Copyright 1997 Plain Dealer Publishing Co.
The Plain Dealer
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May 11, 1997 Sunday, FINAL / ALL
SECTION: SUNDAY; Pg. 15
LENGTH: 659 words
HEADLINE: DAVID
WITTKOWSKY
BYLINE: By FRAN HENRY; PLAIN DEALER REPORTRER
BODY:
David
Wittkowsky, 34, is executive director of the Cleveland Film Society, sponsor of the
Cleveland International Film Festival and the newly established Cleveland
Filmmakers organization. He lives in Cleveland Heights with his partner of six
years, James Anderson.
From Mom
Wittkowsky came a knack for organization, e.g., she planned for her two children to be
born in the same month, and actually delivered them on the same day three years
apart.
She surely would admire the enormous corkboard on the wall of son David's
office: It is divvied into days, each with slips of paper bearing names of
movies. Each slip has numerous holes attesting to its many moves on the board.
The festival must have a certain balance, says David Wittkowsky - no two French
movies playing at the same time, that sort of thing - and it takes time to
finalize the schedule.
He will ceremoniously remove all the film titles only after every detail of
post-festival work is done, about a month after the festival.
Now we acknowledge Dad Wittkowsky, a professional photographer who imparted a
love of films to his son.
"When I was a kid, I'd come home from school in time to watch the 4 o'clock
movie. And when Dad came home at 5:30
p.m.," Wittkowsky recalls, smile beaming from his boyish face,
"he could watch one scene from the movie and be able to identify the movie and
the stars."
Wittkowsky had watched more than his fair share of films when he left North
Tonawanda, N.Y., in 1981, and moved to Cleveland to study management at Case
Western Reserve University.
As a sophomore, he became co-director of the Case Film Society.
"That's when I first met Jonathan Forman [founder of the Film Festival]," he says. He began to volunteer at the festival, and decided to minor in film
studies.
During his senior year, Wittkowsky became the festival's part-time managing
director. After he graduated from CWRU, it took a year and half of lobbying
before Forman agreed to hire him full time. During that period, Wittkowsky was
a special assistant to a CWRU vice president.
"Right out of college,
I desperately wanted a particular job with Mellon Bank in Philadelphia," he says.
"It turned out to be very good luck that I didn't get it. I've got the best job
in the world."
No kidding. Wittkowsky watches about 400 films a year and travels to film
festivals around the world. Regular stops include Montreal, Toronto, London and
the fabled Sundance in Colorado, and each year he adds one or two festivals
that look interesting. (He has been to German, Italian, Czech and Swedish
festivals.)
"I'll watch five or six films a day, starting at 9 or 10 a.m., and hope to find
a half-hour to grab a sandwich for lunch. It's not the way to see movies," he says,
"but the more I see, the more I have to choose from."
"It took me
a while to learn that a film can have wonderful aspects but not be strong
enough. We have to be very selective if we are to retain our audience."
After 10 years on the job, he can tell if a movie stinks within a half-hour.
After 10 years on the job, he will walk out on a movie that is causing
indigestion or narcolepsy.
And even after 10 years on the job, he's not interested in leaving for greener
pastures.
"If I were using this job as a steppingstone, I'd be gone," he says.
"I love Cleveland and there's so much potential in this organization. I really
want to see it succeed and grow."
The Cleveland Foundation recently gave the film society $105,000 to establish
an organization for regional filmmakers, for advocacy and artistic, educational
and professional services. It is called Cleveland
Filmmakers.
"The society is extremely well-positioned to nurture that community and help put
Cleveland on the map as a filmmaking community," says Wittkowsky, demonstrating a flair for PR-speak. He makes amends with the
offer of candy from a Donald Duck Pez dispenser, which he keeps on hand for
guests.
There's that smile again.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO BY ROADELL HICKMAN / PLAIN DEALER PHOTOGRAPHER; David Wittkowsky
COLUMN: CLOSE UP
LOAD-DATE: May 12, 1997
