Sunday, August 24, 2008

Festivals Schemstivals


I'm in a post-MIFF come down at the moment. The festival was everything I've know festival's to be - anticipation and expectation in the build up, a trashy opening night party, then its a scramble to see and experience the best and none of the crap (easier said then done). I'm yet to come out of a festival feeling like I've seen and had the best that festival has had to offer. Especially from festival's I feel offer a lot. Unlike my better counter-parts (and being a Libran) I have trouble forgoing all aspects of my life (social, health, work, monetary) for the festival (though I have a big part of me that would rather do this - one can always go to the gym/sleep/drink/save tomorrow). Thus I make choices on films and unfortunately, as with Sophie's choice, with choice comes regret. With choice comes the life unlived, the road untraveled and unlike Frost who knows which one is less travelled as a film doesn't show that kind of wear and tear really. If it did wouldn't that probably be the film less travelled as its probably old and crappy from its rarity and disuse? I digress...

Anyway I saw films - quite a few - but I could have seen more and I could have seen better. Even with a film festival, as in many of my personal relationships I have that - its-not-you-its-me - syndrome. Not a cheap break up line, but a true feeling that if something hasn't lived up to expectations it is my fault. My poor choices in programming of my own 12 films. It couldn't be that some or most of the films just sucked, it was decision making that was at fault. My inability to look past the flashy trailers, succinct descriptors and nytimes.com reviews - I should have seen/known/sensed that these films were not going to be all they were cracked up for.

So MIFF - is it you or me?

According to my friends their stance is as usual - its not me its you.

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