make mine a robbery, straight up, with a twist

Two days before Christmas, the postman delivered a surprise gift to me: the finished product from the hands of the Reichard brothers. Hallelujah!!!
Totally unexpected.
After all, the last message they had written to their kickstarter backers (including me in those ranks) was in March of this year, alluding to the shipment soon of the rewards of our investments.
Originally, the forecast had called for rewards to be mailed in December 2012.
However, this isn't my first rodeo.
I know things take longer than one thinks they will, so I bided my time.
Then the thought of waiting for the postman slipped to the back of my mind and got lost in the shuffle.
And now? Now the time - and the film! - is here!!!
A Christmas gift to brighten my holidays!
I couldn't be any prouder of these fine young men and their crew.

This evening, I was finally able to carve out a hunk of time to again watch the film.
Again? I had already had the privilege of seeing it?
Yes, I had. On a much larger screen than the 15" of my television screen, too.
It had been shown at "16 x 9 Revealed", a competitive student showcase of films, at the Trustees Theatre. That was in late spring of 2012, May 30 and 31; right in time for my 54th birthday.
This film was not the only one of the kickstarter projects that I've backed which screened on that occasion. The other contenders with my support: "Chalk Talk", "12:15 Sunday", "Crucifaxe 2", "The Flight", and "Gypped".
This film, "The Restaurant Job", walked away with the 2012 Best Editing for an Undergraduate Film Award.
Nicely done!
The film is so tightly constructed, with miles of high energy, no wasted moments - and an ending that will leave you both thrilled and completely satisfied.
Tommy Pietch, Louis Vanaria, and John McGlothlin masterfully draw us into their heist, from the initial planning to the actual performance of the robbery. Nothing is given away about the ending. No foreshadowing, no knowing glances.
Perfect surprise.
I do so enjoy a good surprise, too.
I see many films, as well as many movies, and, yes, there is definitely a difference. It isn't that often anymore that a plot manages to pull a fast one on me.
This one did.
My kudos, and thanks, to all.

I do hope you will some day be able to enjoy these twelve minutes of footage.
And I do hope I will soon see more works from these two brothers.

Hint, hint, Nicholas and Brandon.
And many thanks for making my Christmas brighter.

bewitched love

more soon...

god help the girl in her sundance

The last update from Stuart Murdoch to his kickstarter collaborators was on October 18 of this year. I had referenced that update in one of the comments of my earlier post about "God Help The Girl".
As of October, the filming was completed, the musical had been scored, the film had been edited. Our GTH Girl was ready to sing and strut!
Whew!
At last, she was ready to fill her dance card on the festival circuit.
Who would be the first to twirl her in front of the world???
No less than Sundance... wow!
I am so excited for her!!!
Here's the update!

Update #41
Dec 4 2013
World Premiere at Sundance!

Hello Backers!

We are delighted to announce that 'God Help The Girl' will have its World Premiere at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. It's a perfect start to what will be a packed year of festival screenings, previews and a commercial release.

We know you have all been waiting a LONG time to see this film you so generously supported and are excited that will be a reality in 2014.

In other news - we have t-shirts and posters at the printers, guitars in the post and lots of other rewards in progress. It's all happening, SLOWLY but SURELY.

Once again, many thanks for your support which has taken us to this very exciting place that I'm not sure we ever imagined possible. Premiering at one of our favourite international film festivals.

We'll be in touch soon with more details for the festival and some reward updates.

Once again, so many thanks for your support from the very beginning.

GHTG HQ

How very exciting!
Her debut will be at Mr. Robert Redford's esteemed event!

support your local sheriff! I mean, film rustler!

Tonight was my last night with Jim Reed's Wednesday night features at one of Savannah's local coffeehouses.
Well, for this year, I mean.
I do hope his Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah will continue to bring to the table the lost films of yesterday, those which never made it to video in this country, or those which have been tied up in legal battles or other obscurity.
After all, we hunger for fare different from the buffets served at the commercial cineplexes. Not that their offerings don't, or cannot, sustain us, but the nutritional value is... well, mostly lacking.
You know I'm right.

