The Mill Valley Film Festival kicked off with a rollicking good time last night. If patrons were disappointed in the any of the Opening Night films…well, they had a fabulous party to enjoy on a balmy Indian Summer night! There were three films: The Homesman with the star Hilary Swank in attendance, Men Women & Children with the director, Jason Reitman and his young star, Kaitlyn Dever, and Laggies (which the busy actress, Kaitlyn Dever was also featured in!) playing in separate theaters in Mill Valley, Corte Madera and San Rafael.
MVFF always has an amazing program of diverse films. There are wonderful documentaries, great shorts programs and many International films that never get screened at your local movie theater. It’s a gorgeous setting in Marin County, though you do need a car and patience with parking. The festival staff that come in for the show are seasoned professionals and we have a lot of fun working together. What this festival also has–is growing pains, and a sense of entitlement from some patrons, board members and even some year-round staff.
Coming from my recent experience at the Telluride Film Festival where I never heard “Do you know who I am?” to a festival where something like that is said or implied every day–well, it’s a shock! There are 15 different badges with different privileges assigned to each. The wealthy and well-heeled are favored in all things. There are patrons not willing to stand in line, upset over seating options, cranky if they can’t have sponsor seats and staff that cater to their every whim during the rest of the year. It’s the donor dollars that keep the CA Film Institute afloat year-round! And for staff that are used to having the where withal (and the patience!) to make the patrons feel special at the many screenings featuring the Hollywood stars and/or directors throughout the year…festival time is a challenge!
When patrons used to sitting in their favorite seats walk into a theater that is a sea of reserved seats, there is bound to be push back! For festival ticket-holders who feel they’ve already spent more than they would for a film, then had to wait in a line, THEN arrive to find they will be sitting in the back row…it can be an unpleasant surprise.
So much of the issues at Mill Valley Film Festival are due to small venues and patrons who want to see celebrities. There are long lines and film lovers must wait in the sun while those who’ve paid the big bucks get to go in first. Here we have this wonderful film festival with talented filmmakers from all over the world in this gorgeous setting—and a mad dash to get the best seats.
Do you know who I am? Well, I hope that you are a film-lover who is thrilled to be part of this shared experience. Let’s all remember, it’s a Festival. Don’t forget to be Festive!!
Drinks with films 