Just back from a cousin's wedding in Pittsburgh. 20 attendants, five flower girls, an hour and a half long Catholic ceremony, and a sit-down dinner reception for 300 later, I start to think about Orlando vs. the Burgh. Aside from the fact that my old hometown gets more/better music in a month than we get in a year, not to mention major league sports, and who knew they had a vintage grand prix through Schenley Park?!

Aside from all that, they have a pretty cool independent film scene as well. Pittsburgh Filmmakers does a good job of mixing it up. But they also have the freedom to use several venues and therefore can do more/better. I cannot begin to explain the agony Matthew and I feel on a daily basis that Enzian is limited to our one (albeit gorgeous) screen. Don't get me wrong, we are pleanty busy and are extremely proud of what we bring to the community, but we always feel the pull to do more.

Orlando does however have a thriving community of independent filmmakers trying to make their voice heard. Pittsburgh has Film Kitchen and Orlando has Group 101. Orlando also has the Short Film Slam at dMAC, the Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase we produce each year, and Flicks on Fairbanks at Austin Coffee and Film.

Ok, so maybe we do have a lot going on. Now if we could just get a grand prix...

I'm an advocate of crossover events among the cultural arts. Perhaps there will be future opps for us independent filmmakers to explore the similarities and potential collaborations with, say, the area's emerging playwrights. whatdoyathink?