More magical movie tales

This TIFF business is more than I'd originally anticipated! I thought it'd be an easy-breezy choosing of movies, seeing them and writing about them, but it turns out there's a whole lot more that was in store for me. 

Waiting in lines only to find out it'd get cut and I wouldn't be able to see it was one thing. Getting in and having to sit in the second row (The F Word), leaning my head so far back, watching it felt like being at a 3D movie without the glasses, was another. And I never imagined that I'd be told to wait because Walesa: Man of Hope hadn't yet been called, and then dashing into the theatre to find that not only <I>had</I> the movie started, but it was 1/3 empty, just plain sucked. 

But onwards I marched, plunking my keister in seat after seat, seeing so many movies in such a short amount of time I wouldn't have been able to separate all of them had I not written about them right away. 

Sunday was a really busy day, too. I was on the bus at 7am in hopes that getting downtown early on a Sunday morning would mean that I'd beat the lines and stand a better chance of seeing a great movie I really wanted to see. It turns out that a whole lot of people thought the exact same thing, and I really should have switched my thinking to going in the afternoon when everyone else was at the press and industry happy hour. Silly me!

I got to interview the director of the South African movie Of Good Report, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, who turned out to be incredibly kind and intelligent. And right after that, I interviewed Mark Phinney (director) and Mel Rodriguez (actor) of Fat, who were two of the nicest, sweetest, most considerate guys I've ever met. 

And when they invited me to their film party later on, I of course said yes. Another thing I didn't realise when I arrived at the Brant House was that both would recognise me right away, introduce me to everyone, and make me feel genuinely welcome. Plus, Mark has a very interesting aunt (he brought family with him) who's literally been everywhere in the world- all 7 continents. 

This week, I had visions of <strike>sugarplums and candy canes</strike> free evenings and early bedtimes dancing in my head, only to get shattered by more movies and writing. 

But I can't complain. The opportunities and exposure have been tremendous, and the people I've met along the way (long lines are great to meet transitory chat buddies) have been from all over and with interesting stories to tell. 

Like the girl from LA I met Sunday said, 'it's only been a few days and yet it feels like it's been going on forever.'