People have always told me that no place on earth is better than NEW YORK CITY during the holidays. Now I know why.
Over Thanksgiving break I was in Manhattan taking in the glorious sights and sounds of a city buzzing with holiday cheer. For the short time I was there, I pushed myself hard — hustling to see everything I could while getting a cold and blistered feet in the process. I’m happy to report that the pain didn’t stop me from journeying down the endless streets of the Upper West Side, Lower East Side, Midtown, Chinatown, Little Italy, Brooklyn, Tribeca, Central Park – the list goes on and on. I didn’t even get to do everything I planned, but I aim to be back very soon.
Oh, and I guess there was work to be done (if you can even call it work). As is custom, SAGIndie once again sponsored the Gotham Awards. Located at 55 Wall Street in the Cipriani Building, we watched as some of 2009’s best independent films were honored. Guests of SAGIndie included Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad, Woke Up Dead), Ivan Sergei (Crossing Jordan, Once a Thief), Steve Schirripa (The Sopranos) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Funny People). All of whom were extremely delightful and fun.
The Hurt Locker won Best Feature and Best Ensemble Cast. Food Inc. won Best Documentary. Robert Siegel won Breakthrough Director for his amazing work on Big Fan. Catalina Saavedra won Breakthrough Actor for her work in The Maid. And the award for Best Film Not Playing in a Theater Near You went to You Won’t Miss Me, directed by Ry Russo-Young.
All in all, it was an amazing trip and another successful event for SAGIndie.