Taking place at the Paramount Theatre from April 26-27, the CAMP Film Festival aims to bridge the gap between internet-savvy creators and theatrical audiences in a new, immersive festival experience. Two of the founders, Chris Duncun and Max Reisinger, sat down with the Daily Texan to discuss their hopes for the festival and the industry.
The Daily Texan: Why was it important to bring this festival here and specifically to the Paramount?
Chris Duncun: We moved to Austin about a year ago, primarily because we had heard that there was a booming film scene here. LA and New York already had established cultures where it would have been a lot harder to launch something new in those cities, but it felt like we could contribute to the wave that was already growing here in Austin, and the biggest way to make a splash was to rent out the biggest theater in Austin.
DT: Why is it important for this festival to target younger creatives?
Max Reisinger: It’s a really interesting time in the film industry. It seems like Hollywood doesn’t know where its next step is. And while that’s happening, the internet is also seeing a ton of momentum. And (it) seems like (there are) pathways to build a career in the film space through the internet. And I think young people … understand that more intuitively.
DT: How do y’all see the festival growing in the future?
CD: Bigger and better every year. (We) started off (in) a small cabin in Colorado … And now our first public event is (in) the Paramount Theater in Austin. And each year that we’ve done an event, we’ve tried to improve it in terms of scale and also, how do you keep the intimacy and have the experience also be really meaningful and impactful to all the attendees?
MR: Maybe we’ll rent out the football stadium and put up four big screens and try to sell it out. If we can sell out the Paramount, then maybe next year we go to the biggest stadium in Austin. So we’ll set our sights high.
DT: What advice would you give young people looking to break out in a rapidly changing industry?
CD: Put things out online. Don’t be afraid to share things; you never know who’s watching. One person seeing your work can change the whole trajectory of your career. Or you might just meet a ton of other creative friends and expand your network by posting things online. That’s how I met Max.
MR: I think the hardest thing you can do is doing it alone. And I think that’s what we also hope this festival can be, a place to find your next team member, business partner, film crew, your next best friend and to find other people looking to create something new.
