Framing Film Festivals – serie

Tracing the history of Africa's relationship to film festivals and exploring the festivals' impact on the various types of people who attend festivals (the festival experts, the ordinary festival audiences, and the filmmakers), Dovey reveals what turns something called a "festival" into a "festival experience" for these groups.

This book is the first anthology of research devoted to the booming world of Chinese film festivals, covering both mainstream and independent films. It also explores festivals in the Chinese-speaking world and festivals of Chinese films in the rest of the world. The book asks how Chinese film festivals function as sites of translation, translating Chinese culture to the world and world culture to Chinese-speaking audiences, and also how the international film festival model is being transformed as it is translated into the Chinese-speaking world.

This is the first book to offer an in-depth examination of the history, operation, and growth of film festivals as a cultural phenomenon within Australia. Tracing the birth of film festivals in Australia in the 1950s through to their present abundance, it asks why film festivals have prospered as audience-driven spectacles throughout Australia, while never developing the same industry and market foci of their international fellows. Drawing on over sixty-years of archival records, festival commentary, interviews with festival insiders and ephemera, this book opens up a largely uncharted history of film culture activity in Australia.

This book examines the queer film festival and opens the discussion on social enterprises and sustainable lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) organisations. With over 220 events worldwide and some of the bigger budgets exceeding $1 million, the queer film festival has grown to become a staple event in all cosmopolitan cities’ arts calendars. While activism was instrumental in establishing these festivals, the pink dollar has been a deciding factor in its financial sustainability. Pretty gay boys with chiselled abs are a staple feature, rather than underground experimental faire. Community arts events, such as these, are now a creative industry. While clearly having a social purpose, they must also concern themselves with the bottom line. For all the contradictory elements of its organisational growth, this conflict makes the queer film festival an integral site for analysis. This book takes a multidisciplinary approach in examining the queer film festival as a representative snapshot of the current state of queer cinema and community based film festivals. The book looks at queer film festivals in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Melbourne to argue for the importance of these institutions remaining as community events.

Tracing the history of Africa's relationship to film festivals and exploring the festivals' impact on the various types of people who attend festivals (the festival experts, the ordinary festival audiences, and the filmmakers), Dovey reveals what turns something called a "festival" into a "festival experience" for these groups.

This book examines the queer film festival and opens the discussion on social enterprises and sustainable lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) organisations. With over 220 events worldwide and some of the bigger budgets exceeding $1 million, the queer film festival has grown to become a staple event in all cosmopolitan cities’ arts calendars. While activism was instrumental in establishing these festivals, the pink dollar has been a deciding factor in its financial sustainability. Pretty gay boys with chiselled abs are a staple feature, rather than underground experimental faire. Community arts events, such as these, are now a creative industry. While clearly having a social purpose, they must also concern themselves with the bottom line. For all the contradictory elements of its organisational growth, this conflict makes the queer film festival an integral site for analysis. This book takes a multidisciplinary approach in examining the queer film festival as a representative snapshot of the current state of queer cinema and community based film festivals. The book looks at queer film festivals in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Melbourne to argue for the importance of these institutions remaining as community events.

This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the global landscape of documentary film festivals. Contributors from across the globe offer in-depth analysis of both internationally renowned and more alternative festivals, including Hot Docs (Canada), Nyon (Switcherland), Yamagata (Japan), DocChina, Full Frame (US), Belgrade (former Yugoslavia), Vikalp (India), and DocsBarcelona (Catalonia, Spain), among others. With a special focus on historical and political developments, this first volume draws a map of documentary festivals operating today, and then looks at their origins and evolution. This volume is organized in three sections: the first addresses methodological problems film historians and social scientists face when researching documentary film festivals, the second looks at the historical development of this circuit within the wider frame of history of world and national cinemas, and the third reflects on how politics find their way through festival programs and actions. Curatorial, organizational, industrial and political changes occurred in the festival realm addressed in this book help better understand how these affected documentary production, distribution, curation, exhibition and reception up to this day.

