For Cinema Columbus Festival Director Brett Reiter, the four-day festival is, in part, about letting audiences know that films are being made right here in central Ohio.
“Even years before Cinema Columbus began, people were making shorts and making films. All of this was happening in your zip code, and you may not have known,” Reiter said.
Cinema Columbus features 45 shorts, features and documentary films. Sixteen of those were made in Ohio, Reiter said.
The festival kicks off Wednesday with a 7 p.m. showing of “False Positive” at the Southern Theatre.
The documentary tells the story of Butch Reynolds, “the fastest man in the world." Reynolds, an Akron native, went to The Ohio State University and set the record for the 400-meter dash, but his career was derailed by a botched drug test.
“This was made by an actor and filmmaker, and is about to come out on ESPN as a 30-for-30 documentary, which is an incredible feat,” Reiter said.
Reiter joked that he’s biased and when he highlights films in the festival programming, saying he points to “all the local names.”
The feature film “Sofa, So Good,” was filmed and produced in Dayton and follows two cousins as they move a couch across the city. It’s showing at 7 p.m. on Friday at Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse.
Showcasing Shorts
The festival also features two blocks of locally made short films at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Drexel Theatre and 1 p.m. Saturday at Gateway Film Center. Two more showings highlight films made outside Ohio.
Reiter said that the shorts are “full of life and so uniquely interesting.”
“I think shorts blocks and shorts programs really offer audiences a chance to get a taste of what it's like happening out there, versus seeing a 90-minute feature,” Reiter said.
Often overlooked by average filmgoers, Reiter noted that short films are often filmmakers first opportunities to “sink their teeth in and get their feet wet.”
“Only when I started working in festivals did I understand, sort of, that they are the building block for feature films,” Reiter said.
Meeting audiences where they are
Several years out from the pandemic, reports question whether audiences are returning to theatres to see movies. Reiter admitted that he doesn’t exactly know how to attract audiences, especially when the independent films at Cinema Columbus largely don’t have recognizable names attached.
“So, that's kind of a fun challenge for us at the festival to sort of start fresh with everyone's preconceived notions about what going to the movies means,” Reiter said.
The three-year-old festival sprawls over half a dozen theatres across the city. Reiter said that provides the opportunity to meet audiences where they’re at – quite literally.
“It’s been fun to see what neighborhoods respond to what types of programming,” he said.
For example, Reiter said, audiences at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington aren’t necessarily looking for the same experience as those at the Drexel Theatre in Bexley.
"That's kind of a fun challenge for us at the festival to sort of start fresh with everyone's preconceived notions about what going to the movies means."- Cinema Columbus Festival Director Brett Reiter
Growing together
Columbus is home to a fairly robust filmmaking community, but it’s focused largely on producing commercials. Still, independent filmmakers do work on narrative and creative projects.
Reiter said that it’s his hope that Cinema Columbus and central Ohio’s independent film community can grow together.
“So, the film community brings their work to the festival and shows up to the festival, and the festival shows that work, and it's a cycle,” Reiter said. “I've definitely sensed a growth and more eyes and attention turned to local independent film over the past couple of years.”
As for this year’s festival programming, Reiter said there’s something for everyone.
“If you like horror, if you like comedy, if you like, you know, mockumentary. There's most likely something for you at this festival, and I sort of want it to always be that way,” Reiter said.
The festival runs through Sunday, with showings at the Southern Theatre, Drexel Theatre, Gateway Film Center, Grandview Theatre & Drafthouse, McConnell Arts Center, Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse and Wexner Center for the Arts.
