SAGIndie

O.K., so I’m engaging in film festival revelry.  I have now consumed more alcohol (I mean, I’ve seen more films) in a week than I would normally do in………..uh, 8 days. 

Life is good when it’s full of movies, mudslide drinks, and a really great ice luge.  These are the primary elements of the Waterfront Film Festival.  I arrived in the airport and met up with some of the motley crew that would become my drinking buddies.  The group is impressive, all bringing great films to the fest (but enough about that for now - who am I, their press agent?).  We boarded a bus bound for Saugatuck, looking like a group of city kids headed to camp.  As the bus rattled on, we traded names and projects (me being the cool SPONSOR, i.e. untalented one in the group).  Once we got to the Ship N Shore Motel, which would be our weekend home, we were greeted by our host family, the DePrees (that’s Dana, Dori, Kori, and Hopwood, plus the ‘rents).  And from there, the festivities began.

I met my soulmates in sarcasm, Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen, the producer and writer/director respectively of the SASQUATCH DUMPLING GANG.  These NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE alum proved to be a constant source of amusement.  Good guys, but don’t tell them I said so - they’ve got enough juice right now.  I saw some other good films as well, including IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER (see Christopher, I actually SAW your film!) and Ed Burns’ newest, THE GROOMSMEN (his best film in my opinion).  It’s always a pleasure to go to a festival and meet cool people, indulge in gluttonous behavior, AND see good films.  Saugatuck could be heaven, if not for the mosquitos.  Sadly, my chance at getting a good night sleep (my first trip without Darrien, Jr.) was squashed by the constant partying until 5 am.  This is not a festival for wallflowers or the faint of heart.  BUT, if you’re ever in the southwest part of Michigan, off Lake Michigan, you MUST check out the festival.  It’s got to be good if you can have 100’s attend a film festival in a town that doesn’t HAVE a movie theater!!!!

Despite my hangover from Waterfront, there was no rest for the wicked.  Within 24 hours, I was dispatched to CineVegas Film Festival.  This was a quick trip, dropping in to host a party and disappearing into the night.  Of course, when CineVegas suggested that we host the ‘Filmmaker’s Bowling Party’, it seemed like an easy do.  I’m sure it was just an oversight that they didn’t mention that the bowling went from 1am to 4am!!!  Again, no sleep for me.  But I have to say that it was a blast.  I was a bit worried about attendance, especially since the party beforehand was in honor of none other than Sylvester Stallone.  But by 1:15am, the party was jumping.  We all got these cool CineVegas bowling shirts and said, in the immortal words of Adrian Zmed in the iconic film GREASE 2, "Let’s Bowl!!   And bowl we did!  Check out these hipsters. 

And anyone who doubts the stoic conservatism that is an essential to a big time festival programmer, check out Trevor Groth, programmer of CineVegas and Sundance, displaying his genteel sense of propriety.  This is the guy who turned your film down. 

Okay, today was more like it.

I squeezed in a little nature time this morning, then went full bore on the Sundance Directors Lab experience.

The super friendly folks on the Lab staff took me on a tour of the operation here, which left me duly impressed. The Sundance Institute has gone to great lengths to provide their Fellows with a nurturing, creative environment in which to hone their craft.

During the tour, I was able to visit the sets of some of the Lab productions. I watched while Armagan Ballantyne worked with her child actors (and, interestingly enough, a stuffed chicken), and stood by while Cary Fukunaga worked on a scene with Q’Orianka Kilcher. I met Eran Merev in the dinner tent, and convinced him to pose for a photo sporting his SAGIndie hat (you can see by his expression in the photo above that he may not have been entirely certain of just who the hell I was).

Later, over Indian food, I sat and listened to Armagan discussing her production with her crew and creative advisor. Listening to them hash over camera angles made me want to sign up for a couple of days of production work.

The staff then graciously allowed me to say a few words to the gathered filmmakers and creative advisors, who gave me a nice round of applause for the free booze from the night before. Judging from conversations I had with filmmakers, having beer before dinner was a popular decision. If I’d only been there to see it…

Before I sign off to pack for the trip home, I’d just like to say thanks to the entire staff of the Directors Lab. Emma Ruse, and everyone else here, has been unfailingly helpful and friendly. I wish I could stay longer, but duty (and a pile of unsigned expense reports) calls.

Ahh, Sundance…

Free Stella Artois, pretty girls slinging Airborne on every corner, and, of course, lots of frozen precip. At least, that’s what Sundance has meant to me, until now.

Now, I see that I was a parochial rube, foolishly thinking that the well-oiled Sundance machinery shut down in the fallow months between the behemoth festival’s annual invasion of tiny Park City. How little I knew.

But how could I have known? Paul and Darrien usually hog all the high profile events (have fun at Waterfront, DMG… I didn’t want to go anyway), forcing me to hold down the fort in Hollywood, where I bide my time hoping that they’ll at least bring me a souvenir of their high-livin’, jet-setting good times. To my great good fortune, though, this year Paul decided he needed a little down time after his exhausting trip to Cannes, followed by his physically draining vacation in Venice.

So he sent me to represent SAGIndie at the 2006 Sundance Directors Lab, held annually at the Sundance resort high above picturesque Provo Canyon. So far, to be blunt, I ain’t complaining.

Well, I do have one minor, niggling complaint that I hesitate to bring up: my flight to Utah was delayed so long that I missed the event that was the primary reason for my trip. Yep, the SAGIndie Reception had to go on without me. I lost out on the chance to be the guy who bestowed free booze and SAGIndie hats upon a bunch of thirsty, swag coveting filmmakers. Just thinking about all the drinks at the Owl Bar our generosity would have garnered me had I been here to take all the credit for our largesse is disheartening in the extreme.

Ah well, to hell with it. I’ve got to soldier on. There are complimentary meals to be had, hands to shake, and script readings to attend. And today was not a total wash: I saw Q’Orianka Kilcher and I got my two week membership card to the Owl Bar (pictured above).

Tomorrow will give me time enough to earn my pay.