Is there ever a time when it’s not film festival season? The calendar is getting increasingly full, but there are certain times of the year when we seem to do nothing but prepare ourselves for the mental and physical challenge of seeing dozens of films in a short period of time. (Our personal festival record stands at 31 films in a cinema in 11 days, which feels lightweight in comparison to some of the reported festival flings). Yet there are always signs a major festival is coming: you feel it in your waters, and your film senses start tingling. Here are a few more ways to know you are in a festival season.
1. You find yourself waiting by the computer on the day the program is released…
2. …and discover that they are playing that hot Cannes favourite you’ve read about on IndieWire.
3. You quickly scramble to plan all of the films that you want to see over the weeks of the festival…
4. …only to discover that one film that conflicts with your carefully selected screenings.
5. Nevertheless, you manage to work out the perfect schedule: at least on paper.
6. Until you realise that you’ve booked yourself into 5 films in one day.
7. And then you did it again the next day.
8. So you get used to spending lots of time in line.
9. Running between sessions. In the rain.
10. Which of course leads to feeling under the weather, promptly running out of tissues in a 3-hour movie.
11. And struggle to keep your eyes open during the late-night sessions.
12. And that last film just made no sense at all. It had something to do with Hungarians and potatoes.
13. Your friends think you’re mad for seeing more films in a week than they do in a year.
14. But it’s all ok because you found yourself a gem you love.
15. And you’ve already planned the next film you’re going to see.
