Post by Natalie on Jan 31, 2005 1:01:49 GMT -5
I know Remi posted the SXSW info in the Luke thread, but I am posting the whole article here, just in case anyone is interested in any of the festivals. ;D
www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/travel/10762338.htm
www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/travel/10762338.htm
Posted on Sun, Jan. 30, 2005
Six festivals for the film lover
Film festivals. You read about them all the time. Cannes. Sundance. Toronto. Telluride. You see the glitzy pictures from them . . . of Matt and Ben, of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, of Abbas Kiarostami and Catherine Breillat. You ponder that unanswerable question: ``Why would anyone travel 2,000 miles to see an indie movie that's going to turn up in four months on the Sundance Channel?''
And, maybe, you also say to yourself: ``Can `real' people actually go to these things?'' Not overpaid celebrities. Not expense-account-padded movie critics. But the everyday movie lover who is eager to see what all the hype is about.
The answer is an emphatic yes. We've put together a user-friendly ``average Joe movie buff'' guide to attending some of the most high-profile festivals across the globe, designed to show you how to ``festival.'' (Lesson No. 1: Any snobby festivalgoer must learn to use the word ``festival'' as a verb, e.g., ``I've been festivaling for two weeks straight, and now I'm ready for a long nap -- or at least an Adam Sandler comedy.'')
South by Southwest
Austin, Texas (March 11-19)
The scene: For a film festival, the vibe is appealingly relaxed. You'll see your share of celebrities (Ethan Hawke was ubiquitous a couple of years back) and maybe even a couple of terrific movies (this is where we discovered ``Spellbound'' in 2002), but you won't get stressed-out doing it.
But if you actually want to see movies: It's reasonably easy and -- by film-festival standards -- inexpensive. An all-access pass (which includes all film screenings, panels and official parties) runs $250 in advance or $275 walk-up. That gains you priority access into any screening. Individual tickets are also available -- and provided you line up early, you shouldn't have too much trouble gaining admittance to the movies you want to see.
Remember to keep your visit short and sweet: The film festival runs a full 10 days, but by Day Five, the annual South by Southwest music conference has also kicked into high gear -- and Austin is suddenly gridlocked.
Getting around: Most of main venues for screenings, including the Paramount Theater, and panels (mainly the Austin Convention Center), are in downtown Austin.
Places to stay/be seen: A high-end choice we like is the Four Seasons ($235; (800) 819-5053). A more reasonably priced alternative is the Omni, where the service is exceptional and rooms range from $149 to $179 ((800) THE-OMNI). You should probably avoid the hipper hotels south of the river, such as the San Jose and the Austin Motel, if only because a car will needlessly complicate your visit. The best places to see and be seen are the hotel bars at the Driskill, the Omni and, especially, the Four Seasons, where two years ago Owen Wilson, Robert Duvall and Matthew McConaughey were spotted within minutes of one another.
ONLINE: www.sxsw.com
Cannes Film Festival
France (May 11-22)
The scene: Cannes, pronounced ``can,'' not ``kahn,'' is the big kahuna of festivals. During the Cannes fortnight, the streets of this town in the Provence region of southern France are jammed with stars, baby, stars! Plus filmmakers, film distributors, up-and-coming actors, well-established actors, paparazzi, film critics and hordes of sweaty, non-industry folks trying desperately to insinuate themselves into the social scene or at least get an eyeful of glamour types getting out of cars. More than 200,000 people attended last year's event.
Cannes can'ts:
1. You can't get into any events at the Palais, the principal venue, without credentials.
2. You can't get credentials. (Not unless you're in the film industry or are a working member of the press, that is.)
3. You can't go to Cannes without spending a bundle.
Cannes cans:
1. You can get in to see movies at some of the lesser venues without credentials.
2. If you look over this shoulder, and around that elbow, you can catch glimpses of people like Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp and Kevin Kline.
3. You can say for the rest of your life, ``When I was at Cannes. . .''
Where to stay: At home. This one really is meant for people who have connections and lots of money.
ONLINE: www.festival-cannes.com.
Telluride, Colo.
