Aspiring Filmmakes Head to Newport

How many times have you dreamed of being the next Roberto Benigni? The Newport International Film Festival may be able to help you get started. Having already debuted last year to rave reviews, the organizers of the program are gearing up for another successful year to establish themselves on the famous Newport Festival circuit. Taking place in the first week of June, the Festival boasts 4 United States and 3 World Premieres, in addition to countless other international features, documentaries and short films. The Harvard Crimson caught up with Programming Director Maude Chopin, Executive Director Christine Schomer and Festival Director Nancy Donahoe to ask them a few questions about the art of Independent Filmmaking.

The Harvard Crimson: What are your goals for the Newport Film Festival?

Maude Chopin: Basically we want to bring an international mix of provocative and well-made films to Newport that they otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to see. We'd love to have a haven for film executives who don't want to go to a big mass market to come and enjoy the reasons they came into the film business in the first place, because they love movies. Yet, we don't want to be a big market. Although we do want to show things that are new and fresh, and it might be of interest to them, that is not our main focus.

Nancy Donohoe: When we started the festival, we never felt like that we knew how to get into the film festival thing. When we created this, we wanted it to be a very accessible festival. We try to get as many filmmakers as we can here so they can answer questions, spend time with the audience after the film and participate in panel discussions. We try to make it very much it about the filmmaker and celebrating film. We also try to get a mix of the new and old. For example, this year we are offering an "Introspective" on the career of Bill Murray among our other new features. We try to offer something for everyone.

Christine Schomer: A couple weeks ago when I was in a despairing mood, I was taking the train from New York City and the woman sitting next to me saw my letterhead from the festival. She said "Are you from the Newport Film Festival," and I said, "Yes." She said "I highly recommend it to you," and wrote me a check for $200 on the spot. It was a very nice moment.

THC: Speaking of that, do you think there is something that independent movies offer that Hollywood movies don't?

ND: I think that independent films have the freedom of opportunity to take on a smaller subject, a more intimate subject, something a little more daring. Actually, once you get out of the big cities--like Boston, New York, Chicago--where there is a limited number of theaters, an independent film gets pushed out of the market. So I think especially so for regional festivals, I mean there are certain big festivals that become a great launching pad for independent films. We're the ones who actually can bring them around to areas where they probably wouldn't show.

THC: Do you have any advice for future screenwriters or directors?

MC: As a personal audience member and programmer, I enjoy a personal vision. Which offers something fresh and yet recognizable to a typical audience member.

CS: It's funny. I think there are people who you just know are going to succeed. They have a certain personality and a certain desire to get things done. And then there are people who are purely talented and don't necessarily have an outlet in their personality to get the right people. If you're not a filmmaker and you think you might want to be one, you don't necessarily have to go to a film festival and meet Harvey Weinstein. Making a film looks easy, but there something that goes into the process that you get a sense of in film festivals.