Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with a look at a festival most of us likely aren't that familiar with, yet. Living in Austin, I'm spoiled with the number of interesting film festivals that pop up throughout the year, Fantastic Fest, SXSW, Austin Film Fest, and now Other Worlds Austin, though fully realize those fests don't even make up for a fraction of the festivals across the globe, or even Texas for that matter. I'm always curious to hear about other festivals, in fact I plan on building a column here on Ain't It Cool wherein I highlight a given festival that might not yet be on everyone's radar, a chance to explore what all is out there - not necessarily fest's hoping to "be the next Sundance," but festivals that have their own unique voice.
When the opportunity to speak with Mammoth Lakes Film Fest's Shira Dubrovner crossed my desk, it felt like kismet that I could dip my toe a bit into the world of running a fresh film festival, a look behind the curtains even. Realistically the chances of individuals in the AICN audience being able to attend this weekend's festivities are slim, but the opportunity to get Shira's perspective on running a new festival was one I couldn't pass up. To the filmmakers in the audience - here's a little bit of insight you might want to give a read. The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival kicks off 5/29 and runs through 5/29th in Mammoth Lakes, California. (If you happen to attend, I'd love to get your thoughts on the fest - email me or shoot off in the Talkbacks below!) Special thanks to Ms. Dubrovner for setting aside a piece of her time to tell me about the fest!
Hi Shira, how are you doing today?
I’m doing well. How are you doing?
Pretty okay. I’ve got quite a few questions and before I jump in, I just want to thank you for your time. First off, congratulations with the festival and being listed on MOVIE MAKER MAGAZINE’S “Top 50 Festivals Worth The Entry Fee.”
Thank you.
Looking at how many film fests there are out there, getting on that list really is a big deal in my book. Whatever you are doing, you’re doing it right. So where did the idea for starting the festival come from?
I went to film school a long time ago, I guess it’s been almost twenty years now and I was working in the independent film world and also working in the theater world, so I kind of got it from both ends. After a while of being in Los Angeles, I realized I really didn’t want to live in Los Angeles anymore and I wanted to move back to Mammoth where I experienced living in my early twenties. I loved living here and I always wanted to move back. So it was pretty much time in about 2005 or 2006 I was getting to the point where I was done living in a big city and just feeling lost in this big hub of people with the hustle and bustle. I wanted to get back to nature and living in a small town. I decided to move back to Mammoth Lakes and I opened up a community theater. After about seven or eight years of doing that, I really missed being a part of the independent film world. When I was in film school I was friends with Paul Sbrizzi. We kind of lost touch, but I remembered hearing he was very involved with independent film festivals, programming for Slamdance and LA Film Fest. I called him up and asked him if he would be interested in starting this festival and being my programmer. He said yes and that’s kind of where it all started.
So what does your festival team consist of? Is it just you and Paul or do you have a handful of folks helping?
The key players are me and myself and then we have a small staff, so that’s pretty much it. I feel like I have my really good key players and that’s where we’re trying to spring board off of.
How many films were submitted this past year?
We had over four hundred films submitted. Last year we had half of that, and hopefully we will double it again next year.
How many individuals are you expecting to show up? I’m talking in terms of both filmgoers and filmmakers/guests as well. I know this is your second year, so I’m trying to get a pulse on how many filmmakers will be in the audience.
Yeah, a little bit more than half of the films are attending the festival. Those filmmakers either bring their writer or producer with them or some of their cast members or their significant other, so we’ve got about sixty of those people and then we’ve got eight jury members and they are all bringing a guest. We’re bringing about eighty to a hundred people just on that level and then as far as audience members that come for the festival, last year we had all of our film screenings at anywhere from fifty percent to sold out, so I’m expecting he same if not more. Maybe we will have seventy-five to sold out. (Laughs)
You mentioned your Jury for the Jury Award, how did you go about selecting who was going to be on your jury this year?
We try to find industry professionals that still have a sensibility for independent film. Independent films and blockbusters are totally different beasts, so we try to find people that either came from the independent film world or that appreciate and have worked with people in the independent film world. We find those people and invite them to come and they get a little vacation and do a little work at the same time. It’s easy when you live in a beautiful sky resort. The landscape is so beautiful here, so I have a little bit of an unfair advantage, because when you invite somebody to Mammoth Lakes, they rarely say no.
Considering that your film festival is set in such a beautiful locale, how are you taking advantage of that for your fest? Do you plan on any outdoor screenings in the future?
