Derailed in Duncan: Day 2

Tags

Celebration, filmmakers, Films, growing, life, overcoming, Trail Dance Film Festival, work

Photo courtesy of Jon Penton Photography.

Film is one of three universal languages, the other two: mathematics and music. –Frank Capra

What a day. What an experience. What a life. I sometimes think that the life I am living is just simply too good to be true. I spent the 18^th auditioning people for Fear, and then arrived to a film festival for Consecrated a week later. I spend my evenings and weekends working on my films and about once a year or so, I get to celebrate. I celebrate my work but also the work of others. When a friend texted me to ask how the festival was going, I simply responded that it was a big celebration of film. For two days I have watched films and mingled with viewers and filmmakers alike. This was the weekend we entered each other’s lives to leave them better than we found them (or at least, we should try to).

I saw a short film titled Acceptance that followed a family as they passed through the five stages of grief in the passing of their son and brother. This film was impressive as for much of the film, the characters were hardly talking. For them, it was just as important what they weren’t saying as for what was being said. I saw a short film titled Forever Mind, following a young lady with hard events in her past that bring her to a breaking point of whether to live in her past or leave it behind. This film was most interesting, cinematically, as it was shown from a first person perspective and included such natural elements as blinking into the shot. I saw a film titled Running Deer, which was very well directed by Brent Ryan Green centering on the tale of a Native high school senior dealing with adult situations while preparing for a track meet that could change the course of his life.

These films can challenge you both as a human being and as a filmmaker. When you meet the makers behind the films, you can connect with each other on a different level and grow from that moment. And that is what I did this weekend: I grew. Going from being a large fish in a small pond in Durant to being a small fish in a large pond in Duncan can help you to appreciate that your challenge only continues. So if you ask me what I did this weekend, I celebrated. I celebrated films and those who put their effort forth to make them. Sweet Dreams.