Jon Gann is the founder of the D.C. Film Alliance, an organization that supports local film, video, television and multimedia projects. Gann also helps to organize the annual D.C. Shorts Film Festival each fall. It will celebrate its fifth anniversary Sept. 11-18.
What is the mission of the D.C. Film Alliance?
We work together to unify D.C.’s film and TV industry. We talk with groups, we talk to production companies. There’s just so much talent in D.C. — we try to get everyone to work together. From Richmond to Baltimore, there will be 52 film festivals this next year. We’re not necessarily competing, but we’re offering up a huge variety.
What’s going on with the upcoming short-film festival in September?
We’re showing over 100 films and performing six live readings — we’re in our fifth year now. We chose films from over 11 countries, but there are a lot of local films as well. We always like to show off what we do in our own backyard. The audience will pick their favorite from the six script readings, and the winner will get money to help fund the production of the movie.
How would you describe D.C.’s current film culture?
I think there are huge opportunities in this town to watch film — there wouldn’t be so many film festivals if there weren’t. We have a very vibrant and really creative landscape — it’s kind of this silent wonder.
What projects are you currently working on?
“I Shaved For This: The State of American Dating.” Basically, it’s going to be a film about the state of American dating today. We have nine local documentarians doing 10 minutes of film each — older dating, speed dating, the history of dating, etc. — and we’re stringingit all together into one project.