This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the global landscape of documentary film festivals. Contributors from across the globe offer in-depth analysis of both internationally renowned and more alternative festivals, including Hot Docs (Canada), Nyon (Switcherland), Yamagata (Japan), DocChina, Full Frame (US), Belgrade (former Yugoslavia), Vikalp (India), and DocsBarcelona (Catalonia, Spain), among others. With a special focus on historical and political developments, this first volume draws a map of documentary festivals operating today, and then looks at their origins and evolution. This volume is organized in three sections: the first addresses methodological problems film historians and social scientists face when researching documentary film festivals, the second looks at the historical development of this circuit within the wider frame of history of world and national cinemas, and the third reflects on how politics find their way through festival programs and actions. Curatorial, organizational, industrial and political changes occurred in the festival realm addressed in this book help better understand how these affected documentary production, distribution, curation, exhibition and reception up to this day.

This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the global landscape of documentary film festivals, looking at its contemporary and future challenges. Contributors from across the globe reflect on how documentary has positioned itself within both internationally renowned and more alternative festivals, including IDFA (Netherlands), Cannes IFF (France), Sheffield Doc/Fest (UK), Dockanema (Mozambique), Ismailia (Egypt) and Zinebi (Basque Country, Spain), among others. With a special focus on industrial and curatorial developments,  this second in a two-volume set looks at recent changes occurred in the festival circuit, such as the proliferation of markets and co-production forums, the inclusion of interactive and VR forms within their programs and the irruption of VOD platforms, and analyse how these affect the future of documentary aesthetics and its production/distribution contexts.This volume is organized in two sections: the first reflects on how the documentary festival circuit has become a key industry node for contemporary documentary and identifies new curatorial trends at documentary and major film festivals. The second gives voice to professionals working for festivals and institutions who collaborate with them, who share inside knowledge and concerns, regarding the future challenges to be faced by documentary in the near future.

This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the global landscape of documentary film festivals, looking at its contemporary and future challenges. Contributors from across the globe reflect on how documentary has positioned itself within both internationally renowned and more alternative festivals, including IDFA (Netherlands), Cannes IFF (France), Sheffield Doc/Fest (UK), Dockanema (Mozambique), Ismailia (Egypt) and Zinebi (Basque Country, Spain), among others. With a special focus on industrial and curatorial developments,  this second in a two-volume set looks at recent changes occurred in the festival circuit, such as the proliferation of markets and co-production forums, the inclusion of interactive and VR forms within their programs and the irruption of VOD platforms, and analyse how these affect the future of documentary aesthetics and its production/distribution contexts.This volume is organized in two sections: the first reflects on how the documentary festival circuit has become a key industry node for contemporary documentary and identifies new curatorial trends at documentary and major film festivals. The second gives voice to professionals working for festivals and institutions who collaborate with them, who share inside knowledge and concerns, regarding the future challenges to be faced by documentary in the near future.

This is an open access book. This edited collection aims to document the effects of Covid-19 on film festivals and to theorize film festivals in the age of social distancing. To some extent, this crisis begs us to consider what happens when festivals can’t happen; while films have found new (temporary) channels of distribution (most often in the forms of digital releases), the festival format appears particularly vulnerable in pandemic times. Imperfect measures, such as the move to a digital format, cannot recapture the communal experience at the very core of festivals. Given the global nature of the pandemic and the diversity of the festival phenomenon, this book features a wide range of case studies and analytical frameworks. With contributors including established scholars and frontline festival workers, the book is conceived as both a theoretical endeavour and a practical exploration of festival organizing in pandemic times.

This is an open access book. This edited collection aims to document the effects of Covid-19 on film festivals and to theorize film festivals in the age of social distancing. To some extent, this crisis begs us to consider what happens when festivals can’t happen; while films have found new (temporary) channels of distribution (most often in the forms of digital releases), the festival format appears particularly vulnerable in pandemic times. Imperfect measures, such as the move to a digital format, cannot recapture the communal experience at the very core of festivals. Given the global nature of the pandemic and the diversity of the festival phenomenon, this book features a wide range of case studies and analytical frameworks. With contributors including established scholars and frontline festival workers, the book is conceived as both a theoretical endeavour and a practical exploration of festival organizing in pandemic times.

