Wikipedia describes a “documentary” as a documenting of reality…cinema’s portrayal of observing life and interpreting the modern world. Where the real and the raw are so much better than actors or fictitious substitutes. This is what we love about documentary films; the portrayal of life. Lives just like ours, but due to some extraordinary circumstance are now being captured on film. Such is November Requiem. A gritty true story about the sinking of the Carl Bradley back in the late 1950’s, where 33 of 35 crewmen perished. Two-thirds of this crew were from the same small harbor town in Northern Michigan, and the impact those deaths had on this rural community is still felt today. Good storytelling, good cinematography, better history.

Organizing and developing a film festival takes work. Hard work. It involves hundreds of hours building the infrastructure, creating a desirable atmosphere for filmmakers, developing programming that benefits the community (and filmmakers), creating partnerships with community leaders and businesses, getting the word out, pouring over hundreds of movies which requires scores of volunteers and industry professionals, managing selected films and executing and tweaking the business plan for continued growth…..just to name a few. Very few upstart ventures like this have the benefit of a heavily funded operational budget on the get-go, which makes it’s grass roots initiative all the more organic (for lack of a better word) as well as a challenge.

So why do we do it? Why do put in the hours for no pay? Is it because we love where we live and want to see interest and growth and economic development? Yes. That’s part of it. But bottom line is that we love the art. We believe in it and it’s impact. We love visual storytelling because it’s both a deeply human impulse and the most powerful way to communicate the values of a community or your “message” to the next generation.

Every once in a while you come across a story that resonates with the deepest part of you. For some reason, it touches an emotional chord. Many films we’re showing this year do just that. One such film is Butterfly Circus. You’ll enjoy this short story. It’s one that finds redemptive value in a human life….no matter what challenges or disadvantages that life may have. Every one can be an influence. Everyone can have a positive impact on others. You just need to believe in the gifts or talents you have….even if it’s something as simple as kindness.

In our festival guidelines, we state that we want this film festival to attract international films that are inspiring and challenging and that the family can invest in.

Why? Because the family genre is not just about kids anymore. It’s older teens, parents of children and childless adults. Over the past decade, box-office numbers have proven that it’s the most profitable, the most attended, and the most “up” in production output versus its R-rated counterparts. It’s people who don’t want the excessive Hollywood “gish” that creates a cringe-factor.

A writer from one of the business journals stated “…the key will be an open-minded, nonjudgmental view of what family friendly means. If we’re looking at only films kids can see — it’s bedtime for the whole idea. If we’re looking at films that teenagers and their parents should see together, then I would challenge the committee choosing these films to consider an example — Juno.”

Would Juno be considered? Yes. It’s storyline about teen pregnancy and adoption, along with its production value are indeed an A+. But it is not suitable for all ages. Personally, I felt it was a little too neat and tidy without long term consequential impact, but indeed thought provoking. The business journal writer goes on in her editorial to say this genre of movies should “have an edge and challenge viewers….to chew over the themes and ideas, battle with the characters’ choices, and discuss — with our families — what we would have done if faced with the same problems.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

Good news! Submissions are coming in from all over the world!  We’ve received submissions from Korea, Scotland, India, as well as several states in the US — California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and the list goes on.  Not only are are we going to have several perspectives that span the globe, but students, amateurs, and professionals alike can submit.  

There are a number of categories that span the spectrum of film genres — from feature length and documentary, to animation and music video.  Check out the Filmmakers section of the site for more details.  And remember, the deadline is July 17!  Visit http://www.grfilmfestival.com to get your questions answered.  We can’t wait to see you in August!