All of the last-round shows have begun screening, and now it's time for us to pack up and get ready for the Closing Night party. It's like last Thursday night, only in a strange sort of reverse, with things being dismantled instead of assembled. And instead of that exciting sense of "I haven't seen that person in ages!" there's a sense of "How long will it be until I see them again?"

Fortunately, the Film Society does have other activities and events throughout the year, and I plan to be part of them. I just wish that this one weren't ending.

It's time to go over to the party and get things ready there. See you there soon... and I'll be back with the names of our various winners later on tonight. Happy film-watching!

There's something both really beautiful and really sad about watching everybody here prepare for the end of the Festival. I had a lot of fun watching Amy and Laura prepare the closing night slide show and a special video... but watching Mark and Sarah and the rest of the Ticket Sales staff begin packing things away got me choked up. My only consolation is that, if this year is any indication, next year, when we all return, we'll feel like we only just left.

This job gives phenomenal amounts of energy, far more than it takes. If I could do something like this every day, I would without hesitation.

With the 4:00 round now in session, we only have one round left to go, and four wonderful films in it. Our 7:00 screening is American Teen, which is on Stand-By. (One more time: Come early. You're going to be so glad when I stop writing that, aren't you?) Then at 7:15, three more films go in: Angels Among Us, an extraordinary short film collection; Wild Horse Redemption, which is on Stand-By, too; and then last-minute encore presentation The Substitute, which is so popular that it sold 100 tickets in the first 24 hours after we announced the added screening, and will be shown in two theaters to accommodate the anticipated crowd.

Once the audience for those films go in, that's almost it. Remember going to summer camp? Remember how, at the end of the week, when it was time to say good-bye and go home, even the most stoic campers ended up hugging and crying? That's what it's going to be like here tonight.

We still have lots to do -- things to shut down and pack up, loose ends to tie into nice little knots in the days and weeks to come, the usual with any event -- but tonight is the closing night of something beautiful and extraordinary, and we're all feeling it deep inside.

As Marcie likes to say, today is Waterproof Mascara Day. I'm glad I've got mine.

What amazing crowds! I can't get over how big this Festival has gotten, even just compared to last year! If this kind of growth keeps up, the huge festivals had better look out! It's just so wonderful to know how many of you are genuinely interested in alternatives to the bland mass-marketed fare the studios churn out... and you sure showed that in the 2:00 round!

Now it's time to look ahead to the 4:00 round, and we start it off at 4:15 with our screening of All of Us, which will have a FilmForum at its conclusion, and which is on Stand-By.

Then, at 4:30, we'll be showing The English Surgeon, a fantastic late addition to the schedule; Super Noble Brothers, which will have a Filmmaker Q&A at its conclusion; and the incredibly popular World's Best Commercials, which is on Stand-By as well. (Remember: come early!)

The round concludes with 4:45 showings of Flash Point, which is on Stand-By, and the immensely popular Kids in da Hood, which we've put into two theaters to accommodate all of the enthusiasts who have been pouring in.

There's one last round to report on after this one, and I'll be back to let you know what's going on with it. I wish there was a way to keep this going forever.