We live in a weird era for cinema, a confused time in which people aren’t sure of what they want to watch.
had always been a way for people to express their inner turmoil. This self-expression could relate to anything, one’s thoughts, feelings, desires, wants or even ideas. It’s all about putting everything into a project, and showcasing it for the world to relate to. Creativity has always been a part of true cinema, and ever since the beginning of the art form, creativity has been a large part of why filmmakers choose to make films.

Looking back at the 1930s, the world was going through a ton of crisis and cinema was all that people had left. German Expressionistic filmmaking came out of that splendor, films such as Nosferatu, M, The Man Who Laughs revolutionized the world of cinematography and production design. In a world largely populated by high production values and huge box office numbers,
film festivals are still places of respite for those looking to experience creative projects rather than repetitive sensory overloads.

What Is the Purpose of Film Festivals?

Film Festivals aren’t just a celebration of the motion picture arts, but rather a celebration of the creative minds that bring to life wonderful stories that are deeply personal to them. For example; films such as the Julia Ducournau directed ‘Titane’ would hardly ever receive commercial success. However, at the largest film festival in the world; Cannes Film Festival 2021, Julia Ducournau took home the Palme d’Or. This is one of the largest achievements of any filmmaker’s career.
While larger award shows such as The Academy Awards (Oscars) or the Golden Globes will always chase the films more prominently campaigned for, film festivals focus on the integrity and level of art. The smaller film festivals exist to provide filmmakers an outlet to release their film to the public eye. However, larger ones can make a filmmaker’s career skyrocket through a large amount of fame should their vision be well executed.

What Kind of Films Populate Film Festivals?

Film Festivals are innately built for films of all kinds, there will rarely be a genre that is missing. There are different kinds of film festivals, and they all have different kinds of films listed. If we’re looking at a larger festival, such as Cannes or Sundance, there will be all sorts of films available. Larger studios such as A24, NEON, IFC and many more can be found showcasing their films here. They usually also have big names attached to them, especially when it comes to the directors of these films.
However, smaller film festivals happen around the world and they bring forward a more naturalistic take on their film listings. People can simply go on and apply for their film to be showcased. Anyone could do so, no matter how popular or little-known you are as a director. There’s a huge amount of content as a result, these film festivals highlight a lot of good stuff. Short films are most likely a huge part of the listings, whereas there are also a lot of indie films and low-budget art films.

How Do Film Festivals Increase Creativity?

Film Festivals are there to provide creators with platforms to showcase their vision to the world. They exist simply to give the filmmakers a proper channel through which they can build repertoire and a name for themselves. It’s not an easy task to get to a high-level film festival, but smaller film festivals are accessible to anyone and everyone. These events indulge you to make your product as personal, unique and creative as possible.
Creativity is the main reason why these film festivals exist. They wish to showcase unique projects to their audiences, films that are thought-provoking, perspective changing, auditory and sensory experiences that will stay with you long after the credits roll. This is why a film such as ‘Titane’ has reached such massive success at Cannes, because of how incredibly different it is. A film that showcases the voyeuristic point of view of its main character, and pushes it beyond the envelope into a world of the surreal.

Conclusion:

Film Festivals are a genuinely important part of the cinematic arts. No one can deny this, simply because of their influence on young auteurs, aspiring filmmakers, people who are interested in cinema and audiences alike. It can be a gateway into the world of filmmaking for most, and a way to embolden their names into the history books for others. At the end of the day, film festivals are a celebration of cinema to its fullest extent. They accept every form of film, and create a varied list of films for people to watch and admire.