Acknowledgements
Introduction - Film Festivals as Sites of Passage
European Roots
Film Festivals and Cultural Theory
Three Historical Phases
Film Festivals as New Object of Historical Research
Film Festivals and the Pre-war Avant-garde
Film Festivals and the Post-war Avant-garde
Network Theory
Film Festivals and Actor-Network Theory
Sites of Passage
Understanding Festival Space
Case Studies
1 Berlin and the Spatial Reconfiguration of Festivals
From European Showcases to International Film Festival Circuit
Geopolitical Agendas
German Film Industry in Crisis
The Western Cultural Showcase in the East
The Olympics of Film
Sovereign Nations, Diplomatic Disputes
European Cinemas and Hollywood
The Call for Independent Festivals
Upheaval in Berlin
The Forum: Between Barricades and Ivory Tower
Embedded Festivals
Return of the National
The Local and the Global
City Marketing
Spatial Movements and Accreditation
Conclusions
2 Cannes and the "Alternative" Cinema Network
Bridging the Gap between Cultural Criteria and Business Demands
Film Wars between Hollywood and Europe
Hollywood Rising
Crisis in European Film Industries
Film Festivals as an Alternative to Distribution
Transformations in the World Cinema Market
Video and Porn
The New Independents
Miramax
The Festival Network
The Question of Distribution
In the Business of Cultural Prestige
Facilitating the Industries
Picking up on Trends in Cannes
Le Marché du Cinéma
Glitter and Glamour
Media Event
Conclusion
3 Venice and the Value-Adding Process
The Role of Mediation, Segregation and Agenda Setting
The Value-Adding Process
Tripartite Selection
Beyond the High/Low Distinction
The Film Festival Event
Hybridized Performativity
A Travelling Sequence of Events
The Spatial Axis
The Mostra and the Cultural Memory of Space
Spatial Segregation through Accreditation
The Temporal Axis
The Winner: THE RETURN
The Loser: BUONGIORNO, NOTTE
The Favorite: LOST IN TRANSLATION
The Scandal: TWENTYNINE PALMS
Agenda Setting and Media Exposure
Conclusion
4 Rotterdam and the Rise of Thematic Festivals
From Cinephile Initiatives to Popular Events
Thematic Festivals
The Age of Programmers
Rotterdam and Film International
Programming, Passion and Politics
The Dogma of Discovery and Politics of Participation
Thematic Festivals in the Festival Circuit
Cinephilia and the New Festival Audiences
Video, Digitization and the Rise of Contemporary Cinephilia
Memory and the Market
Debating the New Festival Audiences in Rotterdam
The Age of Festival Directors
The Experience Economy
Fundraising, Sponsoring and the City
Conclusion
Conclusion - Successful or Safe?
The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Film Festival Network
The Larger Network
Successful or Safe?
Adding Value and Agenda Setting
Implications and Limitations
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Names
Index of Film Titles
Index of Subjects