On August 6, 7, and 8, 2010, I attended my first film festival, "The Indie Gathering International Film Festival" in Westlake, Ohio. I wasn't screening a film for competition but a 4 minute "experimental art video" I edited was being shown complimentarily by Ray Szuch, the event organizer. Who said there aren't any great humanitarians anymore?
EVEN if there is no other reason for you to go to a film festival, like you can't find a movie that interests you (this is hypothetical as there is no way this can happen), and you don't have anything showing there yourself (which happens.....too often...), there are still lectures and seminars that are given by people that have been successful and are there to help you become successful too.