The 18th 5Point Film Festival is kicking off Thursday in Carbondale and runs until Sunday.
5Point is an international adventure film festival that features films about physical challenges and mental resilience, through the lens of outdoor experiences.
Interim executive director Aisha Weinhold sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about this year’s festival, changes in the film industry and how 5Point hopes to stay connected to the local Carbondale community.
The conversation below has been edited for clarity and length.
Regan Mertz: Having attended the 5Point Film Festival for almost two decades, how do you feel like the festival has changed over the years?
Aisha Weinhold: I think that the biggest change is how much of a staple it has become in the community. And when it first started, it was so loose in the best way. It was, I mean, it was, it was an incredible production always. But yeah, it was, it was very freestyle, and it felt that way. And it was really special, but it's cool now to be able to come and see it be so established and dialed in.
Mertz: In what way do you think it's gone from, like, loose to being more dialed in?
Weinhold: I think a lot of it is that the filmmaking has changed a lot, and a lot of that is because of the technology. And I remember films that had iMovie transitions, and it was phenomenal. At the time, I had never seen anything like it, and I was like, ‘That transition looked like a book turning a page or, you know, like the spiral fade.’ And it was really cool because it was a space where people who were really invested in sport or really invested in film could really put their skills to the test and then present them on the big screen. Where now, with technology has come such a long way, that freestyling-ness and innovation just shows up differently, and I think in a more refined way.
Mertz: Do you think that, like. it's gotten more expensive? I'm sure cameras alone cost more than, like, an entire film was to make 20 years ago.
Weinhold: Absolutely. I mean, you have a lot of cameras that aren't state of the art or 10,000, you look at a RED camera, the really high end ones, those are $100,000 or more. And the medium that brands choose to sponsor has changed a lot because of social media. So people want short form video that is more focused on social feeds with, you know, with our declining attention spans. And there was a period of time, maybe 10 years ago I would say, when that short form video was all of the rage, and so sponsors were putting a lot of money, brands were putting a lot of money behind creating that kind of content. And I think that, in some ways, I feel like that will always be a main say in brand culture, you know, or just in branding in general, that you need those videos. But making a film is so expensive.
Mertz: How is 5Point looking to merge local businesses into a film festival that brings in filmmakers from around the world and includes large sponsors?
Weinhold: That’s a great, great question. I think we don’t want, I don't want, 5Point to be this event that happens in Carbondale. You know that the circus comes to town and then it leaves, and so bringing in local business to me as a way to really sustain the momentum and the energy that comes into town. And I never ever want any local business to feel like they're not included because they weren't invited, and especially in the outdoor industry. My hope is that the town of Carbondale, and the Roaring Fork Valley at large, knows that they have a place if they want one, within the organization and within, really, within the festival.
Mertz: Where do you hope 5Point goes in the future?
Weinhold: I have so many hopes. And I think a lot about storytelling. And so I would really like 5Point to focus on becoming this hub for all storytellers because that is a skill that is so transferable. And I think that when you take the profound impact that adventures and sports can have on someone's life, and then pair that with the ability to really take ownership over and tell your own story, I think that that is just a winning combo in any realm of life. And I have so many ideas for ways that I would like to execute this. And, yeah, I want 5Point to be, I want Carbondale to be, like the storytelling mecca of the universe.
Mertz: Yeah, awesome, those were all of the questions that I had.
Weinhold: Thank you.
Mertz: Yeah, thank you so much for coming in.
Support for this Nonprofit Spotlight series comes from the Aspen Community Foundation.
