1,000 words

So much has been happening lately, lets just go mostly with the pictures, since I'm short on the 1,000+ words to describe it all.

This is a view from inside the new building at MICA (Maryland Institute College of the Arts) on opening night of the MD Film Festival. Dig the onlooking reflected posters.

Why the inside of MICA? Because of these three gentlemen:

Leon Fleisher, Dr. Daniel Drachman and Nathaniel Kahn - all key players in the making of "Two Hands," which was one of the opening night shorts.

This trip back had happy things: the MD Film Fest and visiting family, like my cousin Emerie, who is doing a rousing job staring in the ensemble of Arena Stage's "The Heidi Chronicles."

And my two sweeties together:

It also had sad things, like the memorial for my beloved theater professor Joe Patenaude.

This is the door to Joe's office at Drew University.

This is some of my fellow theatre arts alumni - notice how they taught half of us to keep our eyes closed for the photograph.

My favorite republican, Gov. Tom Kean & I... The first student show he saw as prez was my first play, "Gaijin." We've had a mutual admiration society going on ever since.

It was healing, though, to walk on the campus again and see the beautiful new Arts building - of which I'm totally jealous (we had to rough it in The Commons, a blackbox, and Bowne, a converted gymnasium).

From Drew's college in the forest, to Baltimore's oddities...

Filling up on the East Coast to last me a while on the West.

Short Shorts

As a member of the shorts screening committee @ NewFest
for 3 years, I fell in love with the short form. Shorts are one of the
reasons I love film festivals, and am addicted to the better offerings
on YouTube.

Just as I LOVE that you can see all the Tony nominated Broadway shows only in NYC, for now the only way to see all the Oscar nominated shorts was to attend a special Academy screening here in L.A., and that's exactly what I did this week. I have now watched every 2007 Academy Award eligible short with my own two eyes, in plush seats at industry theaters. [Now you, too, can watch the live action and animated shorts (but not the doc shorts) on iTunes from the comfort of your own computer, for a small fee.] So, now I can authoritatively give my completely biased opinion on these 3 categories:

Live Action Short - I'm rooting for "The Saviour"
Animated Short - I really liked "The Danish Poet," but I've got to go with "Maestro"
Documentary Short - I enjoyed them all, but even my unbiased opinion would have to be for "Two Hands" - REALLY!

Watching the doc shorts today as part of IDA's DocuDay, I was struck by how L O N G the majority of the short films actually are. Most butt up against the Academy cut-off of 40 minutes. I'm of the mind that "shorts" should be short; and that's the exact sentiment Nathaniel Kahn parsed in the Q&A following the screening after an audience member suggested that perhaps the film was a little too concise. I think the film's brevity, clocking in at 17 minutes, is one of its strengths. In fact, it's on the long side for festivals, which is the yardstick by which I'm most familiar and comfortable.

I vote for simplicity & craft. Let's hope the Academy voters did, too.
I'm not wishing "break a leg" anymore (or even crossing fingers), since Leon had to break his hand and cross his digits, essentially, to set this all in motion. Instead:
(good vibes)~~~~~~[Two Hands]~~~~~~(good vibes)

Only a few more hours until the opening of the envelope; And the winner is... ;-)

Oscar Pose

 

I was all set to write about how California-fied I've become since starting Yoga this week, but the true earmarker of Angeleno-cation is that our little film has been nominated for an OSCAR. That's right, "Two Hands" is up for Best Documentary Short at the 79th annual Academy Awards. All I can say is: Bravissimo! That and, maybe this'll help me get a job here?

And, of course: How can I finagle a seat @ the Oscars? Anyone? I already signed up to be a seatfiller, but I'm sure there's several thousand folks ahead of me in line. Oh yeah, and how does a documentary short go about campaigning for a win? Too bad we don't have Harvey Weinstein or Bill Clinton to back us, just some very devoted classical music, Baltimore and Nathaniel Kahn fans who've gotten us this far. I like our pedigree and odds. Is there a special meditation or yoga pose to help me vibrate on the Oscar frequency? You know there's gotta' be one in this town...

Creature Comforts

Creature Comforts. Literal creature comforts. I think if I'd had my pets with me in L.A. for the past 3 weeks, I wouldn't have been so distressed about every little thing that went wrong or was done wrong to me. It's just been a rolling frustration train. The flight back to JFK was 3/4 turbulent. I get back to NYC and try to unwind by seeing a movie w/my sweetie, and instead my mobile phone gets flushed down the toilet @ the theater (yes, I reached in and rescued it, but it's a soggy goner). See? Even in NYC (or on the way to NYC), things go wrong and infuriate. The difference being, I get to come home to my apartment of 12 years, cuddle with my cats and kiss my girlfriend. Instant anti-anxiety pill. Did I mention my meds were stolen by the infamous TSA personel as they handled my bags? So, I'll get another prescription and then a pedicure at my neighborhood nail place where they know my battered feet well... I can let it roll off my back, or feet or cats. You get the point.

The reason for my return East (aside from the need to aleviate extreme withdrawal symptoms)? The screening of "Two Hands," a doc short by Nathaniel Kahn about the remarkable pianist Leon Fleisher. How's this sound for a swanky evening?
1. Private screening of "Two Hands" @ Makor.
2. Triumphant concert by Leon Fleisher @ Avery Fisher Hall.
3. Celebratory dinner with extraordinary people @ Cafe Des Artistes.


Nathaniel Kahn, Leon Fleisher & Katherine Jacobson

I think I can handle whatever L.A. throws at me for the next stretch. I'm Big Apple-fortified for now.

Completion

Last night I got an email from Nathanial Kahn, director of a new short about the remarkable Leon Fleisher. I served as line producer for this gem, shot in my hometown of Baltimore, MD about 1 year ago. Nathaniel's email said that the film is done - transfered onto 35mm, even! I can't wait to see the finished product. It prompted me to go back and look at my behind-the-scenes pictures and video that I shot. Check out the footage from our last day of shooting at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra below.


(it seems jerky on YouTube - you can also see it here)

Look for "Two Hands" at a prestigious film festival soon (hopefully)! I'm very proud to have worked with Nathaniel, a great crew and the amazing Mr. Fleisher.

Buy Nathaniel's family masterpiece "My Architect."

Buy Leon Fleisher's triumphant return to 2-handed piano recording, "Two Hands."