Why I go to film festivals: Beyond buzz and applause, there’s treasure

From Sundance to Toronto, a veteran film critic illuminates the festival experience and what keeps him coming back.

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Who is a film festival for, really? The local audiences who patronize it? The civic leaders who mount it? The filmmakers who show their wares? The critics who write about them? Is it for party hoppers? Or for distributors — those looking to buy and those testing what they’ve already bought? For celebrities? For people who like to gawk at celebrities?.