CINEQUEST - Audience Award Winner

I just got a call from Jens Michael Hussey, co-founder and PR head of Cinequest, telling me that we won the Audience Award for Best Feature! What a cap to a terrific festival experience. Seems we tied (first time in their 18 year history) with a film that I quite enjoyed, Chris Ford's THE VILLAGE BARBERSHOP. We're in good company!

Also, I was just sent this picture that appeared in the Cinequest Daily Update Newsletter. Reminded me of the great time we had in San Jose.

CINEQUEST - Our Second Screening

I didn't think it was possible to top the reception we got on Friday night, but we did. Somehow. I guess word had spread that our film was a real "crowd-pleaser." Walking the halls in our SHERMAN'S WAY garb, people would shout out "Hey Sherman's Way! Loved it!" It was really trippy.

We caught some films, my favorite of which was TIME TO DIE, a brilliant Polish film from Dorota Kędzierzawska featuring an Oscar-worthy performance from 91-year old star Danuta Szaflarska. The B&W cinematography was delicious. It's films like these that make me question what the hell I think I'm doing pretending to make movies.

Mike, Brooke and I participated in the festival's press conference where we were asked to speak for a few moments and take questions. Mike talked about James Le Gros teaching him how to drive, and Brooke told an anecdote involving the "closed" set while filming her skinny-dipping scene. When asked what our future plans for the film were, I announced that we had just made a deal with Columbia. After the gasps of excitement from the audience subsided, I admitted it was with the country, not the studio. I was kidding of course. Anything for a laugh.

As we approached the REP for our 4pm screening, we were stunned to see a huge line formed around the theater. The screening was sold out. I nearly crapped myself! The audience was even better than the first and to my surprise, a few told me afterwards they had come back to see it a second time! Even though we were missing Rico, the Q&A was still a lot of fun. Tom in particular was very funny.

After the screening, Mike's parents treated us to an amazing dinner, during which we got word that Newport Beach had invited us to screen at their festival. I was thrilled. And to top it off, we had gotten a terrific review in Moving Pictures Magazine.

If this is what all film festivals are like, I never want to stop screening at them!