March 28th, 2009 @ 2:00pm
Festival Diary: Friday, March 27, 2009
6:00 pm: Today I did something out of the norm for a Friday (although I'm still hanging out with Patrick, so it's not THAT out of the norm) and went to the CIFF (for those of you not in the know, that stands for Cleveland International Film Festival). I'm taking a class (Contemporary Film) at Cleveland State University, and as part of our curriculum, we were asked to take part in one aspect of the Festival, and guess what I chose? Blogging, did you say? Correct!
So after the lovely drive in Cleveland traffic (if you've never been... it's a lot of fun... that may or may not be sarcasm), missing the parking garage and having to drive around the block a second time, and then playing a lovely game of "Locate That Parking Spot," Patrick and I have finally arrived at the Festival. We've met with Lara, the very friendly head of the Media section of the CIFF (which is being held at Tower City in Cleveland, OH). We are now currently uploading previously recorded videos to the CIFF YouTube channel. Whoops, scratch that, our video just finished uploading! YAY! It's been, what, one hour... and we've already uploaded one video... things are going well. We are about to head out into the craziness of the Friday film fest... I shall keep you posted on our many adventures. Enjoy!
10:00 pm: Patrick and I just got back from the CIFF, and let me tell you, it was great! After uploading one of the many videos we'd received, we headed down to the Fest, and the crowd was insane, though a lot of them were passing through for the Cavs game. Pat and I wanted to see Dean Spanley, but it was on the Stand-By list, so we stood at the very end of the line and waited for everyone else to get in. Although the crowds were crazy, the staff at the Fest seemed to have everything well taken care of, and things went smoothly. After everyone who'd bought a stand-by ticket had made it in, Patrick and I headed into the theater and were lucky enough to find two seats near each other (he sat behind me). Unfortunately, my seat was in the very front and to the very left of the theater, so I was watching the film at an extreme angle. However, after a few minutes, it didn't matter anymore; the film was amazing!
Dean Spanley is about Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole), an ailing, seemingly closed-minded man who is very set in his ways; every Thursday, he has his housekeeper prepare the same meal and has his son, Henslowe Fisk (Jeremy Northam), visit with him. One Thursday, father and son attend a lecture on the Transmigration of Souls; it is here that they meet Dean Spanley (Sam Neill). After several encounters with the strange man, young Fisk decides to talk further with the Dean. After two glasses of the rare Imperial Tokay wine, Dean Spanley begins to tell of his previous life as a dog. Also starring Bryan Brown and Art Malik, Dean Spanley is a humorous and touching film with a beautiful ending. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It's one of those films that has you leaving the theater with a smile on your face and the feeling of having experienced something wonderful. For more information and a trailer for the film, you can go to www.deanspanleymovie.com.
After the film let out (the theater was packed), Patrick and I debated on staying to see Bitter and Twisted, but decided that it was late and we had a long drive home. I would have liked to stay longer or come on another day; there were SO many films that I wanted to see! I think when the CIFF comes next year, I will definitely be buying tickets. I had a great experience; I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go this year, and I encourage everyone to check out the film festival and support the arts!
Margaret is a student in Cleveland State University's Film and Digital Media program, and a blogger on LiveJournal.
Festival Diary: Friday, March 27, 2009
6:00 pm: Today I did something out of the norm for a Friday (although I'm still hanging out with Patrick, so it's not THAT out of the norm) and went to the CIFF (for those of you not in the know, that stands for Cleveland International Film Festival). I'm taking a class (Contemporary Film) at Cleveland State University, and as part of our curriculum, we were asked to take part in one aspect of the Festival, and guess what I chose? Blogging, did you say? Correct!
So after the lovely drive in Cleveland traffic (if you've never been... it's a lot of fun... that may or may not be sarcasm), missing the parking garage and having to drive around the block a second time, and then playing a lovely game of "Locate That Parking Spot," Patrick and I have finally arrived at the Festival. We've met with Lara, the very friendly head of the Media section of the CIFF (which is being held at Tower City in Cleveland, OH). We are now currently uploading previously recorded videos to the CIFF YouTube channel. Whoops, scratch that, our video just finished uploading! YAY! It's been, what, one hour... and we've already uploaded one video... things are going well. We are about to head out into the craziness of the Friday film fest... I shall keep you posted on our many adventures. Enjoy!
10:00 pm: Patrick and I just got back from the CIFF, and let me tell you, it was great! After uploading one of the many videos we'd received, we headed down to the Fest, and the crowd was insane, though a lot of them were passing through for the Cavs game. Pat and I wanted to see Dean Spanley, but it was on the Stand-By list, so we stood at the very end of the line and waited for everyone else to get in. Although the crowds were crazy, the staff at the Fest seemed to have everything well taken care of, and things went smoothly. After everyone who'd bought a stand-by ticket had made it in, Patrick and I headed into the theater and were lucky enough to find two seats near each other (he sat behind me). Unfortunately, my seat was in the very front and to the very left of the theater, so I was watching the film at an extreme angle. However, after a few minutes, it didn't matter anymore; the film was amazing!
Dean Spanley is about Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole), an ailing, seemingly closed-minded man who is very set in his ways; every Thursday, he has his housekeeper prepare the same meal and has his son, Henslowe Fisk (Jeremy Northam), visit with him. One Thursday, father and son attend a lecture on the Transmigration of Souls; it is here that they meet Dean Spanley (Sam Neill). After several encounters with the strange man, young Fisk decides to talk further with the Dean. After two glasses of the rare Imperial Tokay wine, Dean Spanley begins to tell of his previous life as a dog. Also starring Bryan Brown and Art Malik, Dean Spanley is a humorous and touching film with a beautiful ending. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It's one of those films that has you leaving the theater with a smile on your face and the feeling of having experienced something wonderful. For more information and a trailer for the film, you can go to www.deanspanleymovie.com.
After the film let out (the theater was packed), Patrick and I debated on staying to see Bitter and Twisted, but decided that it was late and we had a long drive home. I would have liked to stay longer or come on another day; there were SO many films that I wanted to see! I think when the CIFF comes next year, I will definitely be buying tickets. I had a great experience; I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go this year, and I encourage everyone to check out the film festival and support the arts!
Margaret is a student in Cleveland State University's Film and Digital Media program, and a blogger on LiveJournal.
Posted by Margaret Gertz
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