...See You Next Spring!

Make the jump for details...

So busy lately, I can hardly catch my breath... After spending the previous week in Florida, I went home to Michigan early last week to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family and pick-up a car. Yesterday, drove the car back to Brooklyn and am in the process of packing it up for the drive to Florida tomorrow. I will be in Sarasota for the next five months, which is a long time to be away from home, but neccessary in terms of getting everything in shape for the festival in late March/early August. I won't be back in NYC until spring, and while I am looking forward to working hard on the festival, I will miss Brooklyn, my friends, and my life in the city.

In the meantime, I am very excited to see the Sundance line-up. I was unable to make it last year because of the conflict with Sarasota's old dates, but this year's festival should hopefully provide opportunities to pick up some quality independent films for SFF. In the meantime, we're headed to L.A. next Sunday for meetings, and I am working hard to get film, jury, and talent invitations out the door. Of course, a lot of this will fall into place as we draw closer to the festival, but I am already having anxiety dreams (literally) about getting the films I want to play this year's Sarasota FF. The programming job is a curious one; I tend to begin taking the word 'no' personally, even when I realize that it's just business and that people have their own strategies and ideas for their films. On the other hand, when most of these films need all the help they can get, it seems easier to me to say the word 'yes' and try to make things happen. My eternal struggle. Sarasota is a diamond in the rough, and if we can draw a large industry crowd down to the festival this year, I think we can enhance our reputation big-time and earn a higher profile as a top-tier regional festival. We already have one piece in place, although I'll have to wait to tell you about it... But, things are moving along.

So, once again, I logged in to blog about why I haven't been blogging. Sigh. After all that autumnal writing, things have slowed down for me, and once I get situated in Sarasota, I'll be back with a vengeance. Things wax, then wane, but the blogosphere never sleeps and I don't really have a gimmick like the other folks out there. I just write when I can about things in which I am interested. No wonder no one invited me to the party. (Insert grin here).

Wish me safe travels. More very soon.