So, I’ve got some high-class problems to worry about. My
short film The Long and short of it was accepted at Sundance and I’m starring in a TV
series! The
show, called Jeremiah, which stars Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner,
films in Vancouver, BC. The Sundance Film festival is in Park City, Utah. Yikes!!! You mean
to tell me I can’t go to one of the premier film festivals in the world and
see for myself how my work is received? DAG NAB IT…
But I’m not complaining.
I love the work I’m getting to do on Jeremiah. Producer/Writer J. Michael Straczynski’s mind
is a scary place to call home for a year -- and that’s exactly what it feels
like, inhabiting one of his characters.
I waited and looked and hoped that
chance might favor the unweary and I could jet down to Park City for one of the three
screenings of my short. Alas, it seemed it was not meant to be. Then I saw
the silver lining -- I
don’t work on weekends!!! So I decided that I didn’t care how silly it seemed, I was going to fly to
Sundance Saturday for the last day of the festival. Sure, I wouldn’t get to see a
screening of my film, and OK, I wouldn’t get to see anybody else’s film --which is really the gravy for a true cinephile in that environment. But, for
pete’s sake, this is a rite of passage, this is a moment in my directing
career, who knows if I’ll ever get into the festival again, I can’t miss it
entirely . . . and so I didn’t!!!
After working a full
day on the Jeremiah 1st unit and many hours into the night on a
Jeremiah 2nd unit, I tried but couldn’t sleep in my dressing room for 45
minutes before heading to the airport for the first flight to Salt Lake
City. I had alerted my manager, agents, publicists and most importantly I
had the consent of my wife and eldest daughter to do my level best to attack
the festival… I kept telling folks, I’m going to be “Like Grant taking
Richmond!” a phrase my mom loves to use…
My Primary Goal: to
“EXPERIENCE ALL THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS TO OFFER IN 30 HOURS OR LESS!!!” My
Secondary Goal or ulterior motive or hidden agenda, was to try to get my
film, Dysfunktion financed… What follows is the manic, fun ride I
took as depicted in photo snippets and little captions:
This is Elvis Mitchell. He’s a critic for the
New York Times and couldn’t
be cooler. Someone pointed him out to me, so we threw open the door to this
car and asked him to jump in, which he did, and couldn’t have been happier
about it. He was gracious enough to let me take this picture and instantly
gave me permission to put it on my website.
Later on, after the closing
night festivities, I caught his eye and he invited me to tag along to the
post Awards Gala. I proceeded to tell him, from the way back seat of the car
we were in, my life’s story, “AS A FILMMAKER!” For some reason, I wanted him
to understand my passion for filmmaking and I guess I wanted his validation.
What a dude, he listened patiently and intently and then proceeded to
introduce me to the movers and shakers at the party, even going so far as to
recommend me as a panelist for an upcoming festival. I thought, “Man, this
rocks…the lines are blurring and here’s a guy with a first-rate mind and a
great deal of influence taking me seriously” -- at least I hope he was.
I suppose I might have
corrupted the possibility of a great review from him in the future, I’m not
sure if he’d have to recuse himself or something because of the exchange,
but I don’t really care, because the fact of the matter is that I was
inspired by his openness and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything!
continued . . .
