The Connecticut Film Festival is here again and the debate on whether or not the event was worth the price (in terms of taxpayers dollars) is bound to come up again.
As you know, last year I was HIGHLY critical of the job City Center Danbury in terns of getting businesses along Main, White, and Ives Street involved with the festival. Now granted, last year was the first year the event was held in Danbury but, at a price tag of 75,000, I wouldn't necessarily consider the city's involvement with the festival (in terms of getting the community businesses involved; marketing) a complete success.
Here's my report from opening night last year.
...remembering that the city was told that this event would people in aprox. 5,000 over the course of the entire event, which would result in people eating, drinking, and partying downtown (a.k.a. spend money in downtown businesses), take a look at MY footage from opening night. Make sure to check the footage of all the restaurants on Ives, White, and Main Street.
NOTE: The footage of downtown businesses was shot at various times from 8 pm until 11:30 pm.
Will city funding of the festival pay off this year? That's yet to be determined but I'll be providing my opinion on the festivities as I plan on reporting on a number of events at the festival and check on the impact the event is having on businesses in the downtown area. I'll also provide everyone with a video retrospective on the various ad-hoc committees and discussion at City Hall regarding the funding of the festival.
For information on everything happening at the festival, just click here.
* full disclosure: I am a member of the "New Media Frontiers" panel at the Film Festival).
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of day laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
