AFF 2010 Daily Dispatch: Day One

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Oh, how I need sleep, already, even though I only did a partial day for AFF Day One 2010. Of course, I started it right by going to the Opening Night Party at Speakeasy. I finally got to meet James Faust of the Dallas International Film Festival, pictured above on the right with Houston filmmaker Kelly Sears and her friend Gabriel (I apologize, I didn't get his last name).  Kelly is in town to show her short Voice on the Line, and James is a panelist/moderator this year, but I can't find where on the website. But I know he introduced one of the Ed Burns films tonight. I think he's doing another "working the festival circuit" type panel like he did last year with Chris Holland, which was very informative.

I had to leave the party early to see Bradley Scott Sullivan's I Didn't Come Here to Die, which played opposite the Opening-Night Film. I have a tradition of not seeing the Opening Night Film at most fests because the films opposite it don't get the same amount of attention and are usually well worth it. I Didn't Come Here to Die didn't disappoint. It's a small horror movie with no monsters, yet uses a series of unfortunate events to create a tense little drama, shot in central Texas, primarily Bastrop, Kyle and Austin.

I Didn't Come Here to Die plays again up at Alamo Lake Creek, and this is one that will get horror fans' tongues wagging about being able to create tension through very believable characters in real situations. Yes, some of the mishaps are based on real ones. And you can't beat the tagline of "Volunteer work is a real killer" especially when the organization is "Volunteers in American Generating Goodwill" (think acronym). Bradley is pictured below with William Seegers, who did the music on the film -- both of them have every right to be happy with the turnout for the second ever screening of this feature. 

I didn't have as much luck with A Savior Red, although both films manage to feature gas masks in pivotal scenes. I like noticing themes and trends in films at fests, and this year is the year of the corndog and the gasmask so far.

Headed over to the WGA East and West Late Night Welcome Party over at Buffalo Billiards, and I kept running into Austin film people, like Jean Lauer of Cine Las Americas, and PJ Raval (Trinidad, Fourplay), Don Swaynos and then Mark Potts, of S&M Lawn Care, Miguel Alvarez (Mnemosyne Rising), whose short Veteran plays before The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan Henry, and others. I got a chance to chat briefly with Clay Liford, who is a juror this year, who was last in town with Earthling at SXSW, and will be showing a Film-in-Progress at AFS next Thursday (which you can see if you have a certain membership level, which is just one reason to get an AFS membership). I think I saw D.B. Sweeney with a backpack over his shoulder, but I'm not sure (he's in town to do a script reading during the conference).

So what is up for tomorrow? Well, you're in for a treat, although it may take us a few days to get it to you.  We're lunching with S&M Lawncare. Yeah. Corndogs. MMMhmm. 

I doubt I'm going to get up in time for the Writing RX panel, but I'm hoping to get into The Black List panel, then head over for some Film Texas BBQ Supper, and then it gets tough. Do I see Peep World or Make Believe? Or rush the 'Q and see Embargo?  And then, is it When Harry Tries to Marry, Blue Valentine, or the TBA?  SO many choices, and I can't clone myself.