Festivals of Their Own Blog

Having grown up in Utah, attending the Sundance Film Festival is something I looked forward to every year.  The glamorous parties, exciting films, and the possibility of running into mainstream movie stars was not the only reason I longed for the festival's return each year.  Learning from the filmmakers who had the chance to showcase their work at one of the biggest festivals in the world was also a major part of my excitement, in hopes that one day I could also have a film accepted to Sundance.  It is hard to imagine Sundance as a festival specifically for films rejected by the high-class, star-crazy festivals, as that is what it has become in present day.  Even though Sundance retains much prestige, it is sad that it has "lost its way."  It seems as though it has shifted from providing a place for underdog filmmakers to make their debut, to becoming captivated by the glamor and lucrative benefits that mainstream filmmakers provide.  It is however, exciting to learn that there are different kinds of film festivals all over the world thus allowing novice filmmakers such as myself to get their films shown.  Whether one be in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, or Wilmington, there will be a festival that suits their needs and if not, why not start your own?  What an adventure that would be!  Another adventure,  and one that I am interested in having read this article, is traveling around the world to different film festivals.  The connections and knowledge learned would be priceless and life changing.