By Chris Cassidy
Salem News
February 27, 2008
http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_058002926.html?keyword=topstory
SALEM — To attract film producers and directors to Salem for the week, the city is rolling out the red carpet.
Literally.
A Hollywood-style red runway will guide guests tomorrow night into CinemaSalem, where more than two dozen independent films and documentaries will be screened over seven days.
"One of the first things we said when we were very preliminarily conceptualizing this festival was we wanted it to be a place where the filmmaker was treated like royalty," said Paul Van Ness, co-owner of the theater and an organizer of the festival.
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| Justin Symington of Salem works in the projection room at CinemaSalem to prepare for the first Salem Film Festival, which starts tomorrow and runs through March 6. Photo by Matt Viglianti |
Besides the satisfaction of showing their films to crowds, the filmmakers are also being paid to bring their movies to the festival, and they'll get to host question-and-answer sessions with their audiences.
Those coming from far away will stay in city hotels for free. Their meals at local restaurants will be paid for by festival organizers. And they'll be taken on tours of local attractions, including the Peabody Essex Museum.
City business leaders aren't merely being generous — they see an opportunity.
"Nobody goes to a film festival and only sees the film," Van Ness said. "They like to hang out, have a discussion afterward, buy popcorn, most likely make a day of it. Some people are coming from out of town and will be staying at hotels."
Organizers estimate anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people will take in a film during the seven-day festival, and after-parties are being hosted at the Gulu-Gulu Café and Finz.
That could bring solid business to restaurants, bars and shops at a time of year largely considered a dead zone for tourism.
"We felt it was important to support the events and the programs that are going to bring people to the area in times when there might not be a lot of activity," said Jon Bercume, the general manager of the Salem Waterfront Hotel, which is the title sponsor of the festival for $1,500 and hosting one of the filmmakers. "The fact it's the time of year it is, we felt ... it's a good way to get people into the area."
Van Ness cited research showing that for every $1 spent at a film festival, $5 is spent somewhere else in the city. That may not happen this year because the majority of filmgoers are expected to be local, he said. But the hope is that people will come to Salem from around New England as the festival's reputation develops.
"It can only be good," said Kate Fox, the executive director of Destination Salem, the city's tourism office. "February is a great time to do this because there's plenty of room for people to stay and explore when they're here. ... It's a great growth opportunity for an otherwise quiet time of the year for tourism."
To attract filmmakers, Salem resident Joe Cultrera invited some of the producers and directors he met two years ago while traveling the country showing his documentary "Hand of God," about the sexual abuse of his older brother by a Salem priest.
"I've been amazed at what's been put together in a short amount of time doing this," Cultrera said.
His hope is that both filmmakers and filmgoers walk away with an impression of Salem that doesn't necessarily include witches, crystal balls and haunted houses.
"There's not one mention of witch or witchcraft or spooky films," Cultrera said. "We've been force-fed to believe that's the only way you can make a living here."
If the filmmakers walk away with a good experience, organizers hope word will spread.
"The goal is they go home to other filmmakers and talk about the Salem Film Festival and they try to get in there for 2009," said Rinus Oosthoek, executive director of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and one of the festival organizers.
Organizers also have bold plans for the future, including someday screening films at multiple locations.
"I can imagine the interest in this is going to build very quickly over the years," Van Ness said. "My hope is ... it's a place where a major Hollywood feature film shot in Massachusetts might want to do a charity premiere here as part of rolling out their film. Artistically, it's a place where really interesting, cutting-edge films are shown because the audience is so sophisticated here."
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