300 - Brian Owens, Artistic Director Calgary International Film Festival - Curating Festivals For Maximum Engagement, The Importance Of Scoring, and Editing Your Film To The Essential
Sep 13, 2022
Hello, Hello!
In this episode, we have a conversation with Artistic Director Brian Owens. We talk about the upcoming Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) beginning on September 22nd, the importance of The Royal Theater in Danville, Indiana and the story of their "Big Pickle," why Jaws changed his life, what mistake kills the chances of a film being accepted into a major film festival, how he balances the needs of the local filmmakers while expanding CIFF to new audiences, why reducing a movie to the essential is paramount to success, and his $1 million run-in with Al and Tipper Gore. Enjoy!
The MAKE IT podcast is the platform for the Voice of the Filmmaker (https://www.bonsai.film/voiceofthefilmmaker) program, which is brought to you in partnership with Women in Film and Television, Nashville (a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization).
Our audience plays a crucial role in making this all happen through donations to this fantastic program.
Donate Today! (https://www.bonsai.film/donate)
Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film.
Subscribe to the MAKE IT Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. We're everywhere!
You can find more info and a link to join our bi-weekly newsletter here: https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative.
Thanks for listening and, as always,
Be Better. Be Creative. Be Engaged.
#MAKEIT
More on CIFF
CIFF INFO:
Instagram: @ciffcalgary
CIFF is happening from September 22nd - October 2nd, 2022
CIFF operates on the traditional territories of the Treaty 7 region, which includes the Blackfoot First Nation tribes of Siksika, Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley and the Region 3 Metis Nation of Alberta.
The first Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) was held in 2000 for six days and was attended by 8,000 people. Now, attendance has more than quadrupled to over 35,000 for the expanded 11-day festival.
In 2022, CIFF celebrates its 23rd year, September 22nd - October 2nd. The 11-day showcase of over 175 multi-genre feature and short films from Canada and worldwide also hosts an Industry Week series that emphasizes unique and exciting ways for filmmakers and fans to interact. Our virtual cinema program returns this year for audiences across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Calgary International Film Festival is now the largest film festival in Alberta and is the sixth-largest in Canada. It is also an Oscar-qualifying festival for short films, a Canadian Screen Award Qualifying festival, and was named one of "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" in 2009, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2022 by MovieMaker Magazine.
Shownotes:
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Cleveland International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Bill Guentzler (Dir. Of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures)
The Story of the Weeping Camel (film)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (film)
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger (book)