2014 New Hampshire Film Festival:
Bigger and Better Than Ever!
Posted by Leah on
10/23/2014 10:05:56 AM
As we approach the end of October, the 2014 New Hampshire Film Festival has now come and gone. With these sorts of things the phrase “bigger and better than ever” gets thrown around so much it’s almost cliché, but in the case of this year’s NHFF it’s true.
There really was something for everyone as this year’s festival featured over 100 films of all types and budgets. There were feature length films and documentaries, as well as short films and documentaries, music videos, animation and a showcase of New Hampshire made films. The hardest part was deciding what to see. I know that’s also cliché, but I mean it. I spent hours poring over film trailers and descriptions in an attempt to cram in as many as possible over the four day festival, while somehow trying to squeeze in the time to eat(which I didn’t always accomplish). I then wrote out my own schedule based on my choices and did my best to avoid conflicts.
The decisions over what to see at what time can become a little stressful when there are so many great films to choose from, but some are playing at the same times as others. The unfortunate thing is that it’s unavoidable. With four days and 5 venues worth of films it’s truly impossible to see everything, no matter how much time and effort go into figuring this stuff out. And while it’s a little frustrating to miss out on some of them, in actuality it’s a good thing. It means that the NHFF board is doing a wonderful job in their selection of films that make the cut.
What’s most surprising to me every year is the number of celebrities that make appearances.Rae Dawn Chong and Mike O’Malley have become festival regulars, and now they’re both on the festival board. Other recent appearances have included comedian Justin McKinney, Tom Bergeron, Tommy Chong, and Precious Chong. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Jo Albany, comedian Elisha Yaffe, Michelle MacLaren,producer and guest director of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones and The Super Secret Project all made appearances this year. And while just having names like that walking around town is thrilling enough, all of them took part in at least one discussion panel and also made themselves available for interviews.
Yet another pleasant surprise every year is how many of the film makers are able to attend.Most of them aren’t celebrities by today’s standards, but just hopeful people that wanted to bring their dreams and projects to life and share them with the world. They’re usually available to answer questions and discuss what went into making their films after the screenings. It’s really fascinating to me how many of them take the time to travel here (lil’ ol’ New Hampshire) to add that oh so personal touch to their films. I’m always in awe of how down to earth most of them are. I’m not sure why. Maybe I just assume they’ll be snobby and stuck up and know-it-alls because they’ve made a movie, but that’s not the case (most of the time). It’s (usually) obvious that they’re just as nervous answering our (the audience’s) questions as we are asking them. Overall, based on the film makers that I’ve seen speak so far, they’re genuinely nice people who’ve just taken a different path in life than most of us.
(Photo was taken by Ralph Morang, courtesy of New Hampshire Film Festival)
I think that what truly sets the NHFF apart from other movie festivals is that no matter what kind of ticket you end up with (one day pass, VIP, weekend pass or press pass) we’re all treated (at least a little bit) like celebrities. On Thursday night, after the showing of the documentary Slingshot,there was the UNH after party at Flatbread Company, which everyone was invited to. On Friday night, before the showing of Men,Women and Children, there was a red carpet set up complete with a group of “paparazzi”ready to take pictures of everyone who attended.
(Photo was taken by Chris Malloy, courtesy of New Hampshire Film Festival)
Upon entering The Music Hall there was a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres. After the movie and awards ceremonies there was an after party at the Portsmouth Gaslight Company, which everyone was invited to. And Saturday night, after the showing of Lowdown and the question and answer session with Flea and Amy Jo Albany there was an after party at Martingale Wharf, which again, everyone was invited to. Not that I’ve been to many other film festivals, but it seems that the organizers of the NHFF have really gotten it right, keeping in mind that there’s no point in making these films if there’s no audience to see them.
And so, if you’ve never had the chance to do so, I urge you all to come to next year’s NHFF, even if it’s only for one day. You’ll be treated like a star and you may see some famous people walking around; not to mention all of the quality films you may never get the chance to see otherwise!