Those of us who follow the annual Oscar race have long known how important certain film festivals are to generating momentum. It’s not an accident that a high percentage of contenders premiere around the same time and have screenings at the same events. Producers want the right type of people to see their movie, just as consensus is starting to form around which films will be contenders during awards season. Unfortunately, that’s becoming more and more complicated.
I didn’t use the term Oscar voters because, while they will always be the most important of the right type of people, they’re not the only right type of people you need to win over to make noise during awards season these days. A splashy premiere at Toronto International Film Festival or Cannes or others can generate buzz, but you need sustained momentum. That comes from local critics groups, who often put out their best of lists quite early, and it comes from hardcore indie film fans who see obscure titles and shout at their friends to do the same.
New York, Los Angeles and some of the other biggest cities in the country are, of course, filled with movie theaters that specialize in indies and more out there potential contenders, but in mid-size cities, many of these theaters have closed down or consolidated into smaller ones with just a few screens. That means seeing many of these titles has never been more complicated.
I live in St Louis and can speak from personal experience. The indie movie theater at the fancy mall recently closed, and while the local AMC and Ronnie’s do a good job of programming some more artsy titles, it’s not the same thing as having a theater that specializes in that. Many who live in mid-size cities are in the exact same boat as I am, but thankfully, that’s where smaller film festivals are stepping in.
Here in St Louis, we have SLIFF: The St Louis International Film Festival. This year, it will play more than 270 movies between November 6th and November 16th. The showings will include likely Oscar contenders like Hamnet, Testament Of Ann Lee and Sentimental Value, among many, many others. It’ll also show numerous leading contenders in the documentary and shorts categories, which are even harder to track down and watch.
For most smaller budget movies, their best path to getting seen by potential fans and making money is through Oscar nominations. There are plenty of people who will go out of their way to see every Best Picture nominee, but in order to be in consideration, you need more than just a splashy premiere at one of the big festivals. You need to find fans who are willing to speak out on behalf of the movie on social and in their friend groups. You need smaller critics to advocate for movies. You need to build buzz, and in an era where art house movie theaters are disappearing at an alarming rate, smaller film festivals will continue to fill that void.
