THB #352b: Can Festivals Evolve?

As noted in the first part of this newsletter, this part is about the very real questions facing film festivals and an attempt to take a serious look at whether the idea of these big festivals will survive the troubles AND the opportunities they now face.

Here are the broad reasons why people want their films in festivals:
Sales
Marketing/Publicity
Local Promotion
Festivals As Distribution Channel

Here is the broad list of festival revenue sources:
Tickets/Passes
Sponsorship
Private Grants
Government Grants (Tourism)
Membership
Entry Fees

The question I am wrestling with is, how can both festivals and filmmakers/financial stakeholders hold onto and maybe expand the range of benefits in having festivals to keep festivals a viable model?