My Telluride Film Festival

I was lucky enough to attend the Telluride Film Festival earlier this month as a part of the Student Symposium program, and it is an experience that drastically changed my views on film and the world in general.

Over the five-day weekend, I saw 16 films. They ranged from French foreign film Rust & Bone to The Hunt, a dark, Danish drama starring Mads Mikkelsen. Noah Baumbach’s new film, several groundbreaking documentaries, and even older films from the 60s like Jack Garfein’s seminal Something Wild all graced the roster.

Bill Murray stumbled around town, eating food off of strangers plates. Dennis Quaid showed up disheveled to the screening of At Any Price, and you could find Salman Rushdie talking to Ben Affleck at the local bar.

One unique part of the program was being able to talk with these writers and directors. All of them were fascinating, and yet each had very different things to say about their art.

Jack Garfein, with his theatrical background, swears by rehearsing with actors. Everyday’s Winterbottom prefers to just “roll the camera to see what happens.” Peter Sellars emphatically told a room gripped by his powerful speech that now is the time in our lives to make our seminal work, without the burdens of responsibility or pay. But the more grounded Ralph Eggers (this year’s poster designer) told us that we need to experience life and discover ourselves before our life work can take form.

Hearing such smart people articulate completely contradictory points was mezmerizing, and made me realize that everything explained well is right. It’s all relative.

Talking with other film students from around the world reinvigorated my passion for storytelling. Knowing that there are people out there sharing your passion, and willing to talk at such lengths about it, is not only comforting, but lots of fun.

Story is what I have devoted my life to. And going to the gorgeous box canyon of Telluride not only reaffirmed that, but completely redfined it. And that’s pretty cool.