Relevance of film festivals

Though what I wrote didn't get published, the mention certainly made my day! ( The Hindu 21 November 2015)

This is what I had submitted :

Agreed, that entertainment is now just a click away – or to put it more precisely- a tap away, as now even personal computers have become obsolete and information is on the palm of our hands, now that smart phones have taken over. Movies can now be downloaded and watched at the ease of our homes but that experience certainly doesn’t diminish the experience of the movie festivals.

Film festivals are still relevant, even more so as our engagement with the social space has decreased drastically. Film festivals are platforms for appreciation of art, of shared living experience and bonding. The cyberspace is unfathomable, with more information being shared online with every passing second, but the fact can’t be denied that it has definitely led to the shrinking of human interaction, which is essential for the sanity of human beings. 

Furthermore, film festivals provide a bigger audience, encouragement and recognition to the small scale film makers, the artists- the creators of the unconventional cinema. To the audience, they bring forth the best of cinema- the unheard, yet significant stories; with each story acting as a window to another world and a chance of sharing the experience of humankind from different parts of the globe.

Last but not the least, with the debate on (in)tolerance getting more muddled up every day, I think film festivals can be beautiful examples of people coming together, being presented with different worldviews, forming different opinions and yet, sharing the same space for experiencing and appreciating art and taking home with them fond memories of it. Film festivals can bring people together, literally and metaphorically.

So, for the sake of camaraderie and for the love of art, I think film festivals, and in fact, all festivals celebrating art will be forever significant.