Earlier this year, I had purchased advance tickets for the Wednesday screenings.
Doesn't he tend to choose horror films, which you do not consume, more times than not?
I do admit that he does lean in that direction, but he also brings comedies, action, film noir, and suspense (which he sometimes mislabels as horror). Oh, and musicals!
But wait! Don't you work on Wednesday evenings?
Well, yes, I do. Most Wednesdays, in fact, except in the summer.
Then why would you purchase a bunch of advance tickets for events you know you will not be attending?
Let me tell you why.
If he doesn't have the funds to procure the rights to show the films, then those films remain unseen. The good films, the bad films, and the ugly films - they could never be brought to town without the aid of advance funding.
Sure, the weekly tickey sales help keep the venture afloat, for the most part. But that revenue source is fairly slight some weeks and cannot be relied upon.
So, I gladly support PFS by purchasing advance tickets.
Even when it turns out that I have a few left over at year's end.

thanksgiving wishes from afar

I received the above message yesterday and wanted to share it here.
To my knowledge, none of these projects are making films or writing plays.
They are all working to make the world better by literally working, as farmers and grocers, llama herders and fishermen, knitters and woodworkers. All working to help their communities and families and friends to have better lives.
What a worthy goal.
I had written about it recently in my other blog, but it bears repeating.

"I joined Kiva in July of 2012 because the Nerdfighters group was having a membership drive. (I no longer recall how I stumbled upon the Nerdfighters. The important thing is this: I did.) The deal was this: an "angel" (an unnamed sponsor) would provide $25 to each new member. The new member would then "donate" this money toward a loan for a struggling business owner in some country. The business owner was then responsible for repaying this loan, with the money going back into the lender's acoount. The lender could then make anothe loan to a new business owner.
So, for no cost to me, I was able to do a good deed.
Hey, life doesn't get better than that!
Do a favor for a stranger for free?
That's easier, and faster, than giving blood. Why wouldn't someone participate?

At that time, I had also invested $25 of my own money to fund someone else's dream of a better life. On September 21, 2013, that loan was repaid in full and I again had $25 to invest. On that very same day, I selected a group in Bolivia to receive that amount from me, towards their loan.
When I did, here's the message I received from Kiva:

"Dear Faustina,
Thank you for making a Kiva Loan!
We're so excited that you've chosen to give a hand up to entrepreneurs working towards better lives.
Best wishes,
The Kiva Team
www.kiva.org
Loans that change lives"

You can change a life, too.
And you can do so the very same way I first did.
For free.
Using the money of an angel.
Just use this link.

Become 1 in the next 1,000,000.

rock (and a hard place) opera

more soon...
Savannah touches: Bird Girl pose on cover, Paula Deen, Miley Cyrus

hallelujah for family

more soon...

Grover's Corners

The Asbury Memorial Theatre first made an imprint on me near year's end in 2003, with their production of "West Side Story". Incredibly talented cast, fabulous use of space (the very active play was performed in the social center at the church on East Henry Street and Waters Avenue), and beautifully rendered songs. The play was one of Mama's favorites, so I knew it well.
In 2008, they reprised portions of that play in the not-yet renovated sanctuary. That was done as part of the church's annual "God on Broadway" series, a fundraiser that brings in a good number of visitors.

This is the 75th Anniversary of performances of "Our Town". Performed in the now-beautiful sanctuary, with the flexible seating arrangements afforded therein, the audience was allowed to, literally, be part of the townsfolk of the fictional Grover's Corners. Some of the cast members even sat amongst the audience between their performances. Newspaper and milk deliveries were made using the wide "lanes" through the segmented seating areas. Children walked to and from "school" on those same lanes, the wedding party came down "Main Street", the police officer made his rounds through the paths laid out on the sanctuary floor.
All in all, a very memorable evening for all in attendance.
This was my first experience with Wilder's play; I'm very glad to have seen this group's performance. I don't know that the play would have had such an emotional impact on me if it were held in a regular theatre setting, with the audience separate from the cast.
I proudly will continue to support them in their endeavors.
I encourage you to do the same.

silencer

Sometimes, you have to have patience.
Correction: most of the time, you have to have patience.
But the reward can be very much worth the wait.

