Challenge

To plan and design a multi-faceted film festival based on the works of a single film maker. The complexity of this project, as well as the multitude of deliverables, posed a unique challenge that included not only design but also project management, strategy, research, and production across a variety of media. The first step in this project was to select a filmmaker and thoroughly research his life and body of work. From the body of work, a common theme was to be drawn, forming the basis for the festival’s events.

Strategy

In organizing a festival around Fellini I strove to create and experience that was reminiscent of the landscapes he evoked in his films. I chose to focus the festival on the link between Fellini’s plots and the subconscious. As a devout follower of Jungian psychology and an avid journalist, Fellini used his films as a means to justify, validate, and portray his unconscious as well as his subjective view of the world.

Results

Tramonti in Lampioni, which translates to Sunsets in Streetlamps, transforms participants into figures in Fellini’s landscape, allowing them to interact with his films on both an emotional and physical level. Each detail of the festival experience was designed to heighten the user experience and elevate the dramatic storytelling of Fellini’s legacy. The festival takes place at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, which is, in a sense, the architectural equivalent of a Fellini film, scientifically grounded, loosely interpretive, and highly illustrative. A grayscale palette, hand painted rorschach-esque ink blots, and bold, curvaceous typography resulted in a cohesive set of artifacts that enhanced the festival attendees experience, as well as increasing their knowledge of and appreciation for Federico Fellini.