Durban Film Festival July 2011
Well I can’t say how fortunate I am to have been invited to the Durban South Africa to show the 3rd public screening of A Deeper Shade of Blue at the Wave Scape Film festival in conjunction with the Durban Film Festival.
I say fortunate because it was so lucky that I got an email reminding me I’d been invited back in February. With all that’s going on in my life I somehow thought that the invite was for September.
You can imagine my surprise that after replying to Steve “Spike” Pike that if he want me there with the film a week out from the screening I’d be there. The next day Steve confirmed that he’d move hell and high water to make it happen. And happen it did.
On Sunday night, July 24, at the Bay of Plenty Lawns, a natural amp theatre on the beach at Durban over 2000 people attended the African Premier of my film. I was certainly a night to remember.
Having shown the film at the Santa Barbara Inter Film Festival and the Maui Film Festival with such an overwhelming response, I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the screening here on the other side of the world.
I’d spent the day before giving out handbills to the surfers along the boardwalk where the famous Gunston 500 contest was held back in the day. Met a few of the good ol boy who were fans of my film so I knew I’d have a few people in attendance. We’d also been getting weather reports that the
Weather was going to turn sour about show time. Ahhh the outdoor screening promoters worst nightmare. I must admit I had a restless nights sleep due to the possibility of getting rain and wind blown off the beach after coming all this way.
I was so psyched to screen the film here. A wash out would also bum out some of the other filmmakers at the festival who were looking forward to seeing the film too.
I awoke Sunday morning to semi cloudy skies, which was not too encouraging. I did my best to keep myself busy, attending a workshop with Leonard Retel-Helmrigch who’s one of the most unique cameraman men I’ve ever met. His film “Position of the Stars” blew me out with his camera work and I really enjoyed watching him revel some of his tricks during his workshop.
Spike and I went down to the beach about 4 and it appeared that the predicted Buster was going to be late and we’d have a light breeze with no rain…… HUGE sigh of relief.
As darkness fell the crowd gathered and the show began. Someone gave me a director’s chair and I sat up front to the side of the screen taking in all of the ooooh’s and aaaaah’s and a few whistles and screams during the Shipsterns sequence.
A huge applause erupted at the end of the film and a big smile came across my face….. Totally stoked and thrilled at the reaction.
After the film I spoke to many who said they “Loved it” which is about a good as it gets for a filmmaker.
Thank you all who came to see the film. You are some of the few who have seen ADSOB on the big screen. And a very special thanks to Spike, Chris and Steve, and a huge thanks to Peter and Monica Rorvik and all of their wonderful staff and volunteers who put together one of the most exciting cutting edge film festivals anywhere in the world. ALOHA ALWAYS jack
Well I can’t say how fortunate I am to have been invited to the Durban South Africa to show the 3rd public screening of A Deeper Shade of Blue at the Wave Scape Film festival in conjunction with the Durban Film Festival.
I say fortunate because it was so lucky that I got an email reminding me I’d been invited back in February. With all that’s going on in my life I somehow thought that the invite was for September.
You can imagine my surprise that after replying to Steve “Spike” Pike that if he want me there with the film a week out from the screening I’d be there. The next day Steve confirmed that he’d move hell and high water to make it happen. And happen it did.
On Sunday night, July 24, at the Bay of Plenty Lawns, a natural amp theatre on the beach at Durban over 2000 people attended the African Premier of my film. I was certainly a night to remember.
Having shown the film at the Santa Barbara Inter Film Festival and the Maui Film Festival with such an overwhelming response, I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the screening here on the other side of the world.
I’d spent the day before giving out handbills to the surfers along the boardwalk where the famous Gunston 500 contest was held back in the day. Met a few of the good ol boy who were fans of my film so I knew I’d have a few people in attendance. We’d also been getting weather reports that the
Weather was going to turn sour about show time. Ahhh the outdoor screening promoters worst nightmare. I must admit I had a restless nights sleep due to the possibility of getting rain and wind blown off the beach after coming all this way.
I was so psyched to screen the film here. A wash out would also bum out some of the other filmmakers at the festival who were looking forward to seeing the film too.
I awoke Sunday morning to semi cloudy skies, which was not too encouraging. I did my best to keep myself busy, attending a workshop with Leonard Retel-Helmrigch who’s one of the most unique cameraman men I’ve ever met. His film “Position of the Stars” blew me out with his camera work and I really enjoyed watching him revel some of his tricks during his workshop.
Spike and I went down to the beach about 4 and it appeared that the predicted Buster was going to be late and we’d have a light breeze with no rain…… HUGE sigh of relief.
As darkness fell the crowd gathered and the show began. Someone gave me a director’s chair and I sat up front to the side of the screen taking in all of the ooooh’s and aaaaah’s and a few whistles and screams during the Shipsterns sequence.
