Reading Response

Film festivals have evolved to create a great place for experimentation even within narrative films. I was interested to read about the ways in which festivals range from very specific to very broad in selection. I was most interested in Syracuse's B-Movie Film Festival. I'm obsessed with anything campy, and am very excited to there is a home for films of this nature. This gives a home to films that are aware of their kicshy quirks that might otherwise be misunderstood or face harsh criticism at other festivals. I think that's one of the most important aspects of film festivals - whereas some festivals sell out to the mainstream, the abundance of smaller film festivals offer opportunities to filmmakers who may never, or would never have their work screened at a more high profile venue.The reading on Microcinema was very poignant to  Visions as well. Shorts are a great way to demonstrate your talent with the restrictive budget most of us face. They are the films we show at our festival and they are films that often get slighted at other festivals. That is our niche-we provide a home to films that demonstrate talent but might not have the length or sleekness of the films that other festivals program. In doing this, we provide a learning experience for the filmmaker - who can experience answering questions and getting feedback in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere - and for the audience - who can learn what questions they should be asking and how to experience a film festival.