Festival 2016 Impressions by Richard Landau

In the aftermath of the 2016 festival, the organizers have been taking stock of what worked, what could be improved next time, and what new ideas we might try. In addition to our usual post-festival articles, we thought we’d invite audience members and volunteers to be guest writers. We asked several people of differing backgrounds and experiences to share their honest observations about the 2016 Festival. We’re grateful to everyone who submitted articles and we’re very pleased to present this 1st piece from Richard Landau:

Festival 2016 Impressions No. 1

It is both the scale and the scope of the 2016 Willson Oakville Film Festival that I appreciated.

On the matter of scale, this is a film festival that over three days affords one with an opportunity to see as many films as one can realistically absorb and integrate. As for its scope, the festival’s selection committee has curated a limited, yet rich range of offerings that reflect the themes and styles popular in current film making from Canada and abroad. I note this included a balanced choice of genres and films that are alternately driven by either subject matter, acting, or by their directing and cinematography. I also enjoy the fact that the intimate scale of the festival allows participants to engage in meaningful conversations with the attending filmmakers and talent. In my case, I had the opportunity to ask a filmmaker about her film’s budget and how successful she had been with crowdfunding. I found that valuable and instructive. I’m looking forward to next year.

written by Richard M. Landau
TV Producer, Documentary Maker, Screenwriter, OFFA Volunteer