As I wind down the festival run for “Life and the Lady”, I wanted to reflect on the process rather than the destination. The festival run has been a HUGE educational experience for me in terms of what constitutes a festival, and what may simply be a laurel-grabbing screening.
Starting the festival run was the world premiere in Toronto (and BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM award) at the Open World Film Festival. Considering myself a “world citizen,” it was an honor to have the film land there first. Toronto is arguably one of the most multi-cultural melting pots I have ever visited. People were incredibly kind and gracious, as were the hard working organizers and volunteers who ran projectors, put out snacks, organized photographers, and made sure that the filmmakers were acknowledged and appreciated! This was my first real festival experience (and although humble in size), receiving appreciation for the years of hard work made it worth the journey!
Last dance in Toronto, finishing the festival with a CN Tower walk
Before My plane home landed (and just after watching “Midnight in Paris”), I received notice of being accepted for a screening at the Paris Independent Film Festival. As some of the dialogue in the film, as well as the native language of the actress, was French, there was no question about my attendance.
This was an ENTIRELY different experience in a festival. There were no additional events, no Q & A for filmmakers, no proper welcome, and immediately upon arriving, I was asked to pay an entrance fee. No posters or flyers were allowed in the lobby, no advertising was done (and again), I was asked to pay the “festival” Director on the down-low so they were not approached by VAT tax people.
Suffice to say that any sort of filmmaker reception was completely absent. This might be called a “screening” at best. When asking for a Q & A, I was met with disdainful grumbles about how “that was boring and will never happen at MY festival!” Top that off with a good ol’ fashioned Parisian Yellow Vest riot, and you have the makings of a questionable screening in the City of Lights. However, all was not lost, for what better place to be but PARIS! Need I say more?
At the Museo d’Orsay with nothing but time on my hands
I was incredibly honored to receive BEST DIRECTOR in March at the First Hermetic FilmFestival in Venice (Italy), not only because of the accolades received from a like-minded community, but because of the direct acknowledgement of the work and hardship that it took to realize the vision of The Lady. Truth be told, the film knocked the wind out of me and took everything I had to Write, Produce, Direct, train for and shoot (underwater), and Edit. By the time I got to our ‘friends and family’ premiere last year, I found the meaning of the word “face plant.” Although I was unable to attend Venice due to cost, being acknowledged by one’s peers for the effort and the message was heart-warming.
Next was the U.S. Premiere at the Georgia ME Film festival in April. The Lady picked up three nominations (Best Editing, Best Short Film, and Best SciFi/ Fantasy) and walked away being awarded the latter of the three. To be acknowledged by the judges (most of whom are working professionals in the industry) was the best gift to receive yet! The festival was one of the best of the run so far, with workshops, filmmaker events, panels, and evening parties. In the end, I found I had to choose between the evening events or the morning ones, and given my penchant for midnight outings, I succumbed to long slumbers and missed most of the morning activities. I hustled and landed a full half-hour local NPR WGRC radio interview and managed to connect with other talented filmmakers and organizers, and that was the inherent value for me, beyond the stellar organization, great people, and lovely small town vibe of Milledgeville-Eatonton, Georgia.
Georgia ME Film Festival Filmmakers Final Brunch
Picking up one more screening at the Vienna Independent, I begin to wind down my run with The Lady. I am incredibly grateful to all people who put on quality festivals and who understand the sheer mammoth task one must undergo to Write, Produce, Direct, Shoot, Edit, Distribute (and recover from!) The absolute MAIN reason I do this work is to communicate a message and have it be “heard.” Festivals can be a great place to do that, so if any other filmmakers are reading this, remember that it is NOT the quantity of festivals that accept the film, but quality and heart behind them that make the process worthwhile.