Huge socio-economic upheaval and multiple national and global crises, alongside the digital shifts that accelerated during the pandemic, have unearthed some existential questions for today's film festival ecosystem.
Finding justification, purpose and clarity in long-term planning and considered, responsive programming is a challenge in such unpredictable and urgent times. Yet the fragility of most of our contexts means there's little time to rethink structures, and often their rigidity is not within our control.
This open platform conversation aims to explore why festivals hold onto or find themselves stuck in certain structures and forms, what measures we can take to rework them in order to make our own work more sustainable and purposeful, and how those in different economic, cultural and industry contexts respond to crises. Without pursuing a clear answer, can we imagine a better way of working, and how can necessity and crisis open up new possibilities?
Open for all to contribute, and led by GSFF's Sanne Jehoul, Alchemy Film & Arts' Rachael Disbury, and Beirut Shorts' Nicolas Khabbaz.
This is a free event.
Nicolas Khabbaz's attendance at GSFF is generously supported by the British Council.
