If there’s one thing New Orleans is known for, it’s festivals. Each month there is a new celebration, and in November, that celebration is one of film. The New Orleans Film Society, the nonprofit that produces the New Orleans Film Festival, displays over 200 films with more than 20,000 attendees. 

NOFF’s goal is to bring the best independent films to New Orleans, with emphasis on emerging diverse storytellers from the South. Tulane University professor Jolene Pinder shared her personal experience as former executive director of NOFF.

“I came [to the film festival] in 2011,” Pinder said. “And my goal was really to plot a plan for strategic growth that would allow us to gain more support from the industry locally, but also to really showcase the filmmakers that were here and support the filmmaking community.” 

What started as a handful of filmmakers submitting pitches became nearly 4,000 filmmakers this year. 

The process to get a film presented at the festival is quite extensive. The South Pitch program selects 12 film teams to pitch their works to a panel of highly regarded individuals in the entertainment industry. 

I was fortunate to see the behind the scenes process of six different writers pitching their ideas to be showcased at the 2023 festival. When I found out I was going to listen to six different pitches, I expected a short trailer and a brief explanation of what the film would look like. My experience was far from that. 

I became fully immersed in each film and learned about the writer’s personal life experiences that shaped their ideas. Juan Luis Matos used his 10 minutes to explore the life of a woman named Nadia who physically mends into the objects she touches in his narrative short, “Detrás de la Fecha (Behind the Facade).” The third pitch was a narrative feature by Adrian Cardenas. “In an Orderly Fashion” was inspired by his parents’ raw footage from his childhood, which was touching and amplified as his parents sat in the audience with us. Diffan Sina Norman and Carolyn Purnell not only shared their complex story of a Muslim couple that moved to Texas on the eve of an apocalypse, but they also expressed how their marriage is the source of their inspirations. 

Each writer and director transformed a few ideas into incredible storylines. At the end of each pitch, a panel of talented professionals in the entertainment industry shared constructive feedback and ideas to incorporate. 

Between all six ideas, connections drawn from personal life experiences were consistent. The writers dug into their roots and empowered marginalized voices with each story. 

Pinder said it best: “There’s a really incredible amount of intentionality about how the New Orleans Film Festival approaches their programming, looking very much to showcase the voices of folks who have been underrepresented in the field, in the past, whether due to race, gender, sexuality, disability.”

What helps differentiate the New Orleans Film Festival is the fact that it’s in New Orleans. Former Tulanian and visiting professor Robert Fyvolent has a lot of experience in the film and entertainment industry, having participated in multiple film festivals in his career. He shared what he was most looking forward to and what he believes to make this film festival unique. 

“I think in New Orleans, there’s going to be a component that the film festival is a celebration of the city, and to the extent people are coming here and experiencing the city at the same time they’re at the festival, I think that’s going to be an important part of making that experience special,” Fyvolent said. 

Not only will those in attendance enjoy the films, they will enjoy the city. This is an opportunity for the community of film and the cultures within New Orleans to meld into one.

The festival will continue until Nov. 12, with both in-person and virtual events. It will be taking place at multiple locations throughout the city, so be sure to check the schedule. Get your tickets and enjoy!