Cinema Center has been a Fort Wayne treasure since 1976. The independent theater brings a unique taste of film to our city. It also hosts one of the most spectacular film festivals in Indiana: Hobnobben.
Marking its eight year, the festival will bring together 144 films from 30 countries in 27 languages curated into 33 film blocks. These films spark meaningful discussions and explore complex topics, allowing moviegoers to sink their teeth into artistic expression beyond the mainstream.
Don’t miss this year’s festival taking place at Cinema Center from Oct. 19-22, with online streaming available through Oct. 31.
It’s the biggest Hobnobben so far!
Female-led festival breaks barriers
At Hobnobben 2023, you won’t find a congregation of film snobs — quite the opposite. The directors and volunteers of this festival welcome anyone from any walk of life to come and experience these impactful films.
Festivals chairs Alix Watson, Amanda Hille, and Christi Hille spoke with me about this year’s festival, expounding on the community-driven benefits of its regional and international reach.
Amanda Hille told me they “want to authentically showcase diverse stories and creators, so we focus on the LGBTQTIA+ groups, indigenous, people of color, women, international, and senior stories.”
What you find at Hobnobben, you won’t find at any other film festival. This truly one-of-a-kind experience benefits from a diverse range of films that don’t see wide distribution.
Through this dedication to presenting and preserving diverse stories, Hobnobben blossoms from the interactions between the art, the filmmakers, the audience members, the workshop and special events, and the volunteers.
These films also benefit from a unique curation into themed blocks. For instance, festivalgoers can choose from blocks like: Tough Topics, Iranian Film Block, Stories from Ukraine, This Block Is Chaotic Good, Nothing Better Than Revenge, and much more.
Not sure what block resonates with you? Just tell the Hobnobben staff your favorite films and shows, and they will suggest blocks for you.
Incredibly accessible and welcoming
You can catch the Hobnobben films in person at Cinema Center or online via their streaming options. Festivalgoers can purchase single-day passes for $15-$30, a four-day pass for $60, or VIP passes from $150-$200 that include all films, workshops, panels, and green room access.
There is also a $100 streaming option that lasts through the end of the month, offering flexibility to fit the festival into your schedule.
However, if you attend in person, you’ll experience the brand new, top-of-the-class laser projector.
Conversely, if you attend online, you’ll have access to accessible features like captions. Plus, the online option also gives you a chance to watch your favorite films for a second time if you resonated with them in the theater.
“We don’t gatekeep,” Watson said. “Anything that’s a barrier to entry, we want to help break it down.”
Cinema Center also offers sensory friendly kits provided by the AWS Foundation. No matter who you are, you belong at this year’s Hobnobben festival and will find something impactful to take away from the experience.
Musicians submit film
The feature-length film Liminal: Indiana in the Anthropocene — consisting of drone footage and accompanied by a live score by Fort Wayne’s Metavari — will be shown on opening night.
Filmmakers Zach Schrank and Nate Utesch joined me for a conversation about the making of the film, the soundtrack, Hobnobben itself, and the human experience.
“We are hobbyist filmmakers,” said Utesch, the mind behind the immersive, synth-heaving music of Metavari. “We did this in our nights and evenings, so it’s just incredible that we get to be a part of a film festival like this without being, you know, a name. I’m assuming the vast majority of these films are in that same boat and, again, are no less thought provoking or have no less skill.”
Liminal and other films in the same block will explore Fort Wayne and the immediate surrounding regions, offering festivalgoers a direct experience of our region that culminates from a unique perspective.
This film of Indiana drone footage produces a floating, meditative, out-of-body experience. While Metavari performs the live score during the 8:45 p.m. screening, audience members will be left with captivating drone footage of our state that explores the relationship between civilization and the natural environment.
“Hobnobben is really plugged into the idea of highlighting work from Indiana, but not just that,” said Schrank, director of the film and a professor at Indiana University South Bend. “Obviously it has a national/international scope, but it really sees itself as having that full flavor of a film festival that recognizes the unique value that people from Indiana can bring to it.”
If Liminal catches your eye, there’s an incredible amount of other unique films waiting to open your mind as well. If you’re interested in Indiana specific films, you should check out the film block on Thursday accompanying Liminal.
Tough topics and uplifting stories
Not only does Hobnobben cultivate a space to showcase diverse voices, it also provides a space that encourages a deeper understanding and interaction with topics seen on the screen.
“We have several blocks that have panels or Q&As associated with them so you can continue that conversation there,” Christi Hille said.
For instance, Indiana-based documentaries like The Bright Path: The Johnny Bright Story, Safe Place, and film blocks like Stories from Ukraine explore challenging topics like racism, police brutality, and the impacts of war.
You’ll find that Hobnobben does not shy away from gruesome subject or tip-toe around complex topics — instead, they dive in headfirst.
The beauty of Hobnobben is that you’re never alone. Hobnobben offers a place for shared human experience and a celebration of artistic creation. Whomever you are, you can come experience these films — laugh, cry, cheer, scream — surrounded by a community of people ready to look a little closer and dig a little deeper.
