1st Day at the DGA:

Program A at 5:30pm-
Headed uptown to 57th Street, where the energy was bursting. The program began with the short Extreme Mom by Joyce Draganosky. A charming drama about a mom who is taking care of both her daughter and her mother. Her mother has Alzheimer's and is now at the same level, mentally, as her daughter. It's filled with humor, integrity and develops with grace.

Program B at 8:00pm -
I enjoyed each of the films in both programs, although two films come to mind as being the most original. The emphasis on these films was the storytelling and the ability to breathe. The first is a quirky comedy American Exquisite by Keith Goldberg. Keith's film is about a girl trying to find her father, only the story is told by different people around the country, each starting where the last one ended. The stories were then scripted into one story, cast and the storytellers are included throughout the actual film. The result has a lot of twists and turns depending on who is telling the story.

The second film was Swan Dive by Kathleen L. Murray. Swan Dive has stunning performances and was beautifully shot. The film relies on facial expressions, body language, capturing sudden moments of realization and appreciation of one's true self. The story is about a young girl spending the day at a community pool in Oklahoma, she sits alone observing the characters around her, always glancing back at the high dive which she ultimately desires.

I bumped into Ira Deutchman from Emerging Pictures, and his wife Beth. Fortunately, the 8pm screening had a full house.