Film festivals are vitally important to the film industry, both for big studios and independent filmmakers. These creators practice and hone their craft to make art to show hundreds of people at festivals what they’re capable of making. This year, Flatwater Film Festival held its second annual outing, hosted at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, Neb. Oct. 7-9.  

Film Festivals, like Flatwater, are important to the artistic community, both locally and nationally. It is a chance for some independent filmmakers to get their work out there.  

“Film Festivals are important because it gives filmmakers an avenue to show their work without having to be accepted by a distribution company or signing contracts to be shown in a theatre. It is a chance for the film’s cast and crew to see their hard work on the big screen and with an audience,” Flatwater staff member Heather Waite said. “It’s also a way to see the work that others are doing as well. Sure, you can upload your film to YouTube or one of the other streaming sites, which is great to make it available to a wider audience. But it is important to be able to discuss your work to learn and grow as a filmmaker with your peers.” 

Flatwater hosted a director’s roundtable as a short segment for a small group of local directors to speak their mind about some of the things they care about and enjoy about their craft.  

“The most important part for me in bringing people together. I love when my crew can meet like-minded individuals and create their own stories and productions,” director Maverick Knox said. “Once you have a crew you can trust to not only get along with you, but also do their job well, you’ll never have to worry about putting out a bad production.” 

On top of directing, acting is also quite a work intensive job, and storytelling is one of the biggest parts of making films, and it’s an actor’s job to bring the characters to life in their own unique way while still having fun and not making the art into work.  

“My main objective when I get a role is to try my best to make it different than anything else I’ve done and also natural while still respecting the writers’ vision for the character,” actor Christian Velez said. “I love to perform and the process of bringing a character to life, and the support of my colleagues and loved ones is what keeps me going. This is a very mentally exhausting job, and any kind of support goes a long way.” 

In addition, Film Festivals are about creatives supporting their fellow hobbyists. Having and hosting festivals brings the people of the filmmaker community together and forges new teams, friendships and ideas for the future to be made. 

“I think that being able to not only see other independent filmmaker’s movies is important, but also being able to see and chat with other filmmakers in person about their projects is the best part to me,” local director Jeremy Lubash said. “Having a ton of talented filmmakers under the same roof is very motivating to me. And usually everyone is in great moods cause their projects are being showcased on the big screen in front of a crowd. Just an exciting environment to be at.”