African Cinema at Film Festivals.” Public Culture 6:2 (1994), 385–396. • Turan, “FESPACO” and “Havana” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 66-88. March 21 • Guest Speaker: Shannon Haines, Maine Film Center SPRING BREAK
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Week 8 – Imagining the Public: Festival Audiences April 2 • Bill Nichols, “Discovering Form, Inferring Meaning: New Cinemas and the Film Festival Circuit.” Film Quarterly 47:3 (1994): 16–30. • Kay Armatage, “Screenings by Moonlight.” Film International 6:4 (2008): 34–40. • Marijke De Valck, “Drowning in Popcorn at the International Film Festival Rotterdam? The Festival as a Multiplex of Cinephilia.” Cinephilia: Movies, Love and Memory, 97–109. • “Turan, “Midnight Sun” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 109-121 April 4 • Committee Reports PROGRAM BOOK NOTE DUE Week 9 – Community and Identity: Queer Film Festivals April 9 • Joshua Gamson, “The Organizational Shaping of Collective Identity: The Case of Lesbian and Gay Film Festivals in New York.” Sociological Forum 11:2 (1996), 231–261. • Patricia White, et al., Queer Publicity: A Dossier on Lesbian and Gay Film Festivals” GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 5:1 (1999): 73–93. • Ragan Rhyne, “Comrades and Citizens: Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals in China.” Film Festival Yearbook 3: Film Festivals and East Asia, 110–124. April 11 • Committee Reports Week 10 – Festivals and Political Activism April 16 • Dina Iordanova, “Film Festivals and Dissent: Can Film Change the World?.” Film Festival Yearbook 4: Film Festivals and Activism, 13–30. • Igor Blažević, “Film Festivals as a Human Rights Awareness Building Tool: Experiences of the Prague One World Festival.” Film Festival Yearbook 4: Film Festivals and Activism, 109–120. • Salma Monani, “Environmental Film Festivals: Beginning Explorations at the Intersections of Film Festival Studies and Ecocritical Studies.” Ecocinema Theory and Practice, 253–278. April 18 • Committee Reports SHORT PAPER DUE Week 11 – The Event April 23 • Logistics and Last Minute Details April 25 – 28 – COLBY FILM FESTIVAL Week 12 –
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April 30 • Festival Debrief May 2 • Reading: Festival reports Week 13 – Competitions and Juries May 7 • Marijke De Valck and Mimi Soeteman, “‘And the Winner is…’: What Happens Behind the Scenes of Film Festival Competitions.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 13:3 (2010): 290–307. • Turan, “I, The Jury” in Sundance to Sarajevo, 171-180. May 9 • Discussion: The future of festivals COMMITTEE REPORT & SELF EVALUATION DUE
FESTIVAL REPORT DUE MAY 17
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AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Festival Profile Due February 12 in Class Using the Internet, research a festival that you find interesting. This can be a big, star-studded festival like Cannes or Sundance, or it could be a local Gay and Lesbian Film Festival or small Human Rights Film Festival. Whatever festival you choose, answer the following questions: 1. What is the history of the festival? When was it founded? By whom? 2. What is the vision / mission of the festival? Has this changed over time? 3. Who does the festival serve and how? Filmmakers? Distributors? Audiences? Community? 4. What kinds of films does the festival show and why? 5. Choose a film from the most recent festival (or the upcoming festival if the program has been released) that best represents the programming of the festival. Explain briefly why this embodies the values of the festival. Answer each of these questions with short paragraphs. Your whole report should not be longer than two pages.
AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Film Solicitation Due February 18 at Screening This assignment will allow me to contact filmmakers and distributors and request screening copies of films we’ve identified as ones we’d like to consider for the festival. Because I’ll be sending out approximately 100 emails, please make sure to follow the formatting instructions. Using the websites of other festivals, media reports, online trailers, etc, identify at least 6 films (2 features, 4 shorts) you think would be right for our festival. For each film find the following information: Film Title: Director: Country of origin: Running time: Distributor / Film Institute: Email for contact: Name for contact: Link to trailer: Link to film website: Your name: This information will need to be inputted into a Google spreadsheet – you’ll receive a link to this document shortly to your Colby email. This spreadsheet will be how we track all our solicited films, as well as the screening reports and programming decisions, so it is very important that the information be correct and up to date.
!
AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Screening Reports Reports DUE on March 5, 7, 12 Screening Process: In order to make sure that each film is screened at least twice (hopefully three times) each of you will need to watch a minimum of 12 films in addition to those we watch together on Monday evenings. At least 4 of these should be features. We’ll be using the Google Spreadsheet to track who has seen which films and whether they recommend them for the festival. When you’ve watched a film enter your name in one of the “screened by” columns and in the corresponding “recommended” column give the film a rating of No, Maybe, Yes, or YES! Many of the films we solicited are sending secure links to online screeners – so check the spreadsheet for films that are already available to screen. As we receive DVD screeners these will be available for pick up in Sherry Berard’s office (Miller 238) between 7am and 3:30pm. There will be a sign out sheet so we can track the films. Please return the screeners promptly so everyone gets a chance to see them. We have a lot of films to get through between now and March 12 so start watching now. Screening Reports: From the 12 films you screen you’ll be required to submit screening reports on three of them. These reports are like short film reviews and should be no longer than 2 pages each. The reports are due March 5, 7, and 12. In addition to your name the reports should include the following: Film Title: Directed by: Recommended: No, Yes, Maybe, BIG YES! Evaluation and Analysis: 1. Content: What and who is this film about? What about the story and characters is compelling and interesting? Why? 2. Relevance: Does the film introduce new issues and ideas or offer a new perspective on old ideas? Are the ideas and characters especially relevant to Colby students or to Mainers? Why or why not? 3. Technical qualities: How well made is the film? Consider cinematography, editing, sound design, writing, acting, etc. 4. How well does the film fit with our festival theme – Points of View? 5. Your subjective reaction and additional comments (optional).
AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Program Note DUE on before 5pm April 8 via email Each of you has been assigned to write one program note for a film we will show in the festival. These notes are promotional copy so keep in mind your description must be written to entice people to see the film. You want to be descriptive (without spoilers!) and insightful. Length Program notes have to be short and pithy. If you are writing about a feature (War Witch, Invisible Collection, Shut Up and Play the Hits, Mondays at Racine, One Step Beyond, American Promise) you have 300 words maximum. Those of you writing about short films will have 200 words maximum – for shorts you will also need to submit a shortened 75-word version for the printed program. Awards and Festivals In addition to the note, and on a separate line, list up to three prizes, nominations, festival selections for the film (or the actors). These are usually listed on the film website. Format To make life easier for the people putting together the program, it is very important that you submit your note in the following format. War Witch (Rebelle) Kim Nguyen, Canada, 2012, 90 min Program note of 300 words max, [italicize the titles of films in the body of your note] Nominee, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2013 Best Actress, Berlin International Film Festival, 2012 Best Narrative Feature, Best Actress, Tribeca Film Festival, 2012
AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Committee Reports (10%) Due May 2 in Class At many non-profit arts organizations – including film festivals – staff employees are required to report to a board of directors. This assignment is modeled on these kinds of reports. Following the festival write a short report (2-3 pages) detailing the work of your committee. You are free to structure your report as you want (headings, etc), but remember that your audience is the board of directors. The board usually is in charge of hiring key employees and overseeing the budget, so you are reporting to your “boss” or your “boss’ boss.” Your report should describe the work that your committee performed at the festival, the challenges you faced, the things that went well and those that could have been better. Your report might also include a recommendations section where you discuss the things that the committee could do in the future and the ways that the Festival Director or other committees might facilitate that. Committee members will each write their own reports. Self-Evaluation (5%) Due May 2 in Class Answer the following questions evaluating your own work as a member of your committee: Name: Committee: Describe the committee work you personally performed: How did the work you personally performed contribute to the festival? Do you feel like work on your committee was evenly shared? Why or why not? Give yourself a letter grade for your committee work:
AM 398 Spring 2013
Joe Clark
[email protected]
! Festival Report (20%) Due 5pm, Thursday May 9 in Miller 254 Film journals like Film Quarterly and Film Comment regularly feature festival reports from major film festivals like Cannes, Sundance, and Berlin. These reports feature critical reviews of individual films along with assessments of the overall programming choices. They offer the programmers of other festivals as well as serious fans of cinema early reviews on the year’s most anticipated films and reflections on the relevance of the festivals themselves. Write a short report (3-4 pages) on the Points of View Film Festival critically evaluating the programming and other aspects of the event. For this assignment you should write as if you were a festival visitor reporting on the Points of View Film Festival to a specialist audience of film professionals, academics, and cinephiles. It’s up to you which films and elements of the festival you choose to discuss – and you wont be able to discuss everything. Focus your report on the programming choices and films that were most compelling to you. Discuss what you see as the programming successes and failures of the festival. How well did the festival achieve its mission of giving audiences a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes? What themes emerged in the festival programming? How did individual films complement one another or the broader festival theme? How did the panels and Q&As with directors add to the festival experience? What (if anything) does the Points of View Film Festival offer that other festivals do not? !
