Despite the pandemic, film festivals are still thriving all over the world, now via the virtual platform. One such festival is the Dumbo Film Festival (which derives its name from the district of DUMBO/Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass in New York City) which has also managed to bridge the gap that was created by the pandemic between filmgoers, film lovers, film distributors, and the filmmaking community by bringing quality content under one virtual roof.
Founder Daniele Ragusa Monsoriu, along with co-founders Davide Iacono and Giovanna Mauro, took the time out to speak to me all about the festival:
What was the idea behind the Dumbo Film Festival (DFF)?
Our purpose is to turn the district of DUMBO into an important destination for filmmakers and cinema-lovers from all over the world. Part of our mission also gives meaning to our logo: the aim of building a bridge among many different cultures. We are very confident that all this will be accomplished thanks to a strong team with diversified individual experiences in filmmaking and distribution, work on movie sets, marketing, and communication.
Were there any hiccups when you initially began the festival or has it all been smooth sailing?
Like in every start-up, we couldn’t help but have some trouble at the beginning. However, we soon realized that a well-structured project and a close team sharing the same dream can face any adversity at best. Although we might still have a climb ahead, we are determined not to lose the focus on our mission.
At the same time, we organized the “Rear Window Cycle,” a series of online screenings which we held on the festival’s official website in order to cheer up the people locked up at home during the long days of quarantine.”
What sets DFF apart from the other festivals out there?
The DUMBO district helps us a lot with this: it is one of the most photographed places in the world and one of the most fascinating and young-hearted places in Brooklyn where you can hold your award and celebrate! You can also stop in DUMBO and see the most beautiful skyline of NYC reflected on the East River. It’s where the young soul of New York lies and the history of cinema touched it many times: Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” made a perfect set out of it. Besides, the DFF team is made up with international enthusiasts, and diversified in competence and experience, and the DFF jury includes very high quality profiles (i.e., Emmy-award and Academy-award winners every year).
Who is this festival open to or who all can participate in it?
The Dumbo Film Festival is open to all independent filmmakers. As said, our main symbol is the bridge and it reflects our side mission: creating a bridge between different cultures means raising tolerance and familiarity towards different ways of life, traditions, and new points of view. We want to accomplish that by offering an international and multicultural lineup to our community. We are also planning new activities, projects, and initiatives that will help all independent filmmakers and students be more involved (meet and greets, masterclasses, podcasts, and so on), in order to increase sensitivity towards arts and social issues as well.
Could you elaborate on the kinds of movies that are screened at this festival?
First off, there are six film categories to be evaluated: ‘Narrative Feature,’ ‘Documentary Feature,’ ‘Short Narrative,’ ‘Short Documentary,’ ‘Experimental,’ and ‘Animation.’
What we can say is we love stories, and mostly stories which dare to ask big questions and explore life challenges; they will inspire social changes and raise awareness towards the great issues of our time (climate change, precarious work, immigration and racism, ecosystems protection, women’s condition, et cetera).
Stories are important as they teach us to live, give meaning and share our feelings with each other, and we of the DFF team are so glad to have this huge chance to receive what people need to share to foster world change.
Apart from movie screenings, what else is on offer at the Dumbo Film Festival?
Besides offering screenings in DUMBO venues, we look to create a networking space for filmmakers and producers, and also increase visibility in other directions (i.e. exclusive virtual screenings for DFF membership card’s owners) and share great contents such as masterclasses led by award-winning professionals.
Has the pandemic dampened the atmosphere of the festival in any way? And if so, what changes or difficulties has it brought about?
Certainly the pandemic and related restrictions forced us to make some changes. The months that have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic have been something unexpected and dramatic. Needless to say, the heart of a film festival is the live meeting of filmmakers with an audience.
Aware of this, we could not postpone the festival to an indefinite date. Like many other festivals, we decided to make a virtual edition. Thus was born the idea of creating the DUMBO FILM FESTIVAL ROOM, a platform entirely dedicated to the virtual DFF event to guarantee the screening of the finalist films in complete safety. In addition to the online screenings, interviews/workshops, artist performances, and Q&As were held in order to create a dynamic and interactive event, as close as possible to our community and the spirit of the DFF.
Despite the strong doubts at the beginning, the virtual event was successful. Although nothing can ever replace the wonders of a live meeting with all cinema lovers, we feel lucky to have had the opportunity to create this special event thanks to the Internet. It wouldn’t have been possible years ago.
How has your team dealt with these changes?
After some understandable confusion at the beginning, we felt the need to involve our community and act with all our strength. The effort of the DFF crew was to keep on networking with the film community around the world: like everyone throughout the globe this year, we didn’t want to feel lonely, nor did we want to put the oars on the boat and wait for the storm to end. So we took this challenge and opened a new category called “The Quarantine Chronicles,” to document and leave traces of these unique times through an audio-video testimony.
Lots of filmmakers from all over the world shared their quarantine vibes with us and the world, and this would make everyone feel less lonely in this challenging period. The proceeds from the over 200 submissions were entirely donated to the W.H.O. fundraiser campaign. At the same time, we organized the “Rear Window Cycle,” a series of online screenings which we held on the festival’s official website in order to cheer up the people locked up at home during the long days of quarantine.
Thanks to the availability of some of our winning filmmakers, it was possible to watch two films per week, from the last edition of the DFF, and for free. Our gratitude goes to the artists who supported these initiatives.
Do you find it easier to run a virtual version of the festival or did you find it easier when the festival took place offline?
To be completely honest, the virtual event was far more tough than expected! We had the Instagram lives to manage and coordinate (the internet connection also gave us several problems); a website platform to set up from scratch; Q&A recordings to collect from our winning filmmakers, seven awards to send to the four corners of the planet… We strongly hope that next year’s world conditions will allow a return to normal.
Streaming is certainly useful, but a festival isn’t just about screenings. It is a meeting of experiences, diversity, emotions, smiles, and amazement in the darkness of a theater.
Going forward, what are your future plans for the festival?
We have several projects in the short and long-term (Covid-19 permitting!). Again, our attempt is first off to provide audiences and filmmakers with a comfortable and unforgettable festival experience.
We would also love to involve the neighborhood with local associations, activities and inhabitants; more widely, we are thinking about a new initiative to dedicate to the discovery of little-known corners of NYC.
Stories are important as they teach us to live, give meaning and share our feelings with each other, and we of the DFF team are so glad to have this huge chance to receive what people need to share to foster world change.”
One of the plans we cherish most is to soon involve schools with filmmaking projects and/or meetings between school classes and film directors.
Despite the young age of the DFF we are full of ideas, and this makes us determined to stand on the wave!
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More power to the team behind DFF and I hope that their festival continues to be the bridge that connects filmmakers, filmgoers, and film lovers alike in order to share the love for cinema.
You can find out more about the festival here: https://www.dumbofilmfestival.com/.
