AND ... EXHALE!

Well that was fun. Yes, the Tribeca Film Festival ended yesterday, and finally I can start to breathe again. Maybe even see some movies and watch some TV. (Yes, my job at the festival actually precluded me from seeing anything, until I finally had the chance to sit through the wonderful Favela Rising yesterday.) In fact, I finally returned home last night after 10 days at the Marriott Financial Center to discover that much of my DiVod TV from the past several weeks was (shudder) gone, so I'm going to be way behind and trying to figure out how to catch up.

Now I've got a week or two of wrap on the festival -- cleaning stuff up and writing reports about how things went and what still needs to be improved before next year. I'll write more about my TFF experience in the coming days and where I plan to go from here, and even more importantly, I'll get back to praising and ranting as soon as I can.

I'd like some help from you, though -- anyone who is in New York who attended the festival -- I'd love to know what you thought. Not just about the movies, but about the experience. I'd especially love to hear from anyone who was attending Tribeca as a returning customer. We made a lot of changes at most of the venues (especially our main screening location, the Regal Battery Park): most seemed to help even if things still weren't always perfect. If you've come to the festival in previous years and were there again over the last two weeks, what did you think? Did you have an easier time finding the information you needed? Did anything especially help? Did anything happen to piss you off? Did it look like a festival? Did you enjoy the atmostphere?

Feel free to comment or email me (link is above to the left), but I'd appreciate only serious responses. I don't mind complaints, but if you're not offering something constructive or real, I'd appreciate you not wasting my time. A lot of my job this year was dedicated to creating systems to help provide the audience with a better experience and an easier time actually getting to and seeing the movies. It's still not perfect, but it is improving, , and I'd love to hear what you think.

Comments

[lily]

All around, I thought it was much better this time compared to years past. Except when my seat broke.

[Filmbrain]

Hey Aaron -- welcome back.

As someone who has both worked the festival (last year -- thanks to you) and simply attended as a guest, there are a few things I take issue with, though I'm not sure this is the type of feedback you are looking for.

First off, I didn't get to nearly as many films as I would have liked this year due to lack of time. I would agree, however, that things at the Regal were more organized than last year – and it sounds like you can take a fair share of credit for that.

My problem with the festival has to do with its philosophy, or lack thereof. To many, the TFF seems less a film festival than a massive marketing campaign for American Express. While corporate sponsorship exists at almost every major film festival (to some extent), the TFF is ALL about American Express, and it's quite a turn off. First, there is the advanced sales for AMEX holders -- this is bullshit. Then there are the high profile films -- Hollywood product that has no place at an international film festival. I mean - what was House of Wax doing there?

You'd think that a festival still in its infancy would want as much press as they can get, yet they seemed not to be interested in film bloggers -- well, at least this one. (By comparison, the Berlinale, a festival with far more prestige has embraced bloggers.)

I think the TFF needs to figure out exactly what it wants to be. Is it for the people, or for AMEX employees and their clients? Is it about the films, or about the publicity?

Still, there were many impressive titles this year -- it's just a shame it was next to impossible to get to enough of them (or get tickets for them!)

[Thigh Master]

Two words for the '06: More Cuthbert!!!!