The main reason I've been concentrating on the social aspects of the festival and not the films themselves is that I plan to do comprehensive writing for Hammer to Nail and I don't want to blow my wad. That said, Friday provided me with two major cinematic revelations. While Tom Hall and Holly Herrick have the luxury of not being slaves to the "must program premieres" disease that plagues so many festivals, what makes their programming so extraordinary is their impeccable taste. Whether talking about narrative features, documentary features, or shorts of all shapes and sizes, Tom and Holly manage to put together comprehensive, challenging, illuminating, and exciting programs every single year. 2008 was no exception, and Friday provided even greater proof of that.

Here’s a blurry post-Q&A snapshot of the filmmakers from “Shorts 6: 21st Century Dilemmas,” which was one of my favorite programs of the fest. From left to right: Adam Pinney (cinematographer, The Adventure), Byron Karabatsos (director, Still Birth Chicken), Mike Brune (director, The Adventure), Ben Kasulke (director, Crustvaska, as well as the cinematographer for My Effortless Brilliance), Josh Safdie (director, The Back of Her Head), and Brett Jutkiewicz (cinematographer, The Back of Her Head).

Matt Wolf’s Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell is, without question, one of 2008’s true documentary achievements. I have to confess, I knew nothing about Arthur Russell or his music before watching the film, but I am now ready to start downloading away. Russell had that very special gift of creating work that seemed experimental on the surface, yet whatever format he was employing, his songs always had a melodic hook that made them feel immediate and personal. The story of Russell’s arrival and life in New York City during such a historic era makes Wild Combination a vital historical document in addition to being a moving, informative portrait of a daring, original artist. Wolf combines actual archival clips with fabricated super-8 archival footage, mixing that with present day interviews with Russell’s loving parents and even more loving boyfriend. The result is a breathtaking revelation. How this film didn’t get programmed in the Tribeca Film Festival is too preposterous to believe. Even if this film wasn’t such a genuinely New York City tale, its artistry should have warranted its inclusion. But the fact that it’s a brilliant artifact of the New York City music and art scene makes its exclusion an outright crime. Shame on you, Tribeca, though your idiocy once again hasn’t surprised me. More importantly, thank you, Matt Wolf, for making such a beautiful, beautiful film.

Later that night, I finally caught up with Lee Isaac Chung’s startling Munyurangabo, which deservedly won the Best Narrative Feature prize. Munyurangabo is a grounded, yet deeply poetic, portrait of life in post-genocide Rwanda. The film follows two boys who are embarking on a journey to get revenge on the man who killed one of their fathers. Along the way, they realize how different their Hutu and Tutsi cultures are, threatening to shatter their previously strong bond and derail their mission. As the film unfolds, Chung becomes more abstract, building to a profound and electrifying moment in which a young man spews fiery poetry directly into the camera (easily one of my favorite moments in cinema this year). The entire film is a stellar achievement, marking the arrival of a major directorial talent in Lee Isaac Chung.

When talking about films I saw for the first time in Sarasota, Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell and Munyurangabo were the winners of my Grand Jury Prize in documentary and narrative, respectively. (When talking about films I'd seen before but wanted to see again on the big screen, Intimidad and Mister Lonely won those Grand Jury Prizes.)

Awesome cinema having been accomplished for the day, it was time to head over to the “Night of 1,000 Stars” party to experience that indescribably ludicrous and absurd event.

Here is Jon Hyrns getting interviewed on the red carpet. What Greta Gerwig was to this year's South by Southwest Film Festival, Jon Hyrns was to this year’s Sarasota Film Festival (starring in not just one but two films: Alex Karpovsky's Woodpecker and Dominic DeJoseph's Johnny Berlin 2: Notes From The Dumpster).

If one picture could sum up the absurdity that was the “Night of 1,000 Stars” party, this might just be it. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the candy table, which was overflowing with sugary goodness (this table being just steps away from the alcoholic Sno-Cone stand, of course, and just a stroll away from the crab cake/shrimp/mussels spread). Speaking of absurdity, at one point, while the music was thumping and dance floor was rocking, all of a sudden the music cut out and a sloppy, drunken voice filled the speakers, saying, "Somebody bring me a gin-and-tonic!" Everyone looked around at each other in amazement. In all my years of being at weddings and parties and clubs, I've never heard the DJ take such initiative in placing a drink order. You might have had to be there to grasp the magic, but if I ever find myself behind the wheels of steel, I have learned a valuable lesson from that clown.

David Nugent and Violet Gaynor, just days away from their one-year anniversary, smiling amidst the insanity that surrounds them. For the record, I am responsible for David and Violet's union. Right, David?

Mark Rabinowitz and the other programmer's wife at the festival, Jessica Smith-Hall.

Jason Guerrasio is struck silly by the lavishness of it all.

Adam Pinney and Chris Brune wonder what planet they just landed on.

Outside, Holly and Lynn Shelton (My Effortless Brilliance) are happy to get a chance to sit down and chit-chat.

Tom Hall and Josh Braun looking sharp-sharp-sharp.

This might be the weirdest photo I’ve ever taken. I had no idea my camera had a “bald filter” on it, for when I snapped this picture and looked at it, all of a sudden Jody Lambert’s hair was gone. I made him bald! When I looked up, his hair was all there. Weird. Here’s the bald, aged Jody with his sister Misha.

The Of All The Things crew poses for a photo, not knowing that in one more day they’ll be winners of the Documentary Audience Award (in the center stands the man of the hour, Florida real estate agent/Philippino rock god Dennis Lambert).

Barry Jenkins tells Kim a hee-larr-ee-uss joke.

Outside, Eleanore Hendricks, Josh Safdie, and Brett Jutkiewicz have no idea they’re about to win two of the festival’s most prominent awards for their outstanding The Pleasure of Being Robbed. Instead, they’re getting ready to…

…Play some late-night volleyball!

Springer Associates publicist D’Arcy Drollinger looks like he just spiked somebody to death.

Jessica Bardsley, Brett, and D’Arcy try to battle their fierce opponents on the other side of the net. (Not long after, the game was shut down by a tired tenant at The Colony who didn't appreciate our fantastic volleyball acrobatics.)

Da Schnock and Da Nooooge.

Mister Nugent and Mister Tully.

I love this picture. Adam and Mike look like camp counselors who snuck some liquor out to the beach after putting their kids to bed.

Speaking of bed, that’s where everyone headed around 3:30 or so. I don't know why exactly, but this year there weren't any 5am blowouts like there were the past two years. Actually, I know why that is for myself, at least. I am o-l-d and I was yawning by 8pm every night, so I didn't have that same "let's party to the break of dawn!" urge that I had in years past. And who knows, maybe that did happen with select pockets of people. I just wasn't a part of it.

(That does it for Friday. Stay tuned for tomorrow's final post, recapping the awesomeness that was Saturday and Sunday.)