Exciting Day Changes Everything
I got a GREAT night sleep last night. Alec stayed in so I wasn't worrying about him all night. I went to bed early and woke up refreshed and feeling better. The day started out with notification from Sundance Institute that Jabbes and I had been selected for the 2006 Independent Producers Conference at the Sundance Institute. We will attend panel discussions and small group sessions in a relaxed yet energetic environment. Evening events will feature social gatherings and preview screenings of new independent films, followed by discussions with the filmmakers. The Conference is structured to provide participants with opportunities to explore the issues of independent producing and to apply them to their own projects and is committed to helping filmmakers find resources to develop their films and to enhance their options for production and distribution.
We had originally planned to be shooting in Zambia during that time. South African Air apparently has decided to stop flying out of Atlanta after June 30 creating some serious travel complications for us. We had anticipated paying between $1800 and $2800 per seat but prices were coming in around $3500 forcing us to move the shoot back three weeks. Ironically, it's turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it made us available for the Producers Conference. This is sooooo cool and I'm so excited.
This can really help to support the goal of firmly establishing the film industry in Zambia and getting their voice heard in the world. Since the goal of the conference is to enhance their options for production and distribution, it's a wonderful thing.
Shortly after reading that, I hopped a plane to Burbank to meet with Sundance alum, Kathy Busby. A senior vice president of production at New Line Cinema, Kathy graciously agreed to meet with me and listened to my pitch about the Zambia films. She shared her thoughts about the strengths of the projects (good title, good media kit, good concept) and offered her thoughts on how to make the project as successful as possible. She shared that her experience at Sundance was one of the most rewarding and wonderful experiences of her life. She said being included in the Producers Conference would help the film more than any words of advice she could offer. Creative, accomplished and modest.
What a GREAT meeting! Afterwards, I thought, I can die and go to heaven, now. An email from Sundance. A chance to pitch the Zambian story to a studio exec and get supportive feedback. What a gracious, wonderful filmmaker! She talked about the power of getting the "right image" on set and how that could sell your film. I told her I used to write a lot more and we talked about the challenges for contemporary screenwriters. Amazing, she's "with children" (that's right, plural) and she wasn't feeling so good but she stayed and visited with me for quite some time. What an amazing gift. (I so enjoyed her Sundance short, MAX AND JOSH. I'm still looking forward to seeing her first feature film!)
To finish off the evening, I had dinner with Jason, Andra, Reilly and Jordan. It's always fun to gather with family and friends at the end of a good day. Alec had called to check-in and see how I was doing several times during the day. It was sweet. What a sweet, sweet day.
