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Posted June 6, 2013 by Dane Jackson in Interviews
 
 

Interview with Russ Collins, Cinetopia International Film Festival

France has Cannes. Austin has SXSW. Utah has Sundance. And now, Southeastern Michigan has Cinetopia. Taking place June 6th – 9th in Ann Arbor, MI and at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), the second annual film festival promises expanded offerings, more films, and the chance to interact with many of the filmmakers responsible for the films being shown this year. As someone who has grown up loving the cinema, having a film festival in my backyard is a dream come true. I had the chance to talk with one of the people involved with making the festival what it is, CEO of the Michigan Theater, Russ Collins, and after his interview, my excitement level for Cinetopia has increased ten-fold. If you’re a lover of film, make sure you participate in this year’s festival. If you’re not quite convinced yet, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Collins.

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CinemaNerdz: Initially, what was the driving force behind starting Cinetopia?

Russ CollinsRUSS COLLINS: Seemingly every major metropolitan area in the world has an international film festival. The Detroit area has many wonderful festivals – Jazz Fest, Arts, Beats & Eats, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Ann Arbor Art Fairs to name a few. However, the Detroit area does not have a large-scale film festival. How impactful and artistically beneficial a film festival can be became clear to me after my wife and I volunteered for the Traverse City Film Festival, which is an amazingly large festival, but most especially after I served as a juror for the Cleveland International Film Festival. Both Cleveland and Detroit, as post industrial cities, have followed similar paths, but the Cleveland area population is only about half that of the Detroit area, so it seemed like there is a clear need for a Detroit area film festival. I have long attended the Sundance Film Festival and because of a couple projects the Michigan Theater does with Sundance, I am considered a “Sundance insider.” All these elements – inside knowledge about film festivals, contacts, local need and opportunity seemed to be aligned to consider developing a Detroit area international film festival.

Furthermore, historically automobiles and the movies grew up together – they were both invented in the very late 1800s, their form and commercial potential were exposed in the 19-teens, and then, throughout the rest of the 20th century, automobiles and moving image communications (first movies, then TV) shaped the way people lived in the “American century.” Plus, in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, Detroit was the second city of cinema. So many industrial, instructional and car commercials were shot in the Detroit area, Detroit was second to Hollywood in terms of the amount of film used.

It seems a very interesting and locally important film festival can be developed for the Detroit area.

CinemaNerdz: What lessons did you learn after the first incarnation of the festival last year?

  1. That the idea of doing a festival was supported by the public.
  2. That, to be successful, 50% of the revenue would need to come from sponsorship (the other 50% from ticket sales) – thank you AT&T for your founding sponsorship.
  3. That during a festival setting, audiences expand their film going horizons and go to see films that they might not otherwise see, and more frequently than not are surprised in a positive way in terms of what the discover and enjoy.
  4. We should grow the festival “organically” so that audiences learn “how to festival” (how to happily dedicate the time and take programmatic risks) and, as programmers, learn what films will best fit the diverse communities in the Detroit area.

CinemaNerdz: Tell me how the DIA partnership came about and what it means to the overall feeling and reputation of the festival?

COLLINS: Elliot Wilhelm and I have known each other for over twenty years. I deeply respect his work at the Detroit Film Theater (DFT). He is literally the “dean” of art house film programming in the USA. About three years ago we met by chance at a Detroit Tigers baseball game. At the game, we talked about starting a film festival for the Detroit area, he said it sounded like a good idea and to keep him informed about our progress. Our success, particularly the quality of the programming, plus the way the schedule fell together at the DFT made this year a good one to start our partnership.

We are also pleased to have a good initial promotional partnership with Detroit Public Television (DPTV). DPTV’s CEO, Rich Homberg, is enthusiastic about growing a Detroit area film festival. We hope that a strong partnership between the Michigan theater, DIA-Detroit Film Theatre and DPTV will allow the festival to grow effectively over the next three or so years to fulfill the film festival potential for the Detroit area.

CinemaNerdz: Can moviegoers expect any sort of new experiences this time around?

COLLINS: Going to films at the DIA is new! We also have many more filmmakers coming in this year, so audiences will get one-on-one chances to see and meet many filmmakers. Plus, there are 43 wonderful films and a symposium on Robert Altman, with lots of Altman collaborators coming in to town and an exhibit about Robert Altman at U of M’s Graduate Library.

