Many of us recall our first early movie experiences as fun childhood memories, but for the director of the Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley, early immersion also paid off career wise.
Moodley, who has now spent the past couple of decades running film festivals, was a regular at cinemas since his early youth, mostly thanks to his film-obsessed mother. "Cinemas in South Africa were still racially segregated, so we'd have to go to the Indian cinema. They were double features – there'd be something new that I'd want to watch as a kid, like Ghostbusters, and then something completely strange where there was just a print lying around: it would be a martial arts film, or a Bollywood film, or something quite unusual. I was seeing atypical stuff from quite young," he says.
Still, his passion for film remained in second place for a number of years, as Moodley completed his university studies and took a four-year diversion into the world of journalism.
At first, he juggled his job on a South African newspaper with his passion for film, taking a couple of months off to work at the Durban International Film Festival (then a small event showing around thirty films). But as the festival grew, it came down to a choice of which career path to follow."It was a tough decision: [running a film festival was] not something I ever saw as a career or set out to do. But I think the choice was made easier as newspapers were going through a period of restructure; I could see the writing on the wall," he says.
After eleven years at what is now South Africa's longest running film festival, Moodley relocated to Australia to take up the role of festival director for the Sydney Film Festival. As he hadn't visited Australia other than the three days he spent here for the job interview, the move was a gamble. "I was impressed by the city…[Then] my colleagues took me to the State Theatre. I stood on the stage, looked out on those 2034 seats and thought, 'it'd be quite nice to introduce films at this place'," Moodley says.
Fast forward to 2017 and Moodley is about to lead his seventh Sydney Film Festival. While corporate sponsorship for the arts is not getting any easier for anyone in the festival business, Moodley says the Sydney Film Festival is in a good position, and attendance has grown steadily during his time at the helm.
It's no small feat given that audiences have never had access to so many films, so economically, thanks to streaming services and catch up television."When you have so much available through so many different media, curation becomes an important thing," he says, adding that the Sydney Film Festival has spent decades firming up its role as a trusted guide for cinemagoers.
He's also convinced that the 'shared experience' of the festival environment plays a role in helping events like Sydney remain popular for 64 years (and counting). "If you're watching a film with over 2000 other people, it is a magical experience. Comedies are funnier and scary movies are scarier in that context …there's that anticipation before the film starts that you can't get watching at home," he says.
The Sydney Film Festival runs 7-18 June: www.sff.org.au
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Nashen Moodley
Current position: Festival director, Sydney Film Festival
Responsibilities: Curate 250 or more of the world's best films, every year, and present them at Sydney Film Festival.
Education: Bachelor of Arts, English and Philosophy, University of Natal, South Africa.
Additional training/courses: DW-Akademie course for African Film- and Television Market and Festival organisers run by Deutsche Welle and the Berlinale, Berlin, 2004.
Professional associations:
Programming consultant to the Dubai International Film Festival (since 2005); member of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA).
Honourable mentions: Featured in the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list (2007 and 2008); served on film nominating panel of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative (2012-13 and 2013-14).
Strength: The ability to stay out with filmmakers until 5am during the festival, and still make a morning meeting at 8.30am.
Weakness: Staying out late with filmmakers until 5am during the festival.
Management style and tips: Be polite and kind to people, and always keep your word.
Work motto: We're saving lives, but only culturally, not literally. It's a film festival so have fun, and watch films.