(Sept. 2-5)
The scene: Tiny Telluride (six blocks wide by 12 blocks long), nestled in a box canyon in the gorgeous San Juan Mountains, swells to three times its usual population during the annual Labor Day weekend film festival. Jeans-and-boots-clad festivalgoers walk from screening to seminar to bar to screening, hoping to rub elbows or some other lucky body part with celebs such as Annette Bening or Gael Garcia Bernal. The town is so teensy that festivalgoers have a good chance of finding themselves sharing sidewalk space with someone famous at some point; but even without that there's the crisp air and the mountains and the movies, and people are just generally pretty happy to be there.
Getting into things: If you want to guarantee you'll get to see the movies you want, buy either an Acme Pass ($325), which gets you into all screenings at the Chuck Jones' Cinema and two shows of your choice each day at other venues, or a Festival Pass ($650), which provides first-come, first-served admission (but you have priority over everyone without a pass) to seven of the eight venues. It's possible, though, to get into some screenings of buzz movies without passes (more on that later).
A room with a view: Hotels fill up, and you'll want to make reservations soon -- like now, or, better yet, six months ago. The most quaint place to stay is the New Sheridan Hotel, a historic Victorian building that's been beautifully restored and offers rooms from $160 to $420. It's probably too late to reserve a room there for this year's festival, but think 2006; call (800) 200-1891. More typical accommodations include the three-star Ice House, which offers rooms from $285-$430 during the festival; call (800) 950-1363.
Telluride on the cheap: It's possible to ``festival'' at Telluride on a budget -- we know, we're quite the tightwad, and we did it last year.
You can often get into movies at the larger venues, even audience favorites, without a pass. Just show up, stand in line for a long time and cross your fingers. Individual tickets to films are $20. There's also a late-show pass for $25 that gains you admission to the last show of the night at the biggest venues for the length of the festival (after pass holders, of course).
And there are free things: public ``conversations'' with people like Laura Linney; outdoor seminars, four free, outdoor, nightly screenings; riding the gondola; breathing the mountain air.
Even accommodations can be reasonable. We naively arrived in town late in the festival and, because some folks had already left, found a room for not much more than $100. And if you're up for it, there's a campground right in town.
ONLINE: www.telluridefilmfestival.org
Toronto International Film Festival
(Sept. 8-17)
The scene: For 10 usually wonderful days in early fall, the entire city of Toronto seems to be taken over by this festival: The newspapers are filled with coverage; people wander up and down the streets animatedly chatting about what movies they've seen; everywhere you turn, you seem to see Johnny Knoxville. The reason is this: It's probably the only film festival in North America that appeals equally to movie geeks and celebrity worshipers.
Remember to plan ahead: The last thing you want to do is show up without tickets -- you'll find yourself in ``long'' rush lines that often prove fruitless. The problem, for the everyday not-from-Canada movie buff, is that the ticketing system is a byzantine process that involves fax machines, Fed-Ex-ing and lotteries. The best bet is to go for one of the many ticket packages or coupon books (sold for a wide range of prices, from hundreds to thousands). But these need to be purchased in August, and they sell out almost instantly. Then there's the daunting hurdle of selecting your movies, which is done by lottery in early September. Individual tickets for films (usually $18 Canadian) go on sale in early September, but by then many of the choice screenings have already filled up. All of this is explained, in mind-boggling detail, on the Toronto International Film Festival Web site.
Got all that?: OK, now that you've actually secured some tickets, have a ball. The festival venues are mostly concentrated in the Yorkville section of Toronto, which means all manner of terrific shops and restaurants to visit between screenings. And if you hang around on the corner of Avenue Road and Cumberland Street -- right in between the Park Hyatt and the Four Seasons Hotel -- you're bound to enjoy some primo celebrity spotting.
Where to stay: If you want to rub elbows with the glitterati, try to grab a room at the Windsor Arms ($206-$1,399, (416) 971-9666) or the Four Seasons (from $355, (800) 819-5053). If you want to rub elbows with lowly film critics, there are affordable options, including a Quality Inn and a Days Inn, within walking distance of the main venues.
Where to party: Your best bet, if you're not on any invite lists, is to walk down Bloor Street around 10 p.m. and look for large throngs of people. Unfortunately, security has become so tight at these things that you may be shot dead trying to sneak into parties. But good luck -- and say hello to Johnny Knoxville for us if you get inside.
