How To Attend A Silent Film Festival
So here you are, a big fan of century-old-or-older films. You’ve seen dozens of slapstick comedies, romantic dramas, and exciting epics in the solitude of your own home, and you’re probably well acquainted with the history behind them, too. Obviously the next step is to see these wonderful films in their natural habitat: the movie theater. Happily, silent film screenings aren’t as rare as you think, especially in cities with a thriving arts scene–but might I suggest you try attending a silent film festival?
These wonderful curated events have popped up all over the world in the past few decades, and some have even been an annual tradition since the 1980s. A number of these festivals last just a day or two, others last a weekend, and a few prestigious fests have a full week of films playing from morning until night. Every curation is a bit different, but thoughtful: some might play the big hits by Chaplin or Fairbanks, while others focus on rarities or new restorations. Everything is projected at the size and approximate speed that was intended, and in the best quality possible. In all cases these events are attended by a happy, knowledgeable and welcoming crowd excited to experience their beloved films on the big screen–and very often with the magic of live musical accompaniment.
Having had a number of film festival experiences under my belt, both close to home and even abroad, I’m always happy to spread the word about these extraordinary movie lovers’ events. And you just might find them as addictive as I do!
Silent Film Festivals 101
Whether you’re looking for a relaxing, lightly-programmed weekend of films or a multi-day marathon of rarities, there’s a perfect silent film festival for you! For me, attending a festival has always started with asking my film lover friends what events they’d recommend and doing a bit of research online. I’ve also attended silent movie screenings close to home and met fellow film enthusiasts who shared their festival experiences with me–you never know what event will pique your interest!
Silent film festivals are held annually, usually during the same time frame every year. A typical festival might start with, say, a Friday evening program of a short film or two and a couple features, followed by a full day of films on Saturday and Sunday. Some festivals have sizable breaks between programs, while others might have substantial breaks for meals and shorter breaks the rest of the time. Often you have a choice of buying individual tickets for just a few programs or a special pass that gives you admission to everything (always the best option in my opinion). And finally, some festivals are completely free (donations welcome!).
Whatever you choose, keep in mind that one of the biggest joys of these festivals is the live musical accompaniment. Distinguished musicians travel from all over the world to play at these events, whether as individual piano players or in full orchestras. The magic of this live music is often the part that many viewers enjoy the most.
Planning Your Trip
If you’re within driving distance–let alone walking distance!–from a film festival’s venue then simply clear your calendar, see if you need to register for the festival online ahead of time (and if you should pre-purchase your pass), and you are set! But I suspect that in many cases you’ll be flying to your destination and will have to plan accordingly. Some important tips to keep in mind:
How close is your hotel/B&B to the theater? Some festivals reserve blocks of rooms in nearby hotels with a discounted rate, while with some you’re more or less on your own. I’ve done a bit of everything: staying in an apartment rental a short walk from the theater, staying in a hostel a couple miles away and taking public transportation, staying with a friend who would Uber to and from the event with me, and even staying at a B&B across town and using a bike to get to the venue. Whatever you choose, keep in mind just how bright and early you want to arrive at those morning screenings–and how late the last evening screenings will end. (Sleep may be at a premium some days, but trust me–it will be worth it!)
Are you travelling internationally? Don’t forget to factor in the mighty specter of jet lag! I’ve arrived at my destination a couple days before a festival started, giving myself some time to get over the worst of the lag and feel more bright-eyed once I arrived at the venue. Keep in mind that cutting it closer means you might end up missing the first day or so if there’s airport delays (or one of those European train strikes).
How much are you planning on seeing? Depending on how full the festival’s schedule is and how hardcore you are, you might plan on seeing a handful of films a day or settle in for a full-day marathon (it always goes by much faster than you’d think, especially with the breaks in between). With multi-day fests don’t worry about skipping a few screenings to get extra sleep or head to a restaurant with friends–you’re free to choose your own adventure and you’ll likely be making new friends along the way. Keep an eye out for nearby restaurants and snack spots and definitely pinpoint where you can get caffeine!
A Few Examples
Here are three very different silent film festivals that I’ve attended–and adored:
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival – This is a fabulous five-day festival taking place every late spring at San Francisco’s beautiful 1920s-era Castro Theatre. Screenings start late morning and continue until late at night, with breaks ranging from half an hour to an hour between each program. It’s an elegantly-curated event focusing mainly on features from both the U.S and around the world, often newly-restored. Silent comedy, romantic dramas, German Expressionism, French avant-garde, Italian epics–it has a bit of everything. Each screening is preceded by a slide show of relevant stills and background info, has a speaker introducing the film, and is accompanied by top-tier musicians. Passes are a bit pricey but worth the quality of the presentation.
The Kansas Silent Film Festival – This welcoming and completely free (yes, free!) Midwestern festival takes place in Kansas’s capital, Topeka, every February in a concert hall at Washburn University. The hall is a comfortable venue with a space that really enhances the quality of the live accompaniment. It mainly includes the more well-known U.S. silents, which is ideal if you’ve been wanting to experience them on the big screen, and is increasingly featuring off-the-beaten-track films as well. All programs are introduced by a presenter–which I always appreciate–and you can also get a ticket for its annual sitdown dinner accompanied by a lecture from a distinguished guest historian. It’s a delightful event with friendly, laidback people who look forward to it all year.
The Pordenone Silent Film Festival – This is widely regarded as the most prestigious silent film festival and takes place in Pordenone, Italy in early October. Featuring a full week of films ranging from cinema’s earliest days to the end of the silent period, it’s a packed schedule of rarities, new discoveries and the latest restorations playing early morning until late at night. Many historians, archivists, restorers and film fans make it a goal to attend this festival at least once, if not every year. The films are shown at the sleek 2000s-era Teatro Verdi, beautifully presented with pitch-perfect musical accompaniment. Most breaks are brief to make time for longer lunch and dinner breaks. Pordenone itself is a charming city with a pedestrian-only downtown, medieval buildings, and plenty of restaurants (and gelato shops). The pass for the whole experience is amazingly affordable: around $100 for the entire week.
In Conclusion!
I hope this all-too-brief overview whets your appetite for attending one of these fine events! I now categorize my life as “before” and “after” I started going to film festivals. They’ve given me more irreplaceable film watching experiences than I can count, not to mention opportunities to travel to new places and meet wonderful new people. They are truly the gifts that keep on giving!
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–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub
You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.
Lea Stans is a born-and-raised Minnesotan with a degree in English and an obsessive interest in the silent film era (which she largely blames on Buster Keaton). In addition to blogging about her passion at her site Silent-ology, she is a columnist for the Silent Film Quarterly and has also written for The Keaton Chronicle.
