Rising fest stress
In an article for Variety's weekly, I tackle the glut of film festivals:
At the fourth annual Intl. Film Festival Summit in Las Vegas last week, fest honchos huddled together in panel sessions with names like "Creating a Sustainable Festival," showing a sense of camaraderie, friendliness and mutual support.
But then, most attendees there were new to the game. Among veteran fest programmers and execs, it's more a case of strong rivalries, poaching and a secret desire that their compatriots would disappear in a puff of smoke.
Competition among film fests has always been sharp, but it's become cutthroat as fests proliferate, with literally thousands of them vying for world premieres, stars and, crucially, sponsors. If the films are good, it's almost a bonus.
The piece also touches on a growing controversy amoung fest execs - rising distributor and sales agents fees.
Full piece here.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
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