Film festivals more sophisticated—director

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 8

Film festivals more sophisticated —director

By HANS PETROVIC Cinema-goers are much more sophisticated today, a fact that is reflected in the type and quality of features now presented at film festivals, says Mr Bill Gosden, the Wellingtonbased programme director of the thirteenth Christchurch International Film Festival now being held at the Regent i Mr Gosden, who selects and schedules the,films, and compiles the programme books for festivals around New Zealand, was in Christchurch

this week making lastminute arrangements for the two weeks of screenings of 35 films from 18 countries.

“Twelve years ago, when the first international Christchurch festival was held, they were still considered disreputable in many respects,” he said. "The theatre chain then used the festival as an excuse to show questionable blue films, which it could not have exhibited otherwise. Restricted For FU<; Festival (R.F.F.)

movies were sometimes shown three times during a festival. “That policy has definitely changed. Also, anyone who wants to watch sex on the screen now can pick it up at video stores.” Mr Gordon said festivals were not longer a ghetto for marginal films. Last year’s programme — which included such notable films as “Jean de Florette” and Wim Wenders’ “Wings of Desire,” and was considered by many to be the best festival presented in grist-

church would be hard to beat, he said. He felt confident, however, that this year’s offerings were equally strong. “Last year’s films were more ‘commercial,’ ” Mr Gosden said, “whereas this year contains just as many important, though less well known, ones. “Most of this year’s films are brand new, only recently released overseas, so that there has not yet been any feedback. 1 ’ -

“However, I like to think that audiences can discover films for themselves without having to rely on overseas publicity. “For instance, although it has not received such publicity in New Zealand, the American film, ‘Sex, Lies and Videtapes,’ won this year’s Palme d’Or as well as the critics’ award at Cannes. It has only just been released in the United States. “It’s not easy to characterise the programme thißyear, but we have a *ir...

really strong British selection," Mr Gosden said. This includes Chris Menges’s “A World Apart,” with a powerful anti-apartheid message; “Distant Voices, Still Lives,” the most acclaimed British film of last year, about a work-ing-class family; Peter Greenaway’s idiosyncratic "Drowning by Numbers,” and “Little Dorrit,” based on Charles Dickens’s novel, which teHs its story in two separate films from* two different people’s points of view;