DIF at BendFilm
Two years ago I went to BendFilm with our short film FILTER where it (and I) was very well received. During the festival when people ask “what are you working on?” I had told them of this documentary film we were developing into a feature. The journey was a bit longer than I had hoped, but that film THEY TURNED OUR DESERT INTO FIRE has been accepted into this year’s BendFilm. I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to make it up there again, but I’m insisting Mark goes and has a great time. They had a lot of nice parties and fun packed into a short three days. And the hospitality of the festival staff and attendees was just lovely.
(Side note … I did have a local who was cocked out of his mind try and start some shit one night by slinging racial slurs at me. Nonchalantly, I told him I came from a mixed neighborhood and he’d have to try a little harder than calling me ‘cracker.’ He wasn’t quite sure what to do with someone who didn’t fluster so easily and had to process it … meanwhile I moseyed on down the street.)
FILTER had two scheduled screenings and I actually got three additional screenings by a number of different factors. The last happened while I was getting on the plane and someone said they played it right before the closing film (to much applause). One of the judges confided in me that I drew quite the split at the table. But a title that gets ‘Hell Yes!’ and ‘Hell No!’ is quickly tossed in favor of another title that everyone is mostly cool with.
I hope that THEY TURNED OUR DESERT INTO FIRE gets a good showing. The Executive Director Sandy Henderson finished watching the DVD and invited us immediately. That’s the same experience with Leon Cakoff from São Paulo, titles roll and email shoots out … hopefully we’ll leave an impression that lasts. Either way, I’m sure they’ll love Mark.
