“Visionary” – it’s a term that we believe is overused, misused and abused.  Just check out the ads and media coverage for the latest film and DVD releases, and witness the studio hyperbole.  The word “visionary” now applies to filmmakers of almost any range of talent.

Visionary or Hack? – VOH – is our answer to these overstatements ingrained within our pop culture discourse.

As filmmaking turns to digital mediums, and resources become cheaper and easier to access, filmmakers and filmgoers learn through a faster – and less considered – cycle of exposure. Indeed, the grammar of the visual medium is being re-written on a seemingly daily basis. Unfortunately, in this current rush to package art with commerce, or to capture and post the latest and greatest for the world to see immediately, the truly visionary filmmaker and the traditions of the art form seem to be disappearing.

Depicting the plotline from A to B might be considered easy for many, but producing a meaningful film with the power to move, the power to shift perspective, and the power to transcend?  VOH might suggest that the occurrence of the latter is few and far between.

VOH is an opportunity to re-define “visionary” and to put into context the current spate of filmmakers labeled as such.

VOH was established in 2010 by film fans, who are passionate about the artistry of film. The VOH principals are committed to enhancing the filmgoing experience for audiences everywhere, but most of all, VOH strives to acknowledge visionary filmmakers and to respect the artistry and heritage of the film art form.