From Sundance to Cannes: the film festival at 75
If Benito Mussolini hadn't wanted to boost off-season travel to Venice 75 years ago, who'd have heard of Park City, Utah?
What those two places have in common is, of course, famous film festivals: the Venice International and Sundance, respectively. From Anchorage to Zurich, Ann Arbor to Zlin (that's in the Czech Republic), film festivals are pretty much everywhere. Locally, the past two months have seen the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, Plymouth, Roxbury, and Rhode Island film festivals. The Boston Film Festival kicks off Sept 14. Farther afield, Telluride is going on this weekend, in Colorado, Venice runs until Saturday, and Toronto starts Thursday.
Last year, Variety's annual roundup listed 467 festivals. Will the total break 500 this year? What began as an effort to make the gondolas run on time - or at least more profitably - has become a cultural juggernaut that's as indispensable a part of the movie industry as DVD revenues and awards shows. (Cannes has a worldwide profile that must rival that of the Oscars.)
A singular blend of art and commerce, boosterism and block party, the film festival has become a cultural staple. They are to be found on every continent, except Antarctica - and with the success of ``March of the Penguins" and ``Happy Feet," expect that to change sooner rather than later.
A highly arbitrary list of the top festivals, a sweet 16, is on Page N12. Where's Montreal, you ask, or Edinburgh? What about Brussels or Buenos Aires? With festivals, as with the films they schedule, there's ultimately no accounting for taste.
Berlin International Film Festival
Where: Berlin
When: February
Founded: 1951
Films screened: 160 features
Signature award: Golden Bear
Description: The second-largest festival in Europe (after Cannes), it began as part of an effort to give West Berlin cultural cachet amid Soviet-bloc surroundings.
Last festival included: ``The Counterfeiters"
Cannes Film Festival
Where: Cannes, France
When: May
Founded: 1946
Films screened: approximately 1,000 films (nearly all out of competition)
Signature award: Palme d'Or
Description: It's not so much an event as an annual rite of cinematic passage: absurdly splashy and overwhelming, commercially essential, and (sometimes) artistically significant.
Last festival included: ``4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days"
International Film Festival
Rotterdam
Where: Rotterdam
When: January-February
Founded: 1972
Films screened: 250 features
Signature award: Tiger Awards
Description: One of the most populist festivals, it has a tradition of discovering new filmmakers and concentrating on independent work.
Last festival included: ``How is Your Fish Today?"
Karlovy Vary International
Film Festival
Where: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
When: July
Founded: 1948
Films screened: 220
Signature award: Crystal Globe
Description: The festival has been of longstanding importance as a window on Central European film.
Last festival included: ``The Art of Negative Thinking"
Los Angeles
Film Festival
Where: Los Angeles
When: June
Founded: 2001
Films screened: more than 250
Signature award: none
Description: Originally the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, it's now much more of an industry event (this year Clint Eastwood was honored) - bringing celluloid to Los Angeles being not unlike bringing coals to Newcastle.
Last festival included: ``Transformers"
New York Film Festival
Where: New York
When: September-October
Founded: 1962
Films screened: 40 (including shorts)
Signature award: no prizes awarded
Description: Mainstream foreign films and ``serious" Hollywood titles dominate. Along with Toronto, New York commences the countdown to awards season.
Last festival included: ``The Queen"
Pordenone Silent Film Festival
Where: Gemona, Italy
When: October
Founded: 1982
Films screened: not applicable
Signature award: Jean Mitry Award (for preservation and/or appreciation of silent film)
Description: There are several festivals dedicated to silent film, held in places ranging from San Francisco to Opotiki, New Zealand. Pordenone is the most important.
Last festival included: ``True Heart Susie"
Pusan International
Film Festival
Where: Pusan, South Korea
When: October
Founded: 1996
Films screened: 245 films
Signature award: none
Description: Likely the most important film festival in Asia (other leading Asian festivals include Hong Kong and Singapore), Pusan focuses on new films and first-time directors, with an emphasis on Third World countries.
Last festival included: ``The Host"
Rome Film Festival
Where: Rome
When: October
Founded: 2006
Films screened: 80
Signature award: none
Description: Widely seen as an effort to undercut Venice, Rome is also widely seen as an up-and-comer on the circuit.
Last festival included: ``Fur"
San Francisco International Film Festival
Where: San Francisco
When: April-May
Founded: 1957
Films screened: more than 220
Signature award: none
Description: America's oldest continuous film festival, San Francisco played a notable role in fostering foreign film in this country (both Kurosawa's ``Throne of Blood" and Satyajit Ray's ``Pather Panchali" were on the debut program).
Last festival included: ``Wonders Are Many"
Sundance Film Festival
Where: Park City, Utah
When: January
Founded: 1978
Films screened: 122 features
Signature award: none
Description: Indie Valhalla - with skiiing and the imprimatur of Robert Redford, to boot. Is it any wonder it long ago became the premier US film festival?
Last festival included: ``Rocket Science"
Telluride Film Festival
Where: Telluride, Colo.
When: Labor Day weekend
Founded: 1974
Films screened: about 40
Signature award: no prizes given
Description: A connoisseur favorite, Telluride focuses on independent and vintage films. Special ``guest directors," such as Salman Rushdie and Stephen Sondheim, help program it.
Last festival included: ``The Lives of Others"
Toronto International Film Festival
Where: Toronto
When: September
Founded: 1976
Films screened: 300-400
Signature award: none
Description: The biggest festival in North America, Toronto is the largest anywhere open to the public. Only Cannes exceeds it now in impact, thanks to its role in helping kick off the Oscar race.
Last festival included: ``Borat"
Tribeca Film
Festival
Where: New York
When: April-May
Founded: 2002
Films screened: more than 250
Signature award: none
Description: Cofounded by Robert De Niro, the festival was begun in lower Manhattan to attract people there after the 9/11 attacks.
Last festival included: ``The King of Kong"
Vancouver International Film Festival
Where: Vancouver, Canada
When: September-October
Founded: 1982
Films screened: more than 300
Signature award: none
Description: Traditionally, there's been a strong emphasis on Asian filmmakers and documentaries. Both popular and juried awards are given.
Last festival included: ``Everything's Gone Green"
Venice International Film Festival
Where: Venice
When: August-September
Founded: 1932
Films screened: 146 features and shorts
Signature award: Golden Lion
Description: One of the big four of European festivals. Another contributing element to Venice's cachet is its coinciding every other year with the renowned art exhibition, the Venice Biennale.
Last festival included: ``Hollywoodland"
Compiled by Globe staff writer Mark Feeney. He can be reached at mfeeney@globe.com.
