Washington Post slams Filmfest DC and festival director
04-30-07, 09:43 AM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Washington Post slams Filmfest DC and festival director
As a Washingtonian and member of the DC Film Society I feel ultimately compelled to address and make aware of an article that appeared in yesterday's Washington Post addressing the many flaws of the annual FilmFest DC
Are 2 Roles Too Many at Filmfest DC?
what the article points out, is that festival director Tony Gitten's is unsuitable for his role, since one he's doing this part time, and two he has no real goals for the festival on the whole - which quite frankly is damning to the festival and the city it represents. Other factor's that I've seen for the last four years is that the festival is horrribly unadvertised, lack of merchandise: from my ventures to other film festivals: DC Filmfest is one of a few festivals that DOESN'T have an official festival souvenir programme guide - a sign that there are simply no intentions of getting a larger pool of sponsors for the festival. The article also points out that even studio reps hardly know about the festival - sad, just sad.
Notable Film programmer Scott Rudolph who has complid an extensive list of national and international film festivals hadn't even heard of Filmfest DC (oh good grief).
Sony Pictures Classic co-chairman Tom Bernard points out Filmfest DC "seems to be a festival that's a catch as catch can. It's something when you get... Filmfest DC calling with an air of desperation, looking for a movie to benefit a festival rather than the festival to benefit a movie."
Ultimately and sadly what the article points out that as film director, Gitten's overall goal is laclustre at best, his naivity and relunctance to aspire to the ranks of higher profile regional film festivals is summoned up as:
"I don't have those thoughts'
talk about underachieving... that is just pathetic.
My DC Film Society friends and I are always complaining that the festival never sets it's goals higher and this article (as well as a negative article from DC's City Paper regarding Filmfest DC 2006 proved us right...
so those in the DC area, give Mayor Fenty an email stating that you're just as embarassed by this article as I was, and that Film Director's Tony Gitten's attitude and non-plussed underachieving stance of the festival is unacceptable.
Are 2 Roles Too Many at Filmfest DC?
what the article points out, is that festival director Tony Gitten's is unsuitable for his role, since one he's doing this part time, and two he has no real goals for the festival on the whole - which quite frankly is damning to the festival and the city it represents. Other factor's that I've seen for the last four years is that the festival is horrribly unadvertised, lack of merchandise: from my ventures to other film festivals: DC Filmfest is one of a few festivals that DOESN'T have an official festival souvenir programme guide - a sign that there are simply no intentions of getting a larger pool of sponsors for the festival. The article also points out that even studio reps hardly know about the festival - sad, just sad.
Notable Film programmer Scott Rudolph who has complid an extensive list of national and international film festivals hadn't even heard of Filmfest DC (oh good grief).
Sony Pictures Classic co-chairman Tom Bernard points out Filmfest DC "seems to be a festival that's a catch as catch can. It's something when you get... Filmfest DC calling with an air of desperation, looking for a movie to benefit a festival rather than the festival to benefit a movie."
Ultimately and sadly what the article points out that as film director, Gitten's overall goal is laclustre at best, his naivity and relunctance to aspire to the ranks of higher profile regional film festivals is summoned up as:
"I don't have those thoughts'
talk about underachieving... that is just pathetic.
My DC Film Society friends and I are always complaining that the festival never sets it's goals higher and this article (as well as a negative article from DC's City Paper regarding Filmfest DC 2006 proved us right...
so those in the DC area, give Mayor Fenty an email stating that you're just as embarassed by this article as I was, and that Film Director's Tony Gitten's attitude and non-plussed underachieving stance of the festival is unacceptable.
Last edited by Giles; 04-30-07 at 09:46 AM.
