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| Final night- final line up |
A few quick notes and questions about New York Asian before I truly put it to bed.
First a question- if you went to multiple screenings what were your audiences like? I ask this because I was stopped on the train home after the closing night ceremony by an Asian gentleman who wanted to know if the audiences I attended the films of were largely Asian or mixed. All of the Chinese films he went to were mostly filled with Chinese. I told him that the two Hong Kong films I attended were largely Chinese, The Kingdom screening seemed to be largely Japanese but the other two were mixed.
I’m not sure if it means anything or was a fluke. I do know that in my five in person screenings they were not as diverse in past years. Additionally it seemed most people were only there for that one movie- or they were going to another event right after.
Another question for you was if you want to multiple screenings, did the people introducing the film mention other films unconnected to the film that was screening? At the films I went to it was a general "go see something else" not an effort yo get us to be aware of specific titles. Back in the day there was always a discussion of all the films not just the one in front of us. When it was the Subway guys there was always an effort to get people to go to other films at the fest- you like this? Try that? They would do it in the lobby and they would do it in the screenings. They worked the audience.
I didn't see that much interaction with most of the audience beyond the volunteers directing people to their seats. The founders always engaged when they weren't running around doing.
This brings up one thing I really dislike, which is the seeming distance between the NYAFF organizers (not the volunteers) and the audience. They seem to be watchers not participants. Honestly I had more conversations with the staff of Lincoln Center than I did with the festival.
The festival seems to be becoming aloof.
If you want to know how NYAFF sees itself, consider that the festival’s awards went to art house fare. This isn’t a knock at the films themselves, rather I say it more to illustrate the film is heading toward New York Film Festival art house territory as opposed to something more main middle of the road and all encompassing- basically they are playing to a specific audience and not seeming to bring Asian films to a truly wider audience (which was what it felt like in the early days). The short CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO DIE is the most art house of the shorts (and possibly feature wise as well) I saw. It’s a film that would play at the most artistic festivals where it was all about prestige and not about quality. I was mixed on it because the artifice wiped the emotion.
The juried feature awards went to WOMEN OF ROTE ISLAND (Honorable mention) and SNOW IN MIDSUMMER. Both are films about difficult subjects (crimes against women and genocide) that are not one’s the local authorities want explored. Both are very mannered, very deliberate screams in the night. I suspect they won less for their quality (personally I liked other films better) and more because their winning would make a statement.
Honestly I had the feeling last weekend that the organizers would rather not program the big action films except that they put butts in seats (they tend to sell out) and attract attention to the festival because of the guests. (It reminds me of the small New York Chinese Film Festival that seemed to exist just so the rich programmers could bring people like Donnie Yen and Jet Li to New York. The festival folded after 3 or 4 years) That’s their prerogative but it makes the fest seem to be split with the majority of films being small gems and a few blockbusters that are there just to attract sellouts and press. The festival now seems less exciting and more run of the mill.
More troubling this doesn't feel like a fest people are going to to be with friends, socialize and make discoveries as a group as it was until a year or so ago. This year it seemed people just went for the films or the guests. I mention this because in the last two weeks I’ve been hearing how everyone was going to Fantasia to see friends first and films second. With NYAFF this year almost everyone I spoke with was going, if they were going, just for the films.
While I loved discovering many of the films, I miss being social, with friends and with the festival people. I miss being sad that the festival was done. I miss feeling I should have seen more...
But now no more time to look back, NYAFF is in the past and it's time to move on.
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