Today was mostly about trying to get people to my screening tonight. But first I had another Sundance ticket to us. I've seen all but three of my 14 movies here by waiting in line. Pool is a beautiful movie, superseding Snow Angels as my favorite so far. Pool was directed by Chris Smith and written by Smith and Randy Russell, based on Russell's short story. I believe the short story wasn't set in India, but Smith, after having spent a week there, wanted to go back and do a film there.

They spent five months in India, soaking up the setting and way of life and shooting. The two leads are non-actors, but the filmmakers finally had to resort to professionals for a couple of the other roles. After seeing forty-five minutes of the film already edited, Bollywood star Nana Patekar agreed to be added to the cast. The film follows a poor, 18-year-old man/boy's tentative quest for a better life. The story is so simple, the acting so natural. Even a surprise ending. And none of it maudlin.

I noticed a couple guys putting up posters, over everyone else's, at one of the few kiosks around town. They had posters from several different movies instead of just one. I asked them if they were hired. They said they were advertising all the HBO films, that is, the Sundance films HBO either helped finance or bought after completion. When they left to get more posters, the crew from Tromadance (one of the side festivals) came and papered over the HBO posters, and everyone else's, with their flyer. I tipped them off that I'd overheard the HBO duo say they were coming back, but the Troma crowd said they could always come back and do yet another papering over.

I treated myself to a real meal this afternoon instead of my usual string cheese and fruit on the run. I was waited on my a young woman from Lima. There a ton of college-age South Americans who come and work really really hard here during the ski season, their summer. I've met others on the bus, some who said they might come to my screening. I hung out a lot at the Film Music Festival venue this afternoon talking to people about my movie. I told Jeffrey from the New Frontier on Main that I thought there might be 50 people at the screening. But that I'd be happy if there were 20-30. No, if I survived. He said he stopped making films because screening his films for an audience was so painful.

I found myself recommending people watch Little Chenier, the Cajun thriller, before my movie. So it was really cool to meet the brother and sister filmmakers, Beth and Jase. They confirmed their film's Cajun authenticity for me. They grew up near Little Chenier at the nearby metropolis of 200,000. Their actors, including some pretty well-known actors, came to the bayou and lived together for awhile to soak up the culture, which is now in danger because of Katrina devastation. The closing credits of their film even show horrific before and after shots of the place where they shot. I wanted to watch their film again but finally relented to the demands of last-minute work at inviting people to my screening.

Well, we started my screening with probably 30 people, some of whom I'd invited to stay after the preceding short and to feel free to leave after getting a taste of my film. And leave they did. And I think some who came just for my film left, too, although they weren't necessarily very committed viewers, just people who had just happened by. Still...

There were 11 people left at the end, mostly from the church. Also Margaret, whom I met here last year. A very short Q&A followed the screening. They were either drained by the movie, confused, disappointed or combinations of the above. One of them signed my email list on the way out. But I already have her email. A huge success. And I finally got the inevitable Sundance cold. Oh, and I lost a ton of work on my email address book this afternoon, including the addresses of people I've met here this week. As I walked to the bus stop, I saw that even the poster kiosk war had been lost, by everyone.


Seriously, though, I do think Last Notes red green blue or black are pretty interesting and evocative. And I think some people could really get into the mystery of it and comparing all four films. Now it's time to think about the next step with them. And to go dig through the garbage to try to find my new email addresses.