Why is it that when someone holds a film screening, no one comes? Over the years I have attended various independent film screenings. These have shown a variety of short films, obscure and better known features, and the like. The resounding memory I have of these -- and am constantly reminded with recent examples -- is the generally low turn out... lack of bums in seats. What is striking about this is that I live in Toronto, which is considered to be a 'world class' city and one of the 'arts'. Not that people in smaller towns and cities aren't interested in such film programs because even if they did initiate a 'small house' screening venue attendance would undoubtedly be low as the base populations are so small. But for a city like Toronto this is inexcusable, if not a case study ready to be explored by some student of statistical analysis. Perhaps a place like Toronto has changed. I do remember attending "The Funnel" on a regular basis back in the mid 1980s. This film group was dedicated to experimental film and video works and also to the odd 'live' (mixed media) show. Screenings were twice a week -- Saturday and Wednesday if memory serves me -- and I was there with my fellow classmates almost every screening. And the (smallish) theatre was full or close to capacity. |
Sunday, July 29, 2007
SCREEN THIS!
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3 comments:
Knowingly or not, you raise a vital question-- why was the Funnel so packed in the 1980s? Is it because the convenience of video had not yet taken over our lives? For instance, today, similar fare at Cinematheque does not necessarily draw a large audience, despite that their screenings are often of the "See it now or never" type. I believe people are just getting so de-personalized that they'd rather sit home and watch something on a computer.
The smaller screens surely have a tougher go at things, for this reason and who knows what else, but they're not alone. For example, even mainstream films have had trouble packing the crowds in... in the last couple of years at Toronto's famed Festival cinemas, even more popular films had problems with attendance. When the mainstream has problems, so does everyone else, it seems.
Good points but The Funnel was experimental films. I don't know how this would fare today which makes the equation even more difficult.
I should be specific: I have seen experimental programs at the Cinematheque. The Funnel was dedicated to experimental films but still managed to "pull them in".
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