When I first saw this project on kickstarter, I was intrigued by the concept of two college students becoming superheroes. College students? This could be interesting!
The fact that the project was local helped.
And so, in memory of The Comic Box and my dear friend Sam Johnson, I selected this project to receive some of the funds from Mama's estate.
That was November of 2011.
One of the artists dropped out, life intervened, but the leader of the project, Ethan Wright, persevered and prevailed. The end result is well worth the wait.
I wonder when Issue 2 will hit the stands?
And who to share this gem with first??

life is a cabaret, old chum!

I feel so cherished! The wonderful folks with the Savannah Stage Company have always made sure I knew how special I am to them and tonight was no exception. I had scarce arrived when Bryan announced my presence as an original backer of the theatre group, via their Kickstarter campaign. That has been a year ago!

Tonight, one of the fine venues downtown was hosting this song-and-dance fundraiser, supplying an open wine bar and fine finger foods, including three different paninis. Yum! After Bryan's introduction of me, the servers were quite generous toward me and even made sure I knew when the fresh, hot, panini was available.
I made sure I had bids in on quite a few of the silent auctions, but I only "won" one of them. Just as well! Spirits were high and several of the attendees caught the "giving" fever! They were quite generous and the budding group is now funded to bring their live shows to more school children!
Success!

mint juleps and more, at my house, y'all

It's here!!!
Happy birthday to me!!!
Woohoo!!!! Lorenzo and Cree! Skeleton of It! Balloons, bellydancing, and boas! Comedy! Song!
Megan Jones, the kickstarter brain behind the scenes of "Ol' Devil Sherman and the Mint Juleps", had told me she would mail the dvd to me.
On the night of the show, the dvd had not yet been produced.
The plan was to videorecord both nights' shows, then create the film.
So, patience was needed for me to again enjoy the burlesque and music and dance...

But, here's the good thing about shopping local, y'all: she was able to hand deliver it to my house instead making me wait.
I arrived home from school to find this treat in my mailbox!
Yeah for Georgia and Savannah projects!

I had already received
this freshly minted
(get it?)
T-shirt on the night of the performance.
Isn't it lovely?!?
I just adore the burlesque beauties, chilling in the summer treat!

This is the sticker (which matches the button).
Here, you see the full design imprinted on the T-shirt.
Good, right, but aren't you glad I chose the close-up of the girls for showing off the T-shirt?
The Ol' Devil looks imposing and right distinguished, true...
but surely he is no rival to the attraction of the feminine lovelies inside his frosted glass!
No, sir!

I also have a totally lovely 8x10 glossy of the five lovely lasses!
Want to see it?
Well, maybe you can contact Megan and she will help you out.
I'm not sure how much the photos cost, but the dvd's are a bargain at $20.

the mint juleps take the stage

Oh, my, my, my!
Ooh la la, and all that jazz!
I am still so excited from the show that I can't even think about going to sleep!
That vaudeville and burlesque show at Muse Arts Warehouse was more than two hours of dancing, comedy, singing, and good old-fashioned, red light district, FUN!
Balloons, scarves, jingly anklets and bracelets and hipshakers - there was even a snake!
This show had it all, I tell you!!!
A cello-strumming songstress and a zombie out for revenge!
A tapdancing chanteuse and a couple of wiseacres!
Lorenzo and Cree, formerly with the Gypsee Belly Dance Troupe!!! (My absolute favorites!!!)
And Ol' Devil Sherman himself, to put the five Mint Juleps through their paces, clad in bustiers and garter belts and feather boas!
The Mint Juleps, aka Savannah Sweet Tease, is sure to please all, having several different flavors to suit any taste!
(All puns intended, of course!)
You can read about it here, but that may be all you can do.
Bear in mind, folks are hungry for this type of entertainment.
This show sold out and I imagine their second show will also. So, just in case, you can enjoy this photo of the cast from their facebook page.

