If you’ve ever been to one of the many time slots for the Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival, you know it can get a little crazy.
With films and events one after another for days in a row, it’s amazing that things run so smooth year after year. A lot of it has to do with the preparation and planning of the festival board, but what may get lost in the shuffle is the credit that the good people over at Red River Theatres deserve.
Sure, it’s what they do every day: get people in front of a large screen to watch something they really want to see. But when SNOB rolls into town, Red River has to be on its A game.
“We’re used to everyone coming in at the same time,” said Katie Mosher, events and marketing manager at Red River Theatres. “But the festival has more of an ebb and flow to it.”
While it might not be the busiest weekend of the year, it ranks right up there as one of them, which means a lot goes into making sure all those film lovers have a good experience. With people coming to town from all over New Hampshire and beyond, this might be the one and only chance to give folks the best impression of Red River. Talk about added pressure.
“The more people we bring in, the happier we are,” Mosher said.
That’s why they prepare for just about anything. They put more staff on the schedule, make sure the concession stand is stocked with plenty of back up and increase the beer and wine order the week prior.
“They asked ‘Are you guys having a party?’ ” Mosher said of the distributor. “You want to make sure you have more than enough to make it through the weekend.”
Especially since there’s a craft brew tasting event on Thursday.
But there are things you can’t be ready for.
“It’s flying by the seat of your pants sometimes,” Mosher said.
For Red River, the SNOB festival sums up what the independent theater is all about.
“It’s really a reflection of the indie community,” she said.
For more on the festival, visit redrivertheatres.org.
