Feelin' ShortFest

The first full day of ShortFest screenings went off without a hitch, with fabulous programs filling the day for eager crowds.

At Amazing Animation (to be played again on Sunday), Swiss director Marcel Hobi (Eyelash) & German director Alexander Pohl (Trickster) discussed the complexities of their vastly different techniques and stories.

At Boy Meets Girl Meets Boy, audiences were entertained by directorial behind-the-scenes stories of neuroscience student turned filmmaker Liliana Greenfield-Sanders who wanted to put her medical background to use (Adelaide), the accidental musical of Melvin Montalban (Cupid), the date-almost-gone-wrong pondering of Alyssa McClelland (Emilia Eckle), the feeling of relationship inevitability of Dahlia Devkota (Heartbreak Haiku), the inspiration from an awkward Japanese businessman for Jon Gilbert (Toshi) & Peter Besson's take on love at first sight (True Beauty This Night).

The filmmaker party went into the night at Top of the Chop, with Grant Sputore* (Legacy) bemoaning his learning curve on the buffet (always leave room for meat at a chop house), Tahitian filmmakers (Arioi Women) sharing heavenly-smelling Tahitian gardenias, and Andy Pearson (Souvenirs) kissing the feet of the news bearer who informed him that the Couplehood program was on Rush for Saturday. To top that, his actor promised to wear a Marilyn Monroe dress to the screening if one could be procured. In Palm Springs? I think we can work something out.

*Mr. Sputore would like it to be known that aside from his education at the buffet, he had a brilliant time and his filmmaker needs were exceeded and outshone his carnivorous ones.