CinemaNerdz: Are there any particular screenings you’re looking forward to most?

COLLINS: This is an unfair question! There are so many things I am looking forward to sharing. My favorite comedy from last year’s Sundance Film Festival Wrong. A documentary about the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, Dear Mr. Watterson. The North American premiere of a fun film with a great title Body Fat Index of Love, which culminates with the world-famous Finnish wife-carrying contest! A very interesting documentary about a fascinating man, Lord Montague, who among other things started the first automobile museum in England (again the movie/car connection). The world premiere of a concert film starring Iggy Pop and the Stooges A Tribute to Ron Ashton which besides the concert, features interviews with filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and Stooges super fan and concert emcee Henry Rollins.

CinemaNerdz: What does this festival mean to the Michigan Theater and the city of Ann Arbor?

COLLINS: The Michigan Theater and the DFT are national leaders of specialty cinema exhibition. We hope that as the festival will encourage the people of Ann Arbor and the entire Detroit area to appreciate and support specialty film showings year round, and learn to celebrate and highly anticipate Cinetopia – an annual celebration of independent cinema, the best films from the world’s best film festivals.

Cinetopia Guide 2013CinemaNerdz: With everything going on leading up to the fest, at what point will you be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor?

COLLINS: Sitting back is not an option, but that’s okay. My job, our job as festival planners and managers is to work hard to make this a good experience for festival goers and to look for the best and most appropriate way to grow the festival from year-to-year. I am fortunate enough to be able to enjoy Sundance and other great film festivals, so working hard during Cinetopia only seems fair.

CinemaNerdz: While I understand Cinetopia is still young, I’m assuming you have an idea or vision of what the festival will look like in five, or even ten years. Can you offer any insight on your forward-looking plans for it?

COLLINS: This is the second Cinetopia International Film Festival. Last year, was a test market year and it only took place in Ann Arbor. In a sense, this is the second test market year, with the expansion to the DIA/DFT. In response to our wonderful Southeast Michigan community we expect to grow the number of festival locations and expand the length of the festival from the current 4 days to up to 11 days. The locations, outside of Ann Arbor and the DIA, will depend on the strength of support, timing and opportunity in future years. We also need to find significant sponsorship support in future years. So, local enthusiasm, media interest, appropriate venues and sponsorship support will determine how widely and how quickly Cinetopia will grow in the years to come. However, if all goes well, we hope that in five years, Cinetopia will take place in five or so locations in the Detroit metropolitan area and that 50,000-80,000 people will attend the festival annually. But, let’s not get ahead or ourselves, we will be happy if 7,500 attend Cinetopia this year and very happy if around 10,000 attend. How much and how quickly it grows will be determined by Detroit area film lovers and sponsorship support.

CinemaNerdz: If you could point to one movie that cemented your position as a curator and connoisseur of film, what would it be and why?

COLLINS: Some of your questions are so unfair (but thank you for asking!). Hmm?? I’m assuming you mean a non-Cinetopia film. This may seem odd but Barry Lyndon. Why? It is directed by a favorite director of mine, Stanley Kubrick. It is probably his most unpopular film, but I liked it the first time I watched it – after my first year of college, long before I was a film curator and maven. Visually, it is beautiful and Kubrick gives you time to soak in the mise en scene – which makes it’s pace feel too slow for many. But I find the film enchanting. However, I am also a big film of Alfred Hitchcock, Spike Lee, the Coen Brother, Francis Coppola, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, the Duplass Brothers, Koyannisqatsi, Robert Redford, Michael Moore, Sam Raimi, Elmore Leonard (and other Michigan filmmakers), and indie filmmakers anywhere who are working hard against nearly impossible odds to create great films for audiences to enjoy and be inspired by. Films which tell the stories that define us as human being and bind us and/or enlighten us as societies striving against chaos and doing our utmost to (as Spike Lee put it) “do the right thing.”

Visit the Cinetopia at www.cinetopiafestival.org

Dane Jackson

Dane Jackson

Dane Jackson has been writing about movies since high school when he had a monthly column in the school paper about cult movies. His cinematic tastes have matured (slightly) since then.