I am thrilled to be a kickstarter backer of this incredible delight! "Ol' Devis Sherman and the Mint Juleps" has produced a show which is much more than I had anticipated. I sooooo look forward to the dvd video, which I will no doubt wear grooves into. Maybe I should order a second one now...

lady in Red, once more for the last time

I have received the final dvd of the film,
my kickstarter reward for "Red Thread"!
Poetry, operatic music, and a tale of a strong woman and the choices she made, good, bad, and ugly.
I may not watch it often, but it is a stirring video.
It is also an award-winning film, having earned the New York State Council on the Arts Film and Media Grant. That enabled the team (Duston Spear, producer; Michael Minard, music composer; Ann Casapini, singer) to truly fine-tune the piece. That fine-tuning included a slight name change: "Red Thread: The Prisoner and The Painter".
I am so proud of them.

Thank You, also,
for a birthday gift
from beyond all time.

game time for cafe murder, folks!

Cafe Murder is up and running! Just click this link and you can buy Zack and Eli's game and play it on your smartphone for less than $2. (I have a dumb phone, sadly.)
The official release party will be June 8th in Atlanta. If I had planned ahead, I would be there, to shake their hands and give them big hugs, too.
For the International Gaming festival, the guys at Beaver Toad Software made this video about how to play the game. Quite informative and fun, too! I'm not sure I could keep up with all the food flying around the room - and keep Stabby from killing the diners - but that bazooka o'sandwich is a handy tool. Oh, yeah!
Apparently, many concepts of electronic games never make it into this stage of life. I am so very proud of Zack Wood and Eli Burke, two guys from Georgia, not Simi Valley, who dared to dream it and then put in the many long hours of WORK to get it done.
Again, Good job, y'all!
And happy birthday to me!

hello, hellyfish?

Well, one thing I am learning with these kickstarter projects: when the people in charge of making them move away from each other or graduate from SCAD, the project goes into slow-motion status.
Pat Longsteth moved to California in late May of 2012, after filming was totally complete, as he states in the "comments" portion of my posting.
Since then, it's all but stopped, at least as far as I can tell.
The Savannah Magazine's July 2012 issue, titled "Life on the Water", sported a very nice interview with Pat and Rob McLean. The story was titled, aptly enough, "Creature Feature" and is quite entertaining.
Also in July of 2012, their blog was updated to let all know that the trailer for the film was complete and available on youTube. I have it posted above, for your one-stop viewing pleasure! Pretty exciting!
It also tends to whet one's movie-viewing appetite.
So far, that is still unsated.
Near the end of February, their blog reassured all that they had been "chiseling away all winter on the post-production of Hellyfish, and I must admit that this monster is a tough one to REEL in. When tackling any large problem, it’s important to take a break, have a little fun, and learn about what else is happening in the world. So here goes."
The rest of that post, while interesting, was not helpful.
When would the film be completed?
As it has not been completed, that must mean they were unable to enter it in the 2012 SXSW Film Festival.
Will they try again this year? If so, the deadline for submissions is in October.
Stay tuned...
I will!

Rip Van Winkle sleeps no more!

When I first backed this musical by the Savannah Stage Company, I didn't know how well it would succeed. Please do not misunstand me: I had hoped it would. But their dream was so lofty, and so different, and I honestly did not know how well the school system would accept it.
But "Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical" has done quite well!

In an update posted on October 30th of last year, we backers were told:
On November 5th, Savannah Stage Company opens Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical at the Moses Jackson Center in Savannah. Our first performance will be for a group of senior citizens from West Savannah that the Moses Jackson serves, as a 'thank you' to them for providing us a home to rehearse in. They have been extremely welcoming to us and very accommodating.
Later this month we'll perform the show 2 more times for elementary school aged children and, since we've decided to extend this tour until the end of the school year, we're continuing to book shows for next year. If you haven't been keeping up with our progress on Facebook, we encourage you to take a look at some of our rehearsal photos and be on the lookout for production photos once we open.
This tour is coming to life daily and we're doing our best to share our progress with you. Without you guys this thing would never have been possible and we're reminded everyday of how lucky we are. Thank you for your continued support. Be on the lookout for our website launching mid-November. Have a Happy Halloween!

Since then, there have been shows at an art gallery and at several libraries! I have not yet managed to catch any of these shows, but you can see my name here, on the troupe's website.
I'll keep my eye out for the postman to bring my video soon!

ol' devil sherman and the mint juleps

Again that magic word: burlesque - how wonderfully exotic!
This time, I most assuredly would be able to attend the show, as it is quite local! Not all the way off in Texas, like that last one with kickstarter!
My friend, Megan Jones, is the woman in charge of this project. She does a lot of photography and encourages her clients to dress in lavish styles for their glamour shots. Of course, it doesn't hurt that many of the folks she photographs are local theatre people!
One of the categories on her page is for "Pin Ups".
Yep, you read that right.
For gals - and guys! - wanting to get their smooth on, they can book with her and have their hair styled especially for the 1930's, '40's, and 50's, with clothes to match, 'natch. Look here if you're wanting to get some ideas for your day in the sun!
When she sent out the word on facebook that she was trying to fund a burlesque show, I gave serious consideration to becoming a backer. My funds are not what they once were, especially as the summer is upon me (no pay for professors for those three months) and my status as full-time parlayer of knowledge has ended. Unless I find some other job, I will return to adjunct status, at one-fifth pay, in August.
Hell's belles, darlin', that's why God made credit cards!
You know what, you are absolutely right.
Plus, you can declare it part of your 55th birthday celebration this year!
By Golly, Miss Molly! That sounds like a winner, indeedy it do!
So, that's what I've done: added a Benjamin to the top hat, plus a dollar for every year I've been on this planet.
Happy birthday to me!
Hope you can make it to the party - it's gonna be a beaut!

ray harryhausen lives in the fantasy world now

Wow.
As I've said before, timing is everything.
Ray Harryhausen has died at the age of 92, about six weeks before his 93rd birthday.
If it's on National Public Radio, you know it must be true.
It hasn't even been a year since the Bronze Tribute and Letter of Appreciation was sent to him, as the final product of Bruce Bowman's kickstarter project.
Perhaps the thought of another impending birthday without his best friend, Ray Bradbury, was too great a burden. One birthday without the other Ray was probably enough. I lost a dear friend five years ago and almost lost my mind.
Perhaps, old age was the culprit. After all, he had already put in more than nine decades on this blue planet.
I'm just glad he was able to know, from this recent project, that he still has fans who treasure his work.

(The photo above appears here, at "The Official Ray Harryhausen Website". The original photograph was taken by Simon Harvey, at the European premiere of "Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan" at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill, London on Friday, 9th November, 2012.)

at the laundromat

Here's the update from Vanessa Yee on her kickstarter project:
Update #9 - For backers only
Apr 20, 2013
Picture Locked! The Beginning of the End
Hi Kickstarter family! It's been a while and I apologize, but I finally had a moment to sit down and write out all the exciting things that have been happening in the life of The Laundromat. Here's the link to my reflection on these past couple of months.
And here's a quick breakdown of all the big and small details:
- Had a peer/film community screening to keep refining TLD and it met with success and mainly loving support. Here's the Daily Bruin article that came from that.
- PICTURE LOCKED!!! This means I can no longer keep editing the film (which believe me is a bit of a relief). I'm going to start passing along the film to different vendors to take it all the way to the finish. So...
- Already scoring with a composer! The talented and equally earnest Deborah Lee
- Working with a ridiculously knowledgeable fellow director to coordinate the "Online" process, which includes streamlining all my footage to be the same format, applying color correction, and making sure all the sound sounds AMAZING
- Still working on branding and Kickstarter gifts. Below is an example of a text test.
- Will be speaking at a UCLA-run Asian American mental health panel in May with an organization called Active Minds
So here I am with about a month left in the Post-Production life of this film. Thank you for all your continued support! I'll try to keep these updates coming your way, and feel free to ask me questions about this sprint towards the finish.

