ABSTRACT
Competition in cultural fields is influenced by the hierarchical division of cultural products into highbrow versus lowbrow, critical versus popular appeal, and aesthetic versus entertainment value. These bi-polar hierarchies are often elaborated by institutions such as awards, festivals, museums, and media organizations into rank ordering of cultural products in which relative position of different art works and artists take on special significance. In this paper we examine the role of international film festivals in the formation of cultural hierarchies based on rank ordering of so called 'best films' in the UK motion picture industry. Our analysis is based on analysis of raw data generated by a survey conducted by the British Film Institute (bfi). This survey invited 351 respondents to rank a selection of 309 movies nominated by the staff of the bfi as classic British feature films. We use the list of 331 respondents invited by the bfi to cast their votes to analyze the elaboration cultural taste hierarchies in the UK. We also use the rank ordering of films by respondents which include top professionals of the UK film industry, renowned critics, and leading members of the public to evaluate the interaction between elite preferences and institutions such as international film festivals, specifically the Cannes film festival. We argue that when it comes to formation of cultural hierarchies expert judgments is influenced by film festivals such as Cannes, peer professional recognition by institutions such as British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), whereas popular endorsement is associated with box office achievement.
Keywords
cultural hierarcy, cinema, festival