Historically, genres
such as horror, fantasy and sci-fi were dismissed as weightless escapism,
living in the critical shadow of high-brow cinema. In recent years, however, these
films has gained educational credibility. Building on that theme, Dr Russ Hunter has taken a more academic approach into the genre film festival
circuit. The impact of the study has triggered a surge in attendances, more
nuanced schedules, bigger budgets and a wider appreciation in places where the
currency of such cinema has been underestimated – notably, Slovenia.
The allure of cinema has always been compelling, but the influence
of certain genres – beyond the mere screening of a movie – has divided opinion.
Dr Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Film & Television at Northumbria
University, led a team of researchers – including Northumbria University
trio, Dr Steve Jones, Dr Jamie Sexton and Dr Johnny Walker – on an
international tour of film festivals, with a view to further developing the
educational profile of genre cinema.
Using their research specialisms in genre and cult cinema,
the team organised several public-facing educational events at Abertoir Horror Festival (Aberystwyth,
Wales), Offscreen Film Festival (Brussels, Belgium) and, most prominently, Kurja Polt Genre Film Festival (Ljubljana, Slovenia). Their activities included organising
and participating in film festival symposiums, industry panel discussions, introductions
to films and masterclasses with directors and actors.
Tellingly, the team’s work demonstrated that the
participating film festivals benefitted materially because of their partnerships
with the Northumbria University team. The collaborations impacted upon structure,
trajectory and overall success, while the presence of academics allowed
festival organisers to apply for additional funding, by adding educational
content to the schedule. Indeed, since the team’s involvement at Kurja Polt in
Slovenia, its budget has increased from 6,500 Euros in 2016 to 31,000 Euros in
2019 – a huge difference to a festival operating on a limited budget – and
increased festival attendance by 20%. The association even allowed festival
director, Maša Peče, to pay her volunteers (an extremely rare occurrence on the
festival circuit), invite more film guests and add more screenings.
Furthermore, findings were translated into Slovenian for the
national film journal, Kino!, while Dr Hunter and Dr Jones even appeared on Slovenian
television and radio to talk about the importance of festivals and appreciating
different film genres. The exposure has thus increased attendances, media
coverage and local education relationships, while also triggering a more
nuanced offering at festivals. It has also motivated people to debate and
deconstruct the films they consume, however disparate or obscure.
Typical here was a talk Russ Hunter gave on 1980’s Italian ‘zombie
cinema’ at the 2018 edition of Kurja Polt. He suggested that – although the
films were superficially cheap and sometimes even comical – they contained
bravura aesthetic moments and – importantly - also contributed to environmental
discourses in cinema and beyond, often referencing specific environmental
disasters in Italy or alluding to wider ecological concerns. He concluded that,
when you dissect such films, many explore real-life issues and have far greater
depth than they get credit for.
For future reference, the researchers have created a bank of
knowledge which festival organisers can use to add variety and educational
content. Meanwhile, the team are keen to work closely with local students, as evidence
suggests they are starting to add the research to their reading lists and
engage with genre cinema in different ways.
