Film Festivals

When the leaves turn we expect festivals in towns and cities across America. One of my favorites is the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville, OH. Another genre of festival that is taking hold and bringing in vistors by the thousands is the film festival. In our city of Charlottesville, this is our 20th year. While all festivals take time and lots of volunteer and staff hours, they are opportunities to showcase a part of history, cuisine, or issues. In places that may have limited movie access except through Netflix or the local DVD store, a film festival opens up new horizons, gives life to new conversations, and explores topics that real life often avoids. Its a win-win for the community. Lexington, KY launched it One World film festival several years ago to create a dialogue on issues of diversity. Organizers tell me that the numbers continue to grow and it has given the community a resource for conversation and reflection that it did not have before.