Festival programming is a skill and art that which many people have no idea how complicated and involved it can be, I guess since so many of us make it look so seamless. But trust, it is not.

In a unique spin for our blog, Wavelengths contributor Jacob Nadir, who recently completed his first-ever THUH FILM FESTIVAL, which took place in Long Beach, California on August 21, 2021, recaps this experience in a chat with Luminal founder Curtis Caesar John.

THUH’s desire, which you’ll hear about how well it was attained, is to attract an audience to a slate of films that they never knew they needed. Akin to how The Luminal operates, Gray said in a recent interview with Beachcomber.news: “The goal is to make it as accessible as possible and spread it out,” Gray said. “The beauty of it is, no matter how big it gets, you’ll trace it back and say it was a Long Beach festival.”

Jacob and Curtis also chat about the work and sacrifices it takes to bring cinema to the people, and what inspires both of them to keep doing this work.