Chaos and creativity are not opposing forces. Finding an original point of view is not easy or comfortable. It begins with a single idea, one word on a page, or even a gnawing buzz in the brain that simply won’t go away. For the artist it is the starting point, a place where the marathon of imagination begins, and the work still lies ahead. There will be inevitable stops and starts along the way, but the process has begun, and the collision of chaos and creativity harnessed into something real and unique, and often quite extraordinary. The world of independent film and contemporary art and music is not an intellectual safe haven, but rather a minefield of the unexpected.  Welcome to the Carmel Art and Film Festival, 2010.

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for an exhilarating ride on the ingenuity express. Innovative filmmaking, contemporary art, stimulating debate, music and thought-provoking photography form the foundation of a festival that truly celebrates art in all its forms. It’s five jam-packed days of independent film, presented in a half dozen unique venues including the world famous Carmel Beach. A two-day outdoor fine art fair, a photography exhibition, tech expo, music café, lectures, gallery art openings, and an art auction round out the artistic adventure, which is then wrapped in a finely spun cocoon of fine wines and inventive cuisine from a region widely recognized for both. In other words, the parties are pretty great, too.  Add in a natural setting as spectacular as any in the world, and you have the perfect destination for a total arts immersion plunge.

Check out highlights from Carmel ART&FILM Festival 2009