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June 19, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 30, 2004 Our View Now that the popcorn is gone, much remains The Ashland Independent Film Festival is still a little wobbly - a foal taking its first steps - but with three seasons under its belt, the annual event promises to become a workhorse of the Ashland tourism and arts scene. Cannes and Sundance are old-hat today, with hundreds of independent film festivals springing up across the land. The glut might make it hard for aiff to stand out. In April alone, the festival is in good company, vying with dozens of others across the nation to draw in film buffs. A partial list includes the New York International Film Festival in Los Angeles, Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, Ill., The African Film Festival in New York, and The Arizona International Film Festival, even the Artivist Film Festival in Hollywood, which mixes art with activism. And that's just in the United States. Ashland's fledgling annual offering has a long way to go to break into the big time. But the big time is not necessarily the goal. The mere fact of aiff's survival bodes well, and a small, successful festival has charm over an overweight spectacle eight days a week. Aiff has something none of the others has: Ashland. Sundance? Where is that? All you have there is celluloid and gila monsters. Cannes? Unpronounceable and a continent away. Half of the rest are in California - mostly in L.A. Plenty of parking, no trees. So Ashland is a selling point for the festival, just as the festival is a selling point for Ashland. But where aiff is most potent is in the ability to bring Southern Oregonians into the fold of the film elite, and much of its success is due to local patrons. Ticket sales doubled over last year, with 33 of the 100 showings sold out. During the five-day affair, robust lines were a common sight in front of the Varsity Theatre. The success flowed over into the city's tourist industry, pumping up local businesses. The Ashland Springs Hotel alone saw an estimated $8,000 boost during the festival, and at least one restaurant reported as much as a 20-percent upsurge. But the festival's shaky beginnings cannot be forgotten, and serve as a warning that it will take continued support from the community and a lot of hard work from festival volunteers to cement the event. Founders Steve and D.W. Wood left after the first season, followed by administrator Ron Hulteen after the second season. Both cited conflicts with the aiff board of directors - an all-too-common dynamic among Ashland nonprofits over the years. Along with a shift in seasons, these events chipped away at any perception of permanence. The strong showing this year goes a long way to prove the film festival is here to stay, and the Tidings salutes all who contributed to the event. We recommend the Varsity continue as the venue, but procuring more reliable projection and sound systems wouldn't be a bad idea. The people of Ashland would thank you during the off-season, too. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams