What’s behind film fest’s move to Kendall Square

Organizers plan to keep Arlington in name

UPDATED, Jan. 8: A successful international film festival, part of Arlington’s goal to promote town tourism and culture, will be showing its edgy movies at Kendall Square next October, but its organizers will be retaining the town’s name in the event’s title as well as its connections here.

“We are really grateful to have been at the Regent … the home of the festival.”
                                            — Alberto Guzman

In separate interviews, a festival co-organizer described the effort to continue to link the films to Arlington, while the Regent Theatre’s co-owner offered his side of the story.

At a noisy, crowded Kickstand on Friday, Jan. 2, J. Alberto Guzman, who with his wife, April Ranck, have operated the festival in town since 2011, told what led to the change of venue.

He put out both hands, his palms up and open. “It fell onto our plates,” he said.

Howie Sandler, Kendall Cinema general manager, reached out just after the 2014 festival ended in October, he said, noting he had approached a number of festivals and thought the Arlington International Film Fest (AIFF) would be a good fit for his patrons.

The deal took about seven weeks to cement. “I spoke with so many,” Guzman said. 

Under the new arrangement, Kendall Square Cinema, owned by Landmark Theatres, a national chain, plans to charge the same rent the Regent did, but the festival will have eight days instead of five, Guzman said. The festival dates are Oct. 15 through 22 (Thursday through Thursday).

Available to Kendall festivalgoers will be the 24-hour next-door parking garage, which charges $3 a car. Kendall Cinema is to provide promotion via social media (Facebook, Twitter and a Kendall newsletter) as well as on a large poster at the front of the East Cambridge theater.

“We’re so excited to have this partnership,” Guzman said, smiling broadly, his words imparting his native Colombia.

As for the Regent, he said the four-year relationship worked for both sides. “We are really grateful to have been at the Regent,”he said. “We felt the people in town embraced us …. the Regent was the home of the festival.”

Decision made about mid-December

No more. The decision to switch was made about mid-December, Guzman said.

Stein said in a telephone interview and subsequent emails that he learned about the changes at a meeting Sunday, Dec. 21. The other owner, Richard Stavros, did not attend.

“They told me about their decision to move to the Kendall,” he said. “It appeared to be a foregone conclusion since there was no discussion then or previously about not returning to the Regent for a fifth year.”

Asked about their reactions to this news, Guzman said, “He was sad; I was sad, too.”

Stein said he remained cordial but felt surprise.

“We will miss hosting the AIFF as one of our regular, traditional annual events, but — given the significant number of rental inquiries I get, together with our own Regent-produced events — I don’t anticipate a problem finding something else to present during those dates in October.”
       — Leland Stein

YourArlington asked Stein: Had Guzman told you about the Kendall move before it was a done deal and as a matter of negotiation, would you have continued discussions with him?

His response: “Yes, sure.”

Loss of business?

Asked about the loss of the business, he wrote:”We will miss hosting the AIFF as one of our regular, traditional annual events, but — given the significant number of rental inquiries I get, together with our own Regent-produced events — I don’t anticipate a problem finding something else to present during those dates in October.”

Both Stein and Guzman declined to say what weekly rent the festival paid.

Asked whether last October’s attendance could have been an issue, Guzman said it dropped 2 percent.

Stein disputed Guzman’s account that the Regent did not provide social media. He said it promoted the festival through Facebook, Twitter and its email list.

“We felt that we had a very good working relationship with the festival and had done our part in helping them get established and recognized within the town,” Stein said. “They brought something unique and fitting for the Regent, our audience, and the community — and for that they will be missed.”

The news about the Kendall move came as a surprise to two people list on the festival’s website as members of its advisory board. They were Stein and Arlington resident Walter Locke, who formerly performed outreach for ACMi.

Asked to comment, Guzman said in an email Jan. 4 that those listed as AIFF advisers on the website are “are consultants/advisors on film related issues and or concerns only.

“We have an inner circle of people that have expertise in various business and organizational areas that we are privileged to be able to consult with. Moving the festival to the Kendall Square Cinema was certainly a decision that was weighed very carefully and was discussed at length with many people.”

How to keep the Arlington connection?

Those who attended previous festivals and saw such arresting films as those shown last October or witnessed the workshops at Arlington High with Winfred Rembert, whose painful life was captured in film — may want to know how the organizers plan to keep the Arlington connection.

Asked about that, Guzman provided these answers:

— The contest challenging students to create a poster that becomes the festival’s face has branched out to other high schools, but the celebration of its winner, in February, will remain in town;

— The festival will continue to be a partner for the midsummer block party, held the last two Julys at Broadway Plaza;

— The festival will still be a sponsor of the Arlington Teen Video Contest, this March;

— The organizers will be involved in a fund-raising event for the Friends of the Library, with details yet to be worked out;

— The kickoff for next fall’s festival is expected to be held in September at the Regent or Town Hall;

— ACMi will continue to be a partner through its Short Animation Film Festival (the second annual event was held last August at Robbins Farm); and

— The Arlington Tourism & Economic Development Committee (A-TED) is expected to continue.

“It’s not about us — it’s about community,” Guzman said.

Asked Jan. 3 about the festival’s moving its films to Kendall Square, Angela Olszewski, co-chair of A-TED, wrote Jan. 7 that she was putting this topic on a future agenda so the committee can discuss it. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28. The town website’s calendar does not list this meeting. 

Poster contest expands opportunities: Deadline Jan. 18

Jan. 2, 2014: 2015 film festival moving from Arlington to Cambridge
Sept. 30, 2014: Films, dreams and economic possibility in Arlington: A look behind the screen

This story was published Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, and updated Jan. 8.