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Organizing the inaugural Detroit-Windsor International Film Festival has been an exercise in building a network of participants and contributors. Scott Dunham, the festival manager, provides insights into role of universities, the city of Windsor, and John Kelly in bringing it all together.

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Filed under: Detroit, MI | Detroit-Windsor International Film Festival | Finding Gaps | Media | Non-profit | Scott Dunham

This weekend will mark the inaugural running of the Detroit-Windsor International Film Festival. As with many non-profit undertakings, organizing the festival has been an exercise in building a network of participants and contributors. Scott Dunham, the festival manager, provides the highlights of getting this year's festival together:

• From the beginning, the commitment was to develop the festival with "Detroit style" using resources from Michigan and Windsor. The organizing committee specifically ruled out using one of the canned approaches available for purchase so as to maximize the contribution from local Michigan groups.
• Significant contributions have come from two academic institutions whose missions coincide with the goals of the festival: Wayne State University and the College for Creative Studies.
• Windsor has provided an important link into the Canadian film industry and into the Toronto Film Festival, a major North American festival.
• While the festival has been a coalition effort, John Kelly's leadership as festival director has been the glue that holds it together.

The Ann Arbor Film Festival has successfully defined itself as a venue for the most creative film makers.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor Film Festival | Ann Arbor, MI | Defining New Markets | Donald Harrison | Media | Non-profit

Forty six years ago, the Ann Arbor Film Festival was one of the first (download 8 minute iPod compatible video, 42MB). Now, with over 2,000 film festivals in North America alone, it must define its niche, and it is doing so successfully. In 2007, Variety Magazine noted The Ann Arbor Film Festival as one of its top ten.

As Donald Harrison, the Director of Community Development, notes, the Ann Arbor Film Festival has successfully defined itself as a venue for the most creative film makers. The formula relies on taking risks, getting noticed, and fine tuning a selection process that includes over 100 volunteers donating 9,000 hours annually.

Inclusion in the Ann Arbor Film Festival is prestigious with only 130 to 150 of the 2000 submissions annually making it.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor Film Festival | Ann Arbor, MI | Defining New Markets | Donald Harrison | Media

The Ann Arbor Film Festival provides a venue for filmmakers interested in the art of film to show their work (download 6 minute iPod compatible video, 33MB). These filmmakers receive exposure, can gain awards, are paid for their films' showings. Inclusion in the festival program is prestigious with only 130 to 150 of the 2000 submissions annually making it.

The audience for the film festival draws from the regional creative class with attendees arriving from as far away as Milwaukee and Toronto. These patrons support the festival by buying tickets and merchandise. Donald Harrison, the director of community development, is interested in moving into online ticket sales and commemorative DVDs.

When the Ann Arbor Film Festival started, it was a "film" festival, accepting submissions on 16mm and other purely film formats. Now, a substantial portion of its submissions are digital, and it has developed a presence on Youtube.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor Film Festival | Ann Arbor, MI | Defining New Markets | Donald Harrison | Globalization | Media | Technology and Culture

In its 46th year, the Ann Arbor Film Festival is one of the longest running in North America. Each March, the festival presents a highly selective sample of the 2000 cutting edge film submissions it receives from 30 countries. As a non-profit, the festival funds its operations from donations, submission fees, ticket sales, and merchandise.

In this 9 minute segment (download iPod compatible video, 46MB), Donald Harrison, Director of Community Development, outlines how the Ann Arbor Film Festival is adapting in the changing world of media. When the festival started, it was a "film" festival, accepting submissions on 16mm and other formats. Now, a substantial portion of its submissions are digital, and it has developed a presence on Youtube.

Donald views the festival's online and offline activities as both separate and reinforcing each other. As an example of the separation, Youtube videos start to lose viewership at lengths of more than a minute while festival attendees expect programs of 70 minutes or more. However, many of the festival's producers and attendees regularly use Youtube. The festival's enduring value proposition is this changing media landscape is to allow producers, attendees, and industry people to come together in a forum devoted to innovative and pioneering film making.

In future segments, we'll explore how the festival's business model is evolving and how it competes with the over 2000 annual film festivals in North America alone.