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Laid Back and Cool, Telluride Style
Intimacy, not elitism, is the motto for the organizers of the 20th annual summer affair in Colorado
The summer film feeding frenzy is in high gear. Legions of television faithful can be seen slouching from couch to cineplex to view the seasonal cinematic Armageddon, while our nation's film festival organizers have been hard at work behind the scenes ensuring that there will, in fact, be a tomorrow.As long as the organizers of the Telluride Film Festival are in charge of planning our tomorrows, there will truly be hope for the film industry. Picking up the telephone to contact the festival organizers, I expected the usual dose of big festival attitude from the public relations staff. Instead, I came away from the conversation thoroughly charmed and excited by their folksy enthusiasm. Laid back festival spokeswoman Muffy Deslaurier forever debunked the myth of the Telluride Film Festival as a "hoity-toity" affair with her summation, "We're pretty cool here." This attitude was apparent in every aspect of the planned festival events. Shunning elitism in favor of intimacy, festival organizers have done all in their power to remove the barriers between audience and filnmiaker, from the opening night party to various seminars and a down-home Labor Day picnic. What could be less pretentious than spitting watermelon seeds with Gus Van Sant?
Entrance requirements for the festival are equally lacking in pretension. Telluride, a premiere-only festival, requires that a prospective film not have been shown before and that the work be in 16 or 35 millimeters. Entrance fees are reasonable for a festival of this caliber: Students pay $15; short films up to 30 minutes in length, $35 dollars; feature-length films pay $55. Festival organizers accept work in all stages of production, preferably on video cassette, as long as the finished product is completed by the festival date. This year's deadline is July 31.
Telluride's entire film program is shrouded in secrecy until the advent of the festival itself. Attendees purchase the not-cheap passes solely on the faith that they will be amply rewarded when finally settled in with popcorn and Juju Bees. Judging by the immense popularity of the festival in past years, no one has gone home disappointed by the offerings. Each film premiered by the festival is introduced by the director himself, adding a new dimension to the level of exchange between audience and filmmaker.
The official "secrecy" policy for the festival program is done to help introduce new talent to the audiences. Preconceived misconceptions about filmmakers and their offerings are eliminated, almost guaranteeing packed houses for every feature. In a sense, this personifies the Telluride Film Festival. By eliminating barriers and restrictions, no potential voice is excluded, and films are judged solely on the basis of their content. All filmmakers are highly encouraged to submit their films to this first rate festival. The rewards of associating with true, caring professionals and the degree of potential exposure are immeasurable. Contact Muffy Deslaurier at 603-643-1255.
Meanwhile, back in the heartland, the Columbus International Film and Video Festival enters its forty-second year of outstanding cinema. The festival began initially as a showcase for educational films, but now includes categories ranging from Art and Culture to Television and Advertising. For the second year, the festival is accepting student film and video submissions. Winners of each category receive a "Chris" Award after the city's seafaring namesake. In recognition of the Columbus Festival's pioneering work in the area of documentary and animation filmmaking, the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences has made each "Chris" winner in this category eligible for an Oscar nomination.
Entrance fees are based on a complicated formula depending on submission length, and for maximum accuracy, contact the festival itself. All submissions are made on video and must be in to festival organizers by the fifteenth of July. Contact Festival Awards Administrator Joyce Long for more information and application. She can be reached at 614-841-1666.
Brian O'Hare is a 28-year old former Marine officer from Pittsburgh with a Ph.D. in life. He is a rising actor and writer.
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This story was published in the August 1994 MovieMaker Magazine. The headline was:
Festival Beat / Intimacy, not elitism, is the motto for the organizers of the 20th annual summer affair in Colorado
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