7:45am Sitting at Pearson Airport. I just got breakfast from the Wolfgang Puck express, and it was free. Well… I might try and pay for it on my way out. I got the breakfast and stood at the cash register for 10 minutes waiting for one of the employees to come and get my money, but they seemed more interested in talking amongst themselves, so instead of let my over-priced food get cold, I sat down to eat it.
I'm excited about this trip. It's the longest I've been away from my wife since we've met, and also the longest I've been away from my son, who day by day, is becoming more and more a little boy. I'm going to miss them both a lot, and that will be hard. As I get older I find myself being more of the stay-at-home type. It's an effort for me to go out, but I do enjoy it once I do. Got to the airport super early, so I can relax, respond to some e-mail. Read.
12:25pm Plane ride went pretty smooth. The business woman beside me complained that she couldn't find a rental car in Sudbury and couldn't understand how the hell Sudbury could be so busy - I told her about the film festival and she thought I was kidding, "An international film festival in Sudbury? Why?". I politely declined response.
It's hard to say this without sounding a bit like an ass, but the airport in Sudbury is cute. You land and BAM, right there is your luggage and someone from the festival was waiting for me. It's a pretty small airport, but you can't beat how quick you get out.
In the hotel lobby I was introduced to Ed Gass-Donnely, a fellow Canadian filmmaker, whose film Small Town Murder Songs, I've been looking forward to seeing. My room wasn't ready to I was whisked up the festival suite and given my pass. Also there is a media suite where I can watch any of the films that are playing in the festival - which is awesome because there's a bunch that I won't be around for. I plan to do just that, maybe even this afternoon before I head off for the day.
The staff recommended a place in town for lunch called "Respect is Burning". It reminds me of a not-so-corporate East Side Mario's. The menu isn't exactly vegetarian friendly, but I'm sure I'll manage. When I asked for a table for one they looked at me like I was a leper. On the way here we drove through "new Sudbury" which, sadly, looks pretty much the same as every other new part of every other city that I've been to in Canada. I was shown the SIlvercity where the films will be played and we observed how it was surrounded by the same restaurants and stores that every other movie theatre complex is. It's almost as if someone decides to build a theatre and then they get a bunch of other stores that "come with it".
Our screening isn't for two days, so I'm looking forward to relaxing and taking in some other films and meeting other filmmakers. I've been told that the festival gets good numbers for all their screenings, especially during the day. Apparently a lot of people in Sudbury book time off work to attend the festival. Now those are my kind of people.
11:30pm Finally back in my hotel room. Before I get too far into it, the first thing I have to say is that the support for this festival is pretty goddamn amazing. I talked to several people who not only take time off work during the festival, but some of them have moved away and come back just for the festival. It's heart warming to see people that love film this much.
When I got back to the hotel from my lunch my room wasn't ready so I headed to the media sweet and checked out Winnebago Man (review to follow). I wanted to watch This Film Is Broken but apparently not all the films screening are available. Alas.
I finally got into my room and debated taking a quick shower, instead I did a freshen up and then headed back up to get a ride over to the cinema. The guy who drove me said that he's known as Handy Andy. Really nice guy. I sat in for a screening of Modra a film that's in the same program as ours. Afterwards I was hoping to grab some coffee from the Starbucks attached to the Chapters, however it's kind of mountainous and I couldn't figure out how the hell to get down there. I settled for the food a the Silvercity.
Next up was the Gala screening of Made in Dagenham, Sally Hawkins is just fantastic in this. I was going to see The Disappearance of Alice Creed but all of the other filmmakers currently at the festival were going to the after party and so I followed along. I'm really glad that I did. I hung out with our driver Stephane, and filmmakers Armand Garnet Ruffo (also an author of such works as Grey Owl) and Toronto producer Rayne Zukerman. We closed up the party with various conversations on various topics, all of which were very delightful to me. I'm glad I went. It was in the science centre, which meant having to walk through cave like hallway to get to. Not so bad on the way in, on the way out many Steam Whistles made it a little more challenging.
Tomorrow I am joined by the lovely Christine Horne. I can't tell you just how excited I am to have her joining me for this festival as well as Edmonton. In addition to being a very talented actress she's a pretty damn fantastic human being as well. I look forward to festivaling it up with her. Also tomorrow around the noon hour (either 12:30 or 12:50) I will be interviewed on CTV, I think it's just the Northern version - but check it out if you can. I'll be the nervous filmmaker trying not to sound like an idiot.
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