I just met a really lovely couple! Bob and Shari Gottdenker have been coming to our festival for the last six or seven years (they say they only missed it once in all that time when they had to move and couldn't get their move date changed), driving all of the way down from Jackson, NJ! They are devotees of independent cinema, and this is one of the three festivals they make a point of hitting every year.
Usually they get into town for the Festival Premiere, but this year they made a special detour on the way for the 90th birthday party of Shari's father, in Maryland. They got into Cleveland on Saturday, fortunately missing most of that awful storm that snarled traffic throughout New York and Pennsylvania. To make up for lost time, they saw a marathon of six movies yesterday, one from each screening round. Shari says her favorite was The Rape of Europa. Their all-time CIFF favorite? 2002 Festival winner Autumn Spring.
Thank you for talking with me, Bob and Shari! I had a lovely time and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the festival this year and for many years to come!
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Comments (2)
Oh my Gosh! I was going to comment on the films I saw Saturday and I ended up spending the last hour catching up on all your blogs. I feel out of breath caught up in the excitement of them all especially the Who Loves the Sun story which was fascinating.
Lara, I don't know what kind of screenwriter you will be, but you are an excellent storyteller.
I thought I was special - seeing four films on Saturday (Red Road, First Snow, Angosto, Salty Air) listed in order of favorites, by the way. But a marvelous couple in line with me were seeing six films and another was hitting five. I suddenly felt like an underachiever. But what a fun day. Kudos to all the volunteer staff. To an attendee, everything went smoothly and I never felt confused or lost. It was extremely well organized.
Posted by Scott Trampus | March 19, 2007 12:09 PM
Posted on March 19, 2007 12:09
When I left Cleveland four years ago, I knew, for sure, in addition to missing my family and friends, I would also greatly miss the Cleveland International Fim Festival. It should be shameful to admit, but it is a certainty that I miss the film festival far more than I have ever missed and longed for anything! Family and friends I can see and talk with intermittently. The film festival is always a once in a lifetime event, so to have missed four consecutive years after being an eleven-year devotee is akin to being abruptly withdrawn from the most addictive drug - ever! As much as I love the man for whom I came to Florida, I have made a sincere vow to return to Cleveland and never to miss another film festival. I am grateful for your blogs and access to daily happenings at the festival, but I know nothing substitutes the actual living and breathing entire film festival experience. To those native Clevelanders who have the festival at your disposal, please know how blessed and fortunate you are to have such a wonderful venue and opportunity.
Posted by Sylvia Hart | March 19, 2007 12:22 PM
Posted on March 19, 2007 12:22