The explosive success of the morning Documentary Track (especially the Wednesday - and Thursday! - screenings of Bowling for Columbine) wreaked havoc with the afternoon schedules at Flickerings 2003. Overflowing film-discussions and hurriedly-added screenings pushed the seminars and workshops into other tents or different times. Luckily for the intrepid fest organizers, they'd introduced the concept of the "Dogma Seminar Rules" early on, and quoted from this hitherto unknown radical movement as the situation demanded it. For example, the introductory afternoon seminar, "Dogma for Beginners," found everyone gathering around that single, pathetic light bulb that was still shining in the rustic Flickerings theater. "As you all know, " the seminar leaders announced, "the Dogma Seminar Rules forbid us from artificially enhancing the lighting at the Dogma Seminar location…"

Yet under that little bulb, those of us huddled together explored the Dogme 95 idea in depth, going over the famous "Vow of Chastity" created by the formenters of this cinematic revolution one by one. We discussed the goals of the founders of the movement — essentially a more truthful cinema (whatever that means — and we had to discuss that notion in-depth, too). We also led the discussion toward questions of how we at Flickerings might be affected by this challenge to leave behind artificiality and/or falseness of much contemporary cinema as film watchers and film makers. The "Flickerings Dogma" statement formed the basis of our discussion at Seminar No. 2.

Last year, we explained, the day after the festival ended, several of us who oversee Flickerings had gathered in one of the empty trailers at the fest to debrief one another on the event we'd just experienced together. In some ways, we were feeling a bit discouraged — in part by the clear need to keep on front burner a discussion we had hoped to have dispensed with and moved on from earlier: namely, What Is A Christian Film? Too many young filmmakers seemed trapped by (from our perspective) some extremely confining notions and expectations of what a film made by a Christian should look like. As we discussed this, we mentioned some element of a film that we'd screened (or been sent and not screened) that seemed to exemplify this tendency and — as a sort of game at first — started coming up various of our own "Dogma" rules that might have prevented that particular infraction. For example, syrupy Christian music whose lyrics spelled out exactly what emotion we were supposed to be feeling or message we were supposed to have received could be elminated by a rule forbidding music with words. Certain worn-out symbols or plots could be identified as directorial choices to be "fasted" from for at least a time.

Over the next few months, we continued the discussion and wrote down some of our ideas along these lines, even though we understood that "codifying" our thoughts we risked the possibility that some people would make much more of the "rule" aspect of this exercise than than we ourselves would — or intended to in our own films. Nevertheless, we found the discussion a useful exercise and even exorcism — of certain overused and abused symbols. The subsequent posting of our "Flickerings Dogma" made for terrific "talking points" in our ongoing Dogma discussion at the 2003 Flickerings film festival.

Indeed, the discussion carried marvelously from seminar right into the discussions connected with viewing Dogma films in the afternoons, and on into the evening Filmmakers Only meetings. These meetings have been a terrific time for filmmakers to connect and encourage one another, to screen works-in-progress and get some feedback, and generally be made to feel that a) they're not alone, and b) they'd better not show up empty-handed next year. It was gratifying to see people who'd screened films last year coming back again with new films, allowing us to be a part of their own ongoing journeys as filmmakers. We heard lots about projects in the works, and look forward to checking back next year with these as they move from the idea stage toward the screen.

Our afternoon "Improv Filmmaking Workshop" looked at first to be a casualty of some abrupt schedule changes during the day. But thanks to the improvisational skills of several of the participants, we were able to pull off the workshops in spite of the fact that we were simultaneously running screenings and discussions in the Flickerings building. Flickerings is all about getting up from the discussion and getting a camera in your hands, so everybody felt grateful that we were able to squeeze in this important aspect of the program. In fact, it became clear this year that if we're going to have Improv Filmmaking, we're going to have to develop some programming for actors so we'll have somebody to point the camera at. It was another example of how Flickerings keeps sending off shoots of development in different directions, taking on a life of its own. Stay tuned.

Stay tuned also for new Entry Info for the 2004 Flickerings Film Showcase, which will be posted by the end of August. The deadline for next year's festival will be March 1st, which gives you plenty of time to get that camera in your hand and make your film. Remember: you don't want to show up to those nightly filmmaker sessions empty-handed. See you next year!

See also

2003: Breakout Year for Flickerings

Best of Flickerings 2003

Complete list of 2003 Film Showcase Films

Flickerings 2002 Post-Fest Report

Flickerings 2001 Post-Fest Report