The laundry is almost done.
It's been a long journey, but sometime this year, I hope to have the DVD in my hands.
I'll keep you posted...

parkour over here, please!

This
first
photo
is
very
much
a
favorite
of
mine.

Here
is
another,
featuring
the
same
graceful
young
man.

This
third
in
my
series
captures
the
bottom
half
of
a
backflip.


I've tried to be patient.
Truly, I have.
However, it's been a YEAR since I notified Lindsey Marr of the reward I wanted for backing his kickstarter campaign.
A year. Today.
In return for my support of the project, I was to receive an 8" x 10" print of the photograph of my choice. First, he traveled to several different locations, taking the photographs of folks running in the air. He then sent the survey for the backers, including me, to make our choices for the reward prints.
After going to his Flickr page, I was overwhelmed by the incredible photos! I was hard pressed to select just one... so I made several selections and asked that he make the final choice for me. I assured him I would be delighted with any of the ones I had "bookmarked" (see the post from April 17, 2012, "parkour here and there").
Partly, though, the reason I asked him to choose for me was this: in case he had a favorite that was being overlooked by others, I wanted him to feel free to select that photograph for me. I know that, as a blogger, not all posts are works of beauty. There are definitely some I consider jewels and I am always so pleased when anyone else also finds beauty in those words.
I believe all artists have favorites in their portfolio. If Lindsey felt that one of his favorites was being slighted by the public, this was his opportunity to let that one take precedence, to run into the spotlight, so to speak.
Instead, I had no reply from my email to him.
I have had no treat from him in my mailbox.
Drats.
So, I have selected a trio of favorites and shared them above.
Please enjoy.

sunset viewing of the sunset starlet

Tonight
- or should I say last night? -
I was finally able to take a little time to watch
"The Curse of the Sunset Starlet", my latest kickstarter reward.
I received it a few weeks ago, but school was in full-tilt boogie, pre-midterm, mode, so my head needed time to get past that rush.
The delay was a good move on my part.
I really did need a little time to reacquaint myself with Lori Precious and her lovely butterfly-wing portraits and the backstory to this film.
After all, it's been more than a year since the project began.
The listing of my name on the page of thanks has been about that long, too.
Filming was completed during a one-week rush last June, then began the arduous task of editing, with a change of personnel along the way.
Time just went rolling along while the magic happened.
It has all been worth the wait, because magic has been imbued into this finished product. Sally Kirkland and Kathleen Wilhoite were fabulous as the footloose mother-starlet, Gigi, and her grown daughter, Zarianne. Zarianne is a divorced mother of two teens, trying to bring in some extra money through her art. She is to have a show in two weeks, but only if she has at least eight butterfly-wing portraits for the gallery. She is trying to finish just one more when who should appear to her wondering eyes?
No, not Santa Claus. Her dying mother, out of money and out of places to go. The last time her mom appeared, the children had not yet been born.
Estranged is definitely an apt description of their relationship.
The daughter, giving in to her children's wishes, allows Gigi to stay.
Along the way, the daughter learns that maybe she can have a relationship, as an adult, with her mom. Even though there is no substance to their bond, perhaps it can be something they both agree upon.
As Zarianne says of the sunset moth, its brilliant wings have no pigment, but the broad range of hues are the result of optical interference, a matter in which "the light and the eye agree on a color."
Definitely a different perspective on love, but appropriate for two people bound together by genetics alone.
The "COTSS", as Ms. Precious abbreviates it, is now going the rounds of the film festival circuit. It has already screened at the Charlie Chaplin Theatre in Hollywood! Here's that news:

