Why film festivals can (not) inherit cinema culture

Lars Henrik Gass discusses the necessity of evolving film festivals and cinema culture in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term commercial decline. Using the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen's shift to a streaming portal and blog in 2020, he argues that digital resources can democratize film access and reach new audiences. He contends that cinema should be freed from market interests through public funding and redesigned as sustainable, multi-functional urban cultural spaces that integrate digital and analogue experiences.

• The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen responded to the 2020 pandemic by creating a streaming portal with approximately 350 films and 60 programs, alongside a blog with about 130 contributions by mid-June.
• The online transition of the Oberhausen festival expanded its reach, attracting nearly 3,000 festival pass holders at a price of 9.99 euros and reaching a completely new audience, including schools, children, and international viewers.
• The author argues that film festivals can use digital resources to democratize film culture, providing access to those unable to travel, especially as traditional cinema has seen a decades-long decline in cultural and commercial relevance.
• The author asserts that the decline of cinema is a political struggle to decouple the medium from economic interests and establish it as an institution equal to other arts.
• To survive, cinemas dedicated to film art require public funding, particularly in large cities, and should be integrated into advanced cultural buildings that offer a high quality of stay.
• The author proposes a future cinema model that integrates streaming offers, adopts sustainable climate architecture, and functions as a living social space incorporating co-working and film-related arts.

APA

Gass, L. H. (2021). Why film festivals can (not) inherit cinema culture. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/why-film-festivals-can-not-inherit-cinema-culture/

Chicago

Gass, Lars Henrik. Why film festivals can (not) inherit cinema culture. World Association for Christian Communication, 2021. https://waccglobal.org/why-film-festivals-can-not-inherit-cinema-culture/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Gass |first1=Lars Henrik |title=Why film festivals can (not) inherit cinema culture |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=21 February 2021 |url=https://waccglobal.org/why-film-festivals-can-not-inherit-cinema-culture/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{gass2021why, author = {Gass, Lars Henrik}, title = {{Why film festivals can (not) inherit cinema culture}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://waccglobal.org/why-film-festivals-can-not-inherit-cinema-culture/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }