Bend Film Festival - Recap

This was my first time volunteering for the Bend Film Festival.  I have attended and watched movies during previous festivals, but never volunteered.  I am really glad that I did this year.  Somehow it adds another layer to the experience.  In a small way, I am helping make the experience available to others.

All three days that I volunteered I was at the Cascades Theater.  In the past, we have attended plays there and enjoyed the venue.  The owner, Howard, has remodeled the interior since our last visit.  It has a very nice intimate local feeling.

On the last day, Howard was talking with the film festival's grand Poobah of volunteers about what a great experience it was this year.  He said that it had been miserable in past years.  Originally, he refused to be part of the festival this year.  He was talked into it by the interim festival director.  By the end of the festival, Howard was recruiting film festival volunteers to come volunteer during CTC’s plays.  Barbara and I are interested in helping out.

Most of the credit goes to Jeff, the CTC venue manager from the festival.  Jeff worked hard to make sure that everything went well with Howard and the site.  We did things to encourage people to use the concession stand.  For example, after we checked people in, we allowed them into the lobby before the auditorium doors opened.  As they were milling around, they would buy something from the concession stand.  We were told that Howard was very happy with the sales.

Jeff and the rest of the volunteers were great to work with.  Everyone was friendly and excited about the festival.

The other nice thing about volunteering was that we were allowed to watch the movies during our shifts.  I ended up watching some movies that I would not have picked and some of them were great!

True to form, the two movies I liked the most did not win any awards and the two that I liked the least both won awards!  A closer look suggests that says more about me than the award voters.  The two movies I liked the most (Dusty & Stones and Tell Them You Love Me) are both documentaries.  Both America (Best Narrative Film) and Talia’s Journey (Best Direction of a Narrative Film)  were more on the artsy side.  I liked the artsy narrative films, just not as much as the documentaries.

Another interesting note, as volunteers, we heard the most buzz about “Riley” and “The Grab”.  Both documentaries did not win any awards.  The Best Documentary award went to “ANIMA: My Fathers Dresses''.  This movie is available by streaming from the festival this week.  “The Grab” is supposed to be coming out on Hulu in November.  Not sure how I will get to see “Riley”.

Anyway, it was an amazing experience and I hope I get a chance to volunteer next year.