Shira Dubrovner left behind a successful career in the film business to return to Mammoth Lakes and, eventually, to found the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, now in its third year (May 24-28) It was one of the things I asked her about when we spoke on May 18, 2017, but it wasn’t the first. That would be her thoughts on the new importance of film festivals in an age of streaming video. As with all her answers, it was thoughtful, and reflected more than just what the appeal of cinema, in and of itself, is to its audience.
We went on to talk about the process she uses to program her festival’s dynamic indie films; why she includes indie cartoons in the mix (and how she discovered The Bum Family); and the non-intuitive, but decidedly wonderful, idea to honor both John Sayles and Tommy Chong at this year’s festival, Chong on opening night and Sayles at the Sierra Spirit Awards and gala on May 27).
We finished up with her moving and insightful thoughts on the responsibility of the arts, especially in times of turmoil.
Taking advantage of both the breathtaking scenery, and the intimacy of a small-town festival, Mammoth Lakes’ festival lets filmmakers and their audience interact on many levels, Dubrovner’s festival is a labor of love that features first-rate indie films. In addition to the film festival, Dubrovner is also Artistic Director of the Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre. Her career in the film business in Los Angeles includes her short film MURIEL, which won the CINE Eagle Award More information about the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival’s schedule, ticketing, and history can be found at: http://www.mammothlakesfilmfestival.com/
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