Update #41
Jan 29 2013
Screening
1 comment

Hi All

I screened Curse of the Sunset Starlet at the Charlie Chaplin Theater in Hollywood across the street from Paramount Studios. It was a full house of about 175 cast, crew and contributors. I'm happy to report that it was a huge success! Cloris Leachman was at the screening and she stood up after it was over and said "it was perfect from beginning to end" and joked that the only way it would have been better would be if she had been in it. WOW coming from an actress who has won more (9!!) Emmy's than any other actor (plus an Oscar) I was thrilled.

Sally loved it---it was her first time seeing it. She said the fake murder scene was one of her favorite scenes from her 53 years of acting.

Some of the other comments:

"a real movie with lyrical power. "Poetic" seldom defines a film, but it's the perfect description for yours"

"you've produced something very compelling and distinctive"

"it's a really special little film with a strong point of view"

On to submitting to festivals! Im hoping to send out DVDs next week.

Thanks for all your help getting us to the finish line!

Lori Precious

My response had been:
fliss on February 13, 2013
Lori, what fabulous responses to your work! I know that must be so very gratifying after such a struggle to get the film completed, with you having to learn so much along the way.
Very good! I am so proud of you!!

I do wish it much success - break a leg, y'all!
See you at the Academy Awards!

five-year francophone

Last year, I added my two-cents worth of support to a film festival I've been enjoying for some few years. I then put the matter aside and went on with other projects.
This past week, I was reminded.
My name was listed in the credits for the Francophone Film Festival. Nice!
But, what made this even sweeter for me was this: the French Club's event celebrated its fifth annual presentation of the festival this year.
That's right: five years.
Amazing.

I well recall the the first Francophone Film Festival in 2009. Sparsely attended, those of us present for opening night were treated to a fabulous feast of French fare, catered by the local French restaurant. The films that year were very good, though I cannot currently recall their names. I do recall that it was an event my ex would not have cared to attend.
Every year saw the festival increase in size and attendance. That's not to say the films are SRO even today, but the word of mouth has definitely worked in its favor.
I'm glad to have anteed up my two cents toward this year's three-day festival.
I've even thrown in another two cents for next year's festival.
Francophones, unite!

adventure in physics

In September of 2011, I first became aware of this short film, The Flight. The goal was ambitious: a film with a lead character who was not only curious, desirous of change, smart, and capable, and... lesbian. That's right. Her sexual orientation was simply another of her attributes, like her curiosity.
How refreshing: a film about a smart young woman, not a film about a young woman questioning her sexuality.
It was also about a young woman on a quest to find what more there was to life than the small island on which she lived. According to the elders, that bit of land was the only land still on the planet, all the rest had been destroyed by the sins of humanity.
Ah! That last bit caught your attention, didn't it? The world had been drowned because people were bad - yet, on this sole remaining landmass, homosexuality still existed. No, that's not quite right. It's not that homosexuality still existed that is the important point here. Homosexuality is simply not distinguished as a sin; it is an accepted way of being, just like heterosexuality.
Like I said, pretty ambitious for a student short film.
I backed it heavily on its kickstarter campaign, but to no avail. The project did not meet its funding goal of $4000.
That time.
The next September, it was back for another run at funding.
My finances had been used for other projects, making a far lesser amount available. But, I did provide funding again for the film, as I still believed it to be a remarkable piece.
After all, the young woman manages to build a set of flying wings simply by the reading of a banned book. What a marvelous combination of science literacy and spunk!
This time around, she succeeded! Moreover, I was able to view the film on the large screen at the Trustees Theatre, too, when the student showcase was opened to the public. Very nice to see "The Flight" in such a setting!
And now I have my very own copy, to view whenever I like.
I should consider having a screening at my house sometime in the future, to share these works with a larger audience. After all, my goal is to broaden the horizons of those I know, not to let them stay on their own isolated islands.