This book explores the intersections of migration and film festivals, with particular attention to their social functions . Adopting an interdisciplinary and multi-bottom line perspective, the authors address the purposes and circumstances of migration film festivals; their delimitation as distinct from other genres of festivals; their cinematographic creation; and their approaches to the curation and programming of films. Numerous questions arise in the process: Is social function prone to homogenization among migration film festivals? What are these festivals’ main constraints in negotiating their social functions? What is their actual capacity to foster social transformation? How do we conceive of the fact that most migration festival goers are rarely the ones in need of changing their perceptions? How are migrants actually involved in these cultural events? What are the specific challenges that undermine migration film festivals in achieving a greater social impact, and in turning into true axes of critical reflection towards more empathetic, inclusive and respectful ways of life?

This book explores the intersections of migration and film festivals, with particular attention to their social functions . Adopting an interdisciplinary and multi-bottom line perspective, the authors address the purposes and circumstances of migration film festivals; their delimitation as distinct from other genres of festivals; their cinematographic creation; and their approaches to the curation and programming of films. Numerous questions arise in the process: Is social function prone to homogenization among migration film festivals? What are these festivals’ main constraints in negotiating their social functions? What is their actual capacity to foster social transformation? How do we conceive of the fact that most migration festival goers are rarely the ones in need of changing their perceptions? How are migrants actually involved in these cultural events? What are the specific challenges that undermine migration film festivals in achieving a greater social impact, and in turning into true axes of critical reflection towards more empathetic, inclusive and respectful ways of life?

This book represents the first in-depth research dedicated to examining the historical and contemporary developments of Japanese film festivals as sites of cultural diplomacy. It focuses on the proliferation, network and operation of Japanese Film Festivals (JFFs) in the Asia-Pacific from the late 1970s until 2020. Through case examples in Australia, Malaysia and Thailand, the book explores how the formation and recent developments of JFFs in the region reflect wider changes in the function of Japanese cultural diplomacy through films, particularly with the intensification of economic, cultural and diplomatic opportunities presented in this geopolitical space.

This book represents the first in-depth research dedicated to examining the historical and contemporary developments of Japanese film festivals as sites of cultural diplomacy. It focuses on the proliferation, network and operation of Japanese Film Festivals (JFFs) in the Asia-Pacific from the late 1970s until 2020. Through case examples in Australia, Malaysia and Thailand, the book explores how the formation and recent developments of JFFs in the region reflect wider changes in the function of Japanese cultural diplomacy through films, particularly with the intensification of economic, cultural and diplomatic opportunities presented in this geopolitical space.

Immigrant film festivals are multifaceted events where complex networks of identities and symbolic values are constructed, circulated, and debated through various channels, including program screenings, ancillary events, press releases, financial backing, and audience engagement. As such, immigrant film festivals can be seen as discourse-producing practices. Based on this idea, this book offers a comprehensive study of three prominent Turkish film festivals in Germany: the International Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival, the Nuremberg Turkey/Germany Film Festival, and the Munich Turkish Film Days. The overarching objective is to comprehend the multifaceted influence of these festivals on the construction of discourses on Turkish immigrant identity while also seeking to illuminate how these festivals reshape both the host country and the country of origin and produce ideas for Turkish immigrants This is achieved through an examination of the diverse representation strategies engendered by these festivals. By employing a multifaceted research approach—including content analysis, audience studies, semi-structured interviews with festival managers, and participant observation—this study seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between immigrant film festivals, cultural identity formation, and the socio-political dynamics within both the host and origin countries. Through rigorous scholarly inquiry, it aims to contribute to academic discourse on the role of film festivals in shaping cultural narratives, fostering intercultural dialogue, and facilitating processes of integration and belonging within immigrant communities.

This open access book investigates how flows of knowledge that arise from the African continent travel and are transformed through new contexts of presentation and engagement in new locations. Through case studies on Africa-themed film festivals in Africa, Europe and the Americas, the book explores potential methods of catalyzing a “transnational flow” from inception to end that involves attention to process, rather than studying festivals as static cultural products with discrete and isolated categories of programming, presentation, documentation, and networking. The chapters probe how festivals interact with place and location and create journeys of discovery in translating and contextualizing films for specific populations and audiences. The book also focuses on how dialogue is created in a festival-knowledge forum that respects the living nature of cultural heritage as it is received from its original context, presented during film festivals, and passed on to future generations for safeguarding.