Last night was the big kick-off party for the Los Angeles United Film Festival.
Just to make sure, I called Jason Connell before heading out, to clarify the level of attire. I figured “upscale casual,” as they’d say on set, but Jason said flatly, “It’s black tie.”
“Black tie?” I repeated incredulously. Jason reiterated it was to be black tie. I paused, suspecting Jason could be pulling my leg; I’m not as gullible as I am one who takes as honourable a man’s word. But as I had to be sure, I pointed out politely I’d be displeased if I get out my tux, bus all the way there only to find out it was a joke, at which point he started laughing that, yeah he was just messin’with me. [g]
I arrived earlier than expected: the buses I took should have gotten me there spot-on 7pm, but it was more like 6:45. As I’d not been to the Gibson Guitar Showroom, I had to look around for its entrance, not quite at the front as it would have seemed, and at which there was no signage at the front.
Inside the lovely ladies of the PR firm handling the event were scrambling to be ready as the clock struck seven. Inside, host Jason was pleased to see me, amusingly though not surprisingly being pulled in every direction at once throughout the evening (though I doubt it he found it that funny [g] …).
Marvin arrived shortly after I did, and of the rest of the cast, Terry, Mark, Tafan, Cecilia and Cary all were there, like the crowd, showing up in dribs and drabs, but the place did indeed get packed relatively quickly.
Almost immediately after arriving I discovered there was virtually nothing for a soda-drinker such as myself to drink. It was like being on a set with the world’s worst craft services. There were these numerous vitamin and energy drinks, one of which was some sort of tea that the girl insisted tasted like orange soda, with natural sugar-cane sweetener. Thankfully I noticed they were adding vodka in the novelty glass, to which I quickly put a stop regarding my serving. Sheesh, what if they served that to someone with a drinking problem, not mentioning they were tossing a big dollop of vodka in it?! Their drinking containers were plastic glow cups; similar to glow-sticks, these glowed a bright pink, giving the impression one was drinking some sort of nuclear waste material. The orange tea itself was okay, until I swallowed, then each mouthful tasted utterly sweetener’less, and that gagginly-bitter taste that I hate from tea. As I needed the hydration, I was able to drink it, but I literally classified it as “Drinkably potable unpleasantness.” [bg]
Casting director Jeff Olan came as well, but I was surprised Jack [“John“] Richards was not in attendence, though he could have arrived after I left; my ears were ready to start bleeding around 9:30. As it was, Louis was just arriving as I finally departed around 9:40pm.
One of my best friends attended, though sadly will not be coming Saturday night to the screening, having made other plans despite my planning on spotting the ticket (though my friend was not aware I was planning to do that). As tickets were on sale right at the party/event, I was glad before she arrived I hadn’t already bought one to hand to her, then to learn she wasn’t going to attend. Considering her networking skills, and Jeff Olan having informed me earlier he is bring numerous industry folk Saturday night, I was taken aback she wouldn’t have considered I’d have gotten her in to the screening evening.
For the event, Jason had had on hand a videograper for the film festival as well as relating to Strictly Background, as well as a interviewer and videographer from Hollywood Reporter, which interviewed each of the Strictly Background cast members in turn, as did, after a sense, Jason’s own videographer. In that case instead of being asked questions, I just had to ramble on a bit about working on Strictly Background, et al. When I was done I discovered the Jason and the cast had been brought up on the platform/stage for a photo opp, so I was just able to get up there with them.
As so often with these sort of events, they had that sort of DJ who clearly believes that no one attending such an event should be allowed actually carry on any sort of conversation with anyone else, cranking the music volume “up to eleven…” (at least classic old school stuff).
While my friend hadn’t the gas to drive me home, thankfully the next bus back up Santa Monica Boulevard was already in sight as I reached the nearest bus stop, so I got home shortly after 10pm.
The Los Angeles United Film Festival begins tonight/Friday and runs through Sunday April 18th-20th at the Fine Arts Theatre, 8556 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills [90211].
All tickets for the festival screenings are purchasable securely online via PayPal. Remember also to order your ticket/s (all of ten dollars each), to see the heart-felt, four-time award-winning feature documentary Strictly Background (in which Yours Truly is second billing [g] …), screening tomorrow Saturday April 19, 2008 at 6:50pm!
This will be the last southern-California local film festival at which Strictly Background will be shown.
I will be in attendance; after the screening will be a Q&A with the director and what cast is in attendance. To my knowledge it could be all ten of us, but I will certainly be there, and I hope to see some of my local MySpace friends there as well…!
Appendum:
So the Getty Images photographer at the event takes dozens of photos, and only uploads 26 of them… Requesting my name spelling got him one of my contact cards so he could spell it correctly, and the only shot of me that gets uploaded (and a lot of photos were taken of me throughout the evening), was of my racing onto the stage (from a video interview), as I’d only just been hastily notified to run there, whilst yanking off my jacket: on the right in the fourth photo that’s my blue shirt’s sleeve. Smooth.
Next time I’ll have sticky-notes with my name typed on’em instead of wasting my contact cards.
Gee, thanks Getty Photogaphs!Jason sent some links to articles on and about the film festival and in general:
- MovieMaker
- Backstage West
- The Reel Deal with Bob and Glenn
- The LA Report
- Conversation Ball
