Of Dance, Film and.......Money

I’ll Allow Myself a Little Rant:

The curators of Film Festival A recently visited Film Festival B. On the third day of their visit, Festival A posted the following on their social media:

“The program of the last few days was like a roller coaster. And we have been going down for a very long time. Let’s be honest, it takes a lot to create a good film: theme, directorial and choreographic concept, a filmmaker’s vision and skills. (Sure, anything can be created without those, but it has no place at an international festival!)”

So what do I find wrong with this statement?

Two things which I will attempt to separate.

Firstly, film selection is entirely at the discretion of the festival organizers and curators. Not all films are up to everyone’s taste, but many festivals recognize that not all filmmakers have access to the same resources, nor do they have the same starting point.

So, in addition to high production value projects, festivals often also choose to include local or first time filmmakers. Simply to encourage them on the path to their next venture. Maybe festival curators appreciate the originality of an idea, a fresh perspective, or the extra effort. Whether you like the film or not, selection is based on individual choice and if you decide to attend a festival either as a guest or filmmaker, rather than criticizing, try to find a grain of beauty, novelty, or simply a different point of view in the films you see.

My second point is more serious and apparently not obvious to everyone, including the curators of Film Festival A.

Yes, films require concept, vision, and skill. But there’s one crucial element missing from their list:

M O N E Y

Once considered part of an alternative, independent niche, dance, experimental, and alternative films are now also expected to have “high production value.” And, to be fair, that is what many filmmakers ultimately strive for in the long run.

Unfortunately, due to their nature (difficult to market, few screening outlets etc.) finding sources of funding is a massive challenge of its own. And even then, not everyone has the same starting point..

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of jurying at a handful of film festivals. Thanks to that, I’ve had some insight into the films’ budgets. While not oblivious to the fact that film funding among countries varies, I had no idea how huge the differences actually were. The reality is that there are several countries which provide huge support for dance films (I admit, I felt a rush of envy), and unsurprisingly, this is where many high production value films tend to come from from. And in some countries (like mine) grant based funding is only available to mainstream film categories (if you’re lucky to get it) or not at all.

Aah! “But so-and-so shot a film on their phone and it went viral!” Maybe, but that will be a rare animal. Or, “Why don’t you crowdfund it?” Well, Kudos to successful crowdfunders. But for the rest, good luck with that!

What I’m talking about is a fully fledged production where everyone is paid a decent wage, where you can afford an interesting location, a big cast and the equipment to achieve high production value. After all, as film festival A curator says, this is the product which is expected at an international film festival.

While the above might be valid for any film genre, it has a special relevance in the case of dance films, where, on the one hand, exceptional quality is demanded, and on the other, funding sources are particularly constrained. As one producer aptly put it at a networking event I attended last year: dance films are at the very end of the film food chain. They are difficult to market, and therefore harder to get seen (though that’s a topic for another post).  And it might be partly a price paid due to the above factors.

In short: dance and alternative filmmaking is not created equal, and the disparities seem more pronounced than in other parts of the film industry. The refusal to acknowledge this fact, is particularly painful coming from someone who should have experience in the field.

Otherwise, for those of us picking up the crumbs from the end of the filmmaking food chain: COURAGE!