IFFF, Palm Springs
09.27.05 (8:45 pm) [edit]
I just came back from a surreal and amazing trip to California, to attend the International Family Film Festival in Valencia, for "Dancing With You''s screening, and then the next day to Palm Springs for the Palm Springs Short Film Market.
IFFF was so weird . . . my excellent friend Mark came, and also Leslie La Page, founder of the L.A. Femme Film Festival - she who will be forever blessed and hallowed for supporting me through serious viccissitudes; she who is representing the short toward distribution. This darling drove all the way up from San Diego, running in at the last minute to watch my ten minutes, and an interminable, terrible feature afterwards. Then away and back to San Diego the next morning. Sigh. Bless her generous, longsuffering heart. A kind of depressing night, all around.
Spent the night in a nasty-smelling hotel room.
Then, drove 2 1/2 hours down to Palm Springs, watching the temperature rise on the car thermometer. Finally found the proper hotel, and finally found the mall where the theatre and market were. Then I ate the amazing free Indian food, and settled in to pitch to four wonderful, kind, and receptive industry people looking for shorts. At one time I passed Rick, strangely, as he and Julie sat watching a short on the little T.V.s and headphones that they had there. He was on his way to Sedona to shoot another end-title sequence for "Expiration Date".
Saw the excellent festival winners in the award program, only slightly jealous of their awards (I lie, I was green!). Then went to the poolside party at the Hilton, my hotel, and ate the nice veggies and drank a glass of wine and schmoozed with the local high school girls who had kindly booked me into the pitch slots. Talked to a few drunks, then did some serious people-watching, and went to bed, watching odd Christian T.V.
In the morning I actually swam in the pool at 9 a.m., because I swore to myself that I would. When I got out it was about 90 or so. So when I got dressed I was pitted out before I got to the car. Drove back to L.A. in my rented convertible sportscar (they were out of compacts so gave it to me for compact price!), and had a fabulous fun lunch with Haynes and Chris Riley, checking in with Barbara and Jack and Tom Deason too. Very cool.
Then home.
I am exhausted.
Met with Laura, down from Canada, and some investors today, and we have our first small money towrd making our movie.
God's will be done!!!!
IFFF was so weird . . . my excellent friend Mark came, and also Leslie La Page, founder of the L.A. Femme Film Festival - she who will be forever blessed and hallowed for supporting me through serious viccissitudes; she who is representing the short toward distribution. This darling drove all the way up from San Diego, running in at the last minute to watch my ten minutes, and an interminable, terrible feature afterwards. Then away and back to San Diego the next morning. Sigh. Bless her generous, longsuffering heart. A kind of depressing night, all around.
Spent the night in a nasty-smelling hotel room.
Then, drove 2 1/2 hours down to Palm Springs, watching the temperature rise on the car thermometer. Finally found the proper hotel, and finally found the mall where the theatre and market were. Then I ate the amazing free Indian food, and settled in to pitch to four wonderful, kind, and receptive industry people looking for shorts. At one time I passed Rick, strangely, as he and Julie sat watching a short on the little T.V.s and headphones that they had there. He was on his way to Sedona to shoot another end-title sequence for "Expiration Date".
Saw the excellent festival winners in the award program, only slightly jealous of their awards (I lie, I was green!). Then went to the poolside party at the Hilton, my hotel, and ate the nice veggies and drank a glass of wine and schmoozed with the local high school girls who had kindly booked me into the pitch slots. Talked to a few drunks, then did some serious people-watching, and went to bed, watching odd Christian T.V.
In the morning I actually swam in the pool at 9 a.m., because I swore to myself that I would. When I got out it was about 90 or so. So when I got dressed I was pitted out before I got to the car. Drove back to L.A. in my rented convertible sportscar (they were out of compacts so gave it to me for compact price!), and had a fabulous fun lunch with Haynes and Chris Riley, checking in with Barbara and Jack and Tom Deason too. Very cool.
Then home.
I am exhausted.
Met with Laura, down from Canada, and some investors today, and we have our first small money towrd making our movie.
God's will be done!!!!