SILVERSAND FILM FESTIVAL (OCT 1-3), formerly known as the Hermosa Beach festival and the smallest film festival we've been to so far. Apparently it undergoes new management every year. A fact which does not go unnoticed. There's nothing more awkward then having the program for the fest dropped off, a la' knock and run, at your door the night before the festival - because they weren't printed yet. Well actually, printed is a generous word, photocopied is more like it.

Every film is screened once in the community theater which had a portable screen on the stage. Actually, a very nice atmosphere to see a film, it's huge. But the second screening took place in a converted lunchroom of a nearby (read: two blocks) middle school. Not a very nice atmosphere to see a film, especially since no one from the festival bothered to black out any of the windows surounding the lunchroom.

Both screenings went as well as they could have gone. We didn't spend a lot of money on publicity for this one - because neither did they. The opening party was fun, lots of free SKY VODKA, the main sponser of the event. I must say though, the lunchroom screening did add a very intimate feeling. When the projectionist was twenty minutes late walking over from the main theater, I began a sort of pre-Q&A with everyone in the room. It was very nice talking with them, my best memories of the festival.