“It’s a Combination of Films and People”: A Look into Ania Trzebiatowska’s Community-Building Vision for Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews
By Joanne Yau
“Ambitious, meaningful, and inclusive”, Ania Trzebiatowska, Director of Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews, replied when asked to describe the festival in three words. Entering its third year, Sands has been committed to this core ethos since its conception; many students, including myself, have found a sense of belonging within this community, having had the opportunity to see and even interact with countless creative minds behind the silver screen. As one of this year’s student curators, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Trzebiatowska about her vision of this year’s festival and beyond. She juggles Sands alongside her main duty as Programmer for Sundance Film Festival. Together with the festival founder, legendary filmmaker Joe Russo and his AGBO, they have tirelessly endeavoured to forge Sands’ own unique presence amongst a plethora of other major festivals, thinking carefully about scale, programming, and audience. Sands’ growth over the past three years has been remarkable, asserting itself as a hub that celebrates both uprising and veteran filmmakers.
Trzebiatowska speaks about “connecting films and people” with an unparalleled level of zeal. To her, emotional connection is of utmost importance when selecting a film programme. This year’s schedule again unfolds over 3 days at the Byre Theatre and promises a diverse range of events: films that span across multiple continents and address vital social and cultural issues, like Mami Wata’s visually stunning depiction of the West African deity, and Orlando: My Political Biography’s heartfelt exploration of trans and non-binary identities. Established industry veterans will also be retracing the professional steps they have taken throughout their lauded careers and discussing them in panels and screenings. The Byre Theatre’s humble walls will be graced with the presence of the “Father of Independent Cinema” Stephen Soderbergh, actors Harry and Tom Holland, two-time Academy Award nominee Alan Silvestri, casting director Debra Zane, and more. While it is certainly not the most expansive programme, Sands’ highly focused nature still offers something for everyone. While each event has its own specific contexts, they are each steeped in universal themes in order to resonate with a variety of audiences. Trzebiatowska aims to use this content to create a hub for St Andrews and for film enthusiasts – “we’re not just showing films in a vacuum. It’s all connected. It’s all about creating opportunities for people to come together”. By interweaving these onscreen narratives with audiences’ reactions, Sands creates a complex web of human stories that celebrate artistic triumphs.
Managing any film festival always comes with its own set of challenges. Trzebiatowska has never aimed for Sands to compete with others, citing her appreciation for Edinburgh and Glasgow Film Festival, not wishing to put pressure on filmmakers by creating a competitive environment. This decision has worked in her favor in previous years, especially as it has helped render an atmosphere of camaraderie and free-flowing artistic inspiration. Moreover, she says, “developing a festival takes time and we need to build up trust in the community”. At present, she is happy with the festival’s 3-day boutique structure – “it’s easier to develop that trust on a smaller scale”. Indeed, in the quaint location of St Andrews, many town happenings are spread through word of mouth and mutual rapport between students and locals. I have even shared the excitement of promoting the festival to my friends, who are generally highly supportive of each other’s artistic endeavors. This goes to prove Trzebiatowska’s point about building up community-wide trust with one small connection after another.
To solidify the link between films and people, Trzebiatowska hopes to further involve the community in the festival preparations. Currently, Sands has students partaking in almost every stage of the festival, including curation, logistics, marketing, and ambassadorial work. “I want to make the students feel like they really are a part of something, and not just being asked to attend events”, says Trzebiatowska. As part of the marketing and publicity team myself last year, what mattered the most was not the fact that I was able to attend events for free, but the feeling that I was genuinely part of a generative conversation filled with other like-minded enthusiasts and professionals. This goes to show the amount of care Sands demonstrates towards its student volunteers. Trzebiatowska states that the team is still mapping out the best structure for student involvement, but in the future, she also hopes to have more St Andrews locals participating, with the vision of bridging age gaps and fostering intergenerational relationships.
Indeed, one of the festival’s most unique features is how it celebrates both established names and new voices. Sands has long emphasised its core message of “Beginnings”, offering a spotlight for emerging first or second-time directors. This year, we have directors Maggie Contreras (Maestra), Johnny Barrington (Silent Roar) and more presenting their debut films. Trzebiatowska asserts that a lot of students are part of the “new voices”, who should be given opportunities to get a glimpse of the creative prowess in the industry and hopefully be inspired. While breaking into a film career is irrevocably daunting, Sands is meant to be a safe space for budding connoisseurs to gain insight from experts. Trzebiatowska also firmly believes that as many of us continue forth on our creative journeys – whether as fresh graduates or 20 years down the line – we often need a reminder of why we became passionate about our jobs in the first place. She mentions that Steven Soderbergh made it possible for Joe and Anthony Russo to make their second feature; having the three of them in this year’s lineup with Welcome to Collinwood is a touching reminder of one’s roots and the importance of taking chances.
Back to “Beginnings”: there is always the question of how one musters the courage to take the first step. Over the past year, I have felt an unmatched sense of pride watching aspiring St Andrews filmmakers take their leap of faith, from working on their directorial debuts to having their works screened at major Scottish film festivals. Trzebiatowska understands the mental hurdles in facing these tremendous creative decisions, and therefore she is highly encouraging of these growing voices. “There’s only one chance to make the film you really want to make in the beginning […] because at that point hardly anyone will be paying enough attention to interfere. It’s not like you’re working with a group of studio execs with lots of opinions”. Throughout the curatorial process, I have also witnessed first-time filmmakers being unapologetically themselves in addressing provocative ideas with bold personality. “I wish everyone could tell their stories freely”, declares Trzebiatowska, reinstating the importance of experimental freedom. Moreover, for many, attending festivals can be an intimidating process, especially when gaining courage to chat with already-famous people. Again, Trzebiatowska emphasises the importance of taking chances, such as by asking questions during Q&As and approaching people willingly. She recalls last year’s festival, when Stanley Tucci said to her behind-the-scenes that he was impressed with the depth of the students’ questions. You never know if you could make someone’s day by expressing your interest in their films genuinely.
As a relatively new festival, Sands has slowly, but surely, been building a devoted following, not only remaining loyal to its local audiences but also thinking globally and innovatively. To me, it has been incredibly rewarding seeing everything come into fruition. Sands is the perfect closing symphony to the hectic semester, offering us a new way to cherish the bonds we have made in this little town, and I look forward to reexperiencing being a part of this inclusive and meaningful creative community.
References
https://sands-iff.com/whats-on-2024/
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