Being in the Eastern Sierra, the weather is definitely something to consider. When you’re in the low-lands you can kind of count on good weather, but you have to remember we are at eight thousand feet elevation, so it can go from a beautiful day of sixty-five to seventy to forty degrees at night and then it can rain or even snow, so we would like to do some outdoor screenings in the future, but we’re not quite set up for that yet and we will see where the future takes us. Because of the landscape and where we are in the Eastern Sierra, it’s not too conducive, but we will see what happens in the future. We do try to take advantage of using the landscape and introducing the filmmakers that are coming here to the beautiful area by taking them on excursions and on field trips, hopefully inspiring them to possibly come up with story ideas that want to be set in the Eastern Sierra. It’s just a great landscape and is rather inspirational when you see it. It’s hard not to be inspired to create here.
It sounds absolutely gorgeous and I’m bummed I can’t be out there for it. How would you consider this year’s lineup different from last years?
You know, I mean it’s different because we have all different artists and their work. So with each film, it is a totally different experience. I think we definitely have a couple of films that are more risky and on the edge that aren’t easy to program, because they are so edgy. We are saying, “That’s okay. We will take it all.” We want to represent the artist and the filmmaker that is doing the risk taking in their art form and really wanting to push the limits and have their voice, their independent vision be heard in their craft. I think in that sense, our lineup is very similar, but each film is so vastly different from the films we had last year that it’s going to be different. You know what I mean?
Absolutely. Mentioning how you’re going for all sorts of different types of films, one of which being BUDDYMOON with Flula Borg… I can only assume that that’s a wild movie, hopefully. Was that a film that was submitted to you or was that a film that you actively sought out?
I think that might have been actively sought out, because Paul knows the filmmaker on that one. We have about thirty to forty percent of our films coming from submissions, which I think is a pretty good percentage. He knows that filmmaker because I think that film played at Slamdance and it’s a very accessible film, even though it’s still a true “independent.” It’s very hard to find independent comedies. Most independent films are really heavy and it’s really a breath of fresh air when you can find something that is a comedy and fun. I think that’s why he wanted to add that to the line up, to have a very diverse selection of all types of films.
From where you are sitting, what is the most challenging aspect of running your own film festival? Perhaps its something that filmmakers, filmgoers, and vendors might not initially realize. What would you consider the most challenging and possibly rewarding part of what you do there?
I think the most challenging part with a film festival, no matter what the size, there are so many moving parts to make sure that everything is taken care of and just staying on top of all of those moving parts. I think the most rewarding is truly meeting these new artists and being able to share this magnificent area with them that I truly love. So that’s the most rewarding part, that I get to share the beauty of the environment with these artists and be part of their inspirational future.
I hope you’re ready for an unfair question… If you had to pick three films that are “absolute must see” movies, could you point to any specific films that can’t be missed at your fest?
Yeah, I think all of our films have their own special integrity, but we have definitely spotlighted four events at our festival, our opening night film, OPERATION AVALANCHE, then our spotlight pick for BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN, which is an amazing documentary. We are giving the centerpiece award this hear, the Sierra award, to Joe Dante and screening INNERSPACE and that will be a once in a lifetime event where you can ask questions to Joe Dante. Then our closing night film, SONITA, is another amazing and inspirational documentary. So those are the four.
To wrap us out, what are you personally looking most forward to with this coming weekend’s festivities?
I’m always hoping that the audiences leave being thought provoked and that they will continue to think about these pieces of art that they have just seen and it will challenge them to question their own thought processes. I like being part of that process where it just doesn’t end when the doors close, it kind of continues on and takes its own life. That’s the beauty of art house films and independent films, that they really push the audience and the film stays with them for days later when they’re taking about it, they are thinking about it. I love being a part of that process.
Great, well Shira I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me about Mammoth Lakes Film Festival. I wish you nothing but the best of luck and I’m insanely jealous I can’t be there to experience it first hand.
Hopefully next year you can come.
Fingers crossed. Have a great rest of your day.
Thank you. You too.
There we have it, a little insight into what all goes into running a film festival, specifically a relatively new festival set in the woods of California. Again, if you're able to attend or already planned on going - I'd love to hear what you think of the fest or if you were able to catch a "must see" film. Best of luck to the fest and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to speak with more festival directors, perhaps for festivals near you, the AICN reader, that you might not have known about. We shall see!
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
