As the Director of Programming at the Sarasota Film Festival, and the Artistic Director at the Newport Film Festival in Rhode Island, Tom Hall is a busy guy. To grab his attention is a challenge, and to keep it, takes even more. He sifts through hundreds and hundreds of films a year, trying to determine those worthy of the coveted spots available in each festival. We had the pleasure of sitting down with him, to talk about the role and importance of story in filmmaking.

ELIXIR: So talk about how you approach the selection process.

TH: Well, we have roughly 200 slots available (at Sarasota), the majority will go to films that have already secured distribution, and are split between narrative fiction, international, regional, shorts, docs, and of course we always try and incorporate some local films as well. Once you get through filling all of those slots, there are about 20 left available, and then it becomes about how compelling your story is.

ELIXIR: So visuals versus story…

TH: You absolutely have to tell a good story. The visual stuff, you’ve seen it all before and you will see it all again, so unless you are doing something completely different, ala “Speed Racer” or something, it gives you no advantage. Take documentaries, they are nothing but story. You could shoot it completely on a cell phone camera, and if the story is fresh and different, then it’s in.

ELIXIR: Has anyone ever done that before?

TH: Actually, I recently screened a film called “You Won’t Miss Me”, where the lead character’s moods were documented by the switching of formats. They incorporated HD, DV, 8mm, Cell phone, and each one represented a different emotional tone. That was really different and interesting.

ELIXIR: So a film doesn’t nessecarily have to look pretty?

TH: No. We had tons of films that were submitted this year, and they were all pretty. They were gorgeous. But, they all lacked in story. It’s really frustrating at times. Visuals are important, but they have to have a meaning. Just another reason why I feel it is so important to teach film theory along with production. Visuals are great, but they must enhance the story. If you are throwing in something that has little or nothing to do with your film’s visual strategy, then it shouldn’t be there, no matter how good it looks. I think that what you need to take away from this, is that as a filmmaker, get the look that you want. Whether it is HD, DV, 8mm, or whatever, know going in what you want it to look like and make sure that it works within the story.

ELIXIR: Seems like we have an underlying theme going here…

TH: For sure. You have to make a movie for the right reasons. Tell the story that you want to tell. That you feel has to be told. We see a ton of stuff that is not well though out, and obviously not meaningful at all to the filmmaker. If you consider yourself an artist, then be an artist and make something that is meaningful to you, and will be around forever.

ELIXIR: Thanks Tom.

TH: Thank you.