Beat! Beat! Retreat! Retreat!

File Under: Film Festival Planning

The last two work days, May 6 and 7 respectively was spent at a house in the Upper Haight district of San Francisco.

The four of us, what I like to call the "core four" or "core of four" sat down and hashed out on Day 1 what went right and wrong with the 2004 SFIAAFF. Then on Day 2 by hashed out what we wanted for the 2005 SFIAAFF.

So what went wrong?

personnel issues (which lead to a whole host of issues)

lack of planning

lack of team cohesiveness

What went right? Basically what made us look professional to the outside.

fundraising

ticket sales

outreach

programming

guest services

It was cathartic and exhausting to try to shape a common vision. I realized that we may all be working very hard towards a vision of the SFIAAFF, but that we may be working at cross purposes if that vision is not the same vision. After the retreat, I'm not sure we all have the same vision. But we are getting closer.