ONLINE: www.e.bell.ca/filmfest
Six festivals for the film lover
Film festivals. You read about them all the time. Cannes. Sundance. Toronto. Telluride. You see the glitzy pictures from them . . . of Matt and Ben, of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, of Abbas Kiarostami and Catherine Breillat. You ponder that unanswerable question: ``Why would anyone travel 2,000 miles to see an indie movie that's going to turn up in four months on the Sundance Channel?''
And, maybe, you also say to yourself: ``Can `real' people actually go to these things?'' Not overpaid celebrities. Not expense-account-padded movie critics. But the everyday movie lover who is eager to see what all the hype is about.
The answer is an emphatic yes. We've put together a user-friendly ``average Joe movie buff'' guide to attending some of the most high-profile festivals across the globe, designed to show you how to ``festival.'' (Lesson No. 1: Any snobby festivalgoer must learn to use the word ``festival'' as a verb, e.g., ``I've been festivaling for two weeks straight, and now I'm ready for a long nap -- or at least an Adam Sandler comedy.'')
South by Southwest
Austin, Texas (March 11-19)
The scene: For a film festival, the vibe is appealingly relaxed. You'll see your share of celebrities (Ethan Hawke was ubiquitous a couple of years back) and maybe even a couple of terrific movies (this is where we discovered ``Spellbound'' in 2002), but you won't get stressed-out doing it.
But if you actually want to see movies: It's reasonably easy and -- by film-festival standards -- inexpensive. An all-access pass (which includes all film screenings, panels and official parties) runs $250 in advance or $275 walk-up. That gains you priority access into any screening. Individual tickets are also available -- and provided you line up early, you shouldn't have too much trouble gaining admittance to the movies you want to see.
Remember to keep your visit short and sweet: The film festival runs a full 10 days, but by Day Five, the annual South by Southwest music conference has also kicked into high gear -- and Austin is suddenly gridlocked.
Getting around: Most of main venues for screenings, including the Paramount Theater, and panels (mainly the Austin Convention Center), are in downtown Austin.
Places to stay/be seen: A high-end choice we like is the Four Seasons ($235; (800) 819-5053). A more reasonably priced alternative is the Omni, where the service is exceptional and rooms range from $149 to $179 ((800) THE-OMNI). You should probably avoid the hipper hotels south of the river, such as the San Jose and the Austin Motel, if only because a car will needlessly complicate your visit. The best places to see and be seen are the hotel bars at the Driskill, the Omni and, especially, the Four Seasons, where two years ago Owen Wilson, Robert Duvall and Matthew McConaughey were spotted within minutes of one another.
ONLINE: www.sxsw.com
Cannes Film Festival
France (May 11-22)
The scene: Cannes, pronounced ``can,'' not ``kahn,'' is the big kahuna of festivals. During the Cannes fortnight, the streets of this town in the Provence region of southern France are jammed with stars, baby, stars! Plus filmmakers, film distributors, up-and-coming actors, well-established actors, paparazzi, film critics and hordes of sweaty, non-industry folks trying desperately to insinuate themselves into the social scene or at least get an eyeful of glamour types getting out of cars. More than 200,000 people attended last year's event.
Cannes can'ts:
1. You can't get into any events at the Palais, the principal venue, without credentials.
2. You can't get credentials. (Not unless you're in the film industry or are a working member of the press, that is.)
3. You can't go to Cannes without spending a bundle.
Cannes cans:
1. You can get in to see movies at some of the lesser venues without credentials.
2. If you look over this shoulder, and around that elbow, you can catch glimpses of people like Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp and Kevin Kline.
3. You can say for the rest of your life, ``When I was at Cannes. . .''
Where to stay: At home. This one really is meant for people who have connections and lots of money.
ONLINE: www.festival-cannes.com.
Telluride, Colo.
