Sean Farnel Quotes (4 Quotes)

An issue-oriented work with tremendous personality and emotion, 'The Railroad All-Stars' is the perfect film to carry the documentary flag into the festival.

Documentary filmmakers are an itinerant group of people, and at the core of their mission is going out and bringing back stories that aren't been told in the mainstream media.

Documentary has become a kind of new space in the culture. A lot of the films are about social concerns, and in a way, are a new form of media. . . . Making a documentary has become sort of trendy, a little like what writing children's books was a few years ago. But what I've noticed is, once documentary filmmakers get locked in, they really get locked in. They may have started off thinking they're going to do something relatively quick and casual, and then it takes them over.

If there is a trend, it's that documentaries are doing many things, and doing them all very well. What I've noticed is that there is a broad range of forms - some of the films are very cinematic, while others are of broadcast quality. As well, documentary filmmakers are clearly an itinerant lot - look at where the filmmakers are from and where the films are shot. This is indeed a very international film festival.