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Find something new at the WFF, even if it sucks

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After another Oscar-night wrap-up of the year’s glitzy glamorous Hollywood fare (or “fair,” if you will), it will be refreshing to see things with thoughts behind them beyond box-office numbers and little gold statuettes.

If you can get a ticket.

An online perusal of the films and talks (www.wifilmfest.org) reveals a plethora of non-mainstream material, mostly with the words “sold out” displayed prominently alongside each show time.

Most of the events — sold-out or not — are bound to be thought-provoking. Many will be highly insightful. Some will certainly be disappointing.

But in the grand scheme, we must appreciate having a venue in which even unpolished, even amateurish films can be shown, seen and assessed.

Making a film is extremely hard work. Like with any creative work, it can be extremely difficult to maintain a detached view. A public forum is needed for young filmmakers to receive criticism from those who will not spare their feelings. This is how artists can become better artists: by listening to an audience and assessing the reactions of detached individuals.

A film festival audience always hopes for the revelation of something new, honest, moving. This is what an independent festival can present, like an obscure band revealed by a good college radio station.

But the greatest potential benefit from such a festival is the impact it might have on a raw, untested filmmaker.

Though the “best” works at this week’s festival may have sold out ages ago, no one should be afraid to grab up tickets for whatever’s left and take a chance. Even if what you see doesn’t change your life, your reactions might change the life of an aspiring director.

Be glad for and proud of a thriving, standing-room-only festival. Many a city does not enjoy such an annual monument to a vibrant culture of artistic expression.