The TELLURIDE INDIEFEST FILM FESTIVAL ...our fifteenth venue screening for The Innocents and our thirteenth film festival screening. Telluride Indie fest originally invited our film to screen among the other films but then asked if we'd like to be the closing night film for their festival. This marks our second invitation to close a festival - a very nice honor to have.

Telluride is a small town, about 15,000 feet above sea level. It's biggest draw is the mountain side that borders the town. In the summer there's mountain climbing and biking and in the winter everything is covered with snow for some of the best skiing on the west coast. The town is beautiful and has remained unchanged for a nearly a hundred years. It was the perfect little hideaway to hold a film festival.

No awards were given in this fest as every film accepted is considered a winner. A nice touch that actually releases a bit of the tension associated with screening at a fest. Most of your time is usually spent pandering to every warm body you can find (not an easy task in snow covered Telluride I might add) to come and see your film in hopes of building an audience for more chances at getting the good votes in the box.

The Innocents screened twice. The first screening was on Friday, Dec 8 at 1:00pm. It went beautifully. We screened in the old style opera house theater - the type of theater films were meant to be screened in - and their projection was among the best wešve had. It's all in the bulb. A bright bulb means a nice clear colorful rich image. Most theaters skimp on the bulb - especially for 16mm - and colorful picturesque photography becomes dark and dreary up on the screen.

The second screening, our closing night screening was on Sunday, Dec 10 at 8:00pm. We missed this one as we had to return home before it started. But we're told it went even better than the first. Sorry we missed it. Unfortuantely, none of the films could boast a full house. In fact, most of the screenings were only partially filled with moviegoers. But this is about what we expected for a smaller festival in a very small town. The only other unfortunate thing about this fest was that there were no parties. I think I really only got to know two other filmakers. Usually you get to know quite a few because you spend your nights meeting and greeting everyone at the many parties that have a staple of so many festivals. Yes they are an excuse to drink, let loose and party, but the real reason to have them is to get to know and make contacts with the other filmmakers at the fest.

It's an interesting thing to watch your film for what is probably the thousandth time. You feel an unwilling urge to actually sit through it again. There are no more surprises in a film you've shot, edited piece by piece, and watched, in various edited versions, dozens of times. But as the film begins and the story unravels, slowly you're drawn into this other world flickering above your head from that tiny hole in the wall in the back of the room. Poetic enough for you? Well, it's true. That's the power of movies. Any movie. It feels good to look out over a theater full of people and see people wiping their eyes and hear them sniffing their noses because they're just been brought to an emotional place they weren't in when they entered the theater. It feels good to know that your movie is the one who brought them to that emotional place. Movies have a power over us, sitting in that dark theater. We anticipate being moved in some way. We want to feel something and if the story is engaging and the characters believable, and we're open to feeling something, we will.

Now, go watch a movie.

We should have more screenings confirmed shortly so check back soon for more info.