(Sept. 2-5)
The scene: Tiny Telluride (six blocks wide by 12 blocks long), nestled in a box canyon in the gorgeous San Juan Mountains, swells to three times its usual population during the annual Labor Day weekend film festival. Jeans-and-boots-clad festivalgoers walk from screening to seminar to bar to screening, hoping to rub elbows or some other lucky body part with celebs such as Annette Bening or Gael Garcia Bernal. The town is so teensy that festivalgoers have a good chance of finding themselves sharing sidewalk space with someone famous at some point; but even without that there's the crisp air and the mountains and the movies, and people are just generally pretty happy to be there.
Getting into things: If you want to guarantee you'll get to see the movies you want, buy either an Acme Pass ($325), which gets you into all screenings at the Chuck Jones' Cinema and two shows of your choice each day at other venues, or a Festival Pass ($650), which provides first-come, first-served admission (but you have priority over everyone without a pass) to seven of the eight venues. It's possible, though, to get into some screenings of buzz movies without passes (more on that later).
A room with a view: Hotels fill up, and you'll want to make reservations soon -- like now, or, better yet, six months ago. The most quaint place to stay is the New Sheridan Hotel, a historic Victorian building that's been beautifully restored and offers rooms from $160 to $420. It's probably too late to reserve a room there for this year's festival, but think 2006; call (800) 200-1891. More typical accommodations include the three-star Ice House, which offers rooms from $285-$430 during the festival; call (800) 950-1363.
Telluride on the cheap: It's possible to ``festival'' at Telluride on a budget -- we know, we're quite the tightwad, and we did it last year.
You can often get into movies at the larger venues, even audience favorites, without a pass. Just show up, stand in line for a long time and cross your fingers. Individual tickets to films are $20. There's also a late-show pass for $25 that gains you admission to the last show of the night at the biggest venues for the length of the festival (after pass holders, of course).
And there are free things: public ``conversations'' with people like Laura Linney; outdoor seminars, four free, outdoor, nightly screenings; riding the gondola; breathing the mountain air.
Even accommodations can be reasonable. We naively arrived in town late in the festival and, because some folks had already left, found a room for not much more than $100. And if you're up for it, there's a campground right in town.
ONLINE: www.telluridefilmfestival.org
Toronto International Film Festival
(Sept. 8-17)
The scene: For 10 usually wonderful days in early fall, the entire city of Toronto seems to be taken over by this festival: The newspapers are filled with coverage; people wander up and down the streets animatedly chatting about what movies they've seen; everywhere you turn, you seem to see Johnny Knoxville. The reason is this: It's probably the only film festival in North America that appeals equally to movie geeks and celebrity worshipers.
Remember to plan ahead: The last thing you want to do is show up without tickets -- you'll find yourself in ``long'' rush lines that often prove fruitless. The problem, for the everyday not-from-Canada movie buff, is that the ticketing system is a byzantine process that involves fax machines, Fed-Ex-ing and lotteries. The best bet is to go for one of the many ticket packages or coupon books (sold for a wide range of prices, from hundreds to thousands). But these need to be purchased in August, and they sell out almost instantly. Then there's the daunting hurdle of selecting your movies, which is done by lottery in early September. Individual tickets for films (usually $18 Canadian) go on sale in early September, but by then many of the choice screenings have already filled up. All of this is explained, in mind-boggling detail, on the Toronto International Film Festival Web site.
Got all that?: OK, now that you've actually secured some tickets, have a ball. The festival venues are mostly concentrated in the Yorkville section of Toronto, which means all manner of terrific shops and restaurants to visit between screenings. And if you hang around on the corner of Avenue Road and Cumberland Street -- right in between the Park Hyatt and the Four Seasons Hotel -- you're bound to enjoy some primo celebrity spotting.
Where to stay: If you want to rub elbows with the glitterati, try to grab a room at the Windsor Arms ($206-$1,399, (416) 971-9666) or the Four Seasons (from $355, (800) 819-5053). If you want to rub elbows with lowly film critics, there are affordable options, including a Quality Inn and a Days Inn, within walking distance of the main venues.
Where to party: Your best bet, if you're not on any invite lists, is to walk down Bloor Street around 10 p.m. and look for large throngs of people. Unfortunately, security has become so tight at these things that you may be shot dead trying to sneak into parties. But good luck -- and say hello to Johnny Knoxville for us if you get inside.
ONLINE: www.e.bell.ca/filmfest