Okay, I didn't get to see ANY of the movies I listed as hopefuls. But, I did go to 3 events that were awesome!
First night of the festival, my boss and I went to the Ritz on 6th to hear the creator of Mad Men talk about the show and show an episode. It was SO cool. They played a recent, craaazy episode (the one with the lawnmower incident, for those of you who watch it!) and then he did a Q & A afterward. It was awesome to hear him talk about this world he created. If you don't watch the show, you should. It's the best show on TV - and I take my TV very seriously :)
Last Friday night, I drove all the way out to the Alamo Lake Creek (next to Lakeline mall, which is oh so far from my house) for "The Donner Party." For those of you who know me, you know I am SO into this kind of stuff. I love movies and documentaries about true stories of survival and the human body being pushed to it's limits. (I've seen the movie "Alive" about the rugby team stuck on the mountain like 8000 times.) However, "The Donner Party" was not really what I was expecting. I did enjoy it - it was VERY independent (no budget) but it was good. It even had Crispin Glover (McFly from Back to the Future) and let me tell you, that guy is creepy. But it wasn't what I was expecting because they weren't really pushed to the limits by their situation, more like from the mean man who was deciding who should be killed next for food. Alot of the crew that made the movie was in attendance, and the director, a few producers and one actress talked to the audience at the end about making it and working with Crispin Glover. It's really interesting to hear about how to make a film - alot more goes into it than we realize!
Monday night I convinced my friend Michael to go with me to see some "Shorts." We went to "Shorts 6" at the Hideout Theater on Congress near the Paramount. It was weird because the theater is in the back of a coffee shop, where, NO JOKE, they were having poetry readings in the front. The theater had probably only like 60 seats total, and reminded me of those little shady theaters you see in foreign films or old movies. Anyway, we both really enjoyed the "Shorts." Here's a list and descriptions of the ones we saw:
"My New Toy" - made in Australia, 5 minutes long. A little boy works hard to earn money for a special reward.
"What's Virgin Mean?" - made in the UK, 3 minutes long. The Birds and the Bees are the secret ingredient in this mother's recipe. Haha - "so what's extra virgin mean?"
"Good Advice" - made in Sweden, 15 minutes. When a boy runs away, he leaves behind a helpful tape for his unborn sibling.
"Love Child" - Sweden, 7 minutes. Kittens and kids - more alike than you think.
"An Evening with Emery Long" - USA, 14 minutes. On a cold Saturday afternoon, as day gives way to night, industrial carpet salesman Emery Long prepares for his first date with the sales department's receptionist.
"HIV: The Musical" - The UK, 12 minutes. A Playwright's socially conscious script turns into a "bloody" nightmare, proving that important social messages are best delivered in a pink tutu.
"All My Dreams on VHS" - The UK, 14 minutes. A man's videotaped dreams make for an awkward ice breaker.
"Las Pelotas" - Switzerland, 15 minutes. In bad economic times, there is nothing like a son with soccer talent. If you don't have one, it takes a good mix of science, sex and a grandma to get there.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Film Festival and can't wait to go again next year! Now that I know what to expect, hopefully next year I will make it to more events.
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