Bruno has joined a pride at Ken’s house. Background: Bruno. Foreground: Peanut. Not shown: Sweetpea. (I am not responsible for the latter two names)

I’m finally back in New York, staying in my friend Ken’s apartment, where my beloved and loyal cat Bruno is. It’s been a long, long trip around the world, on 12 separate flights, crammed into overcrowded economy cabins with “lap babies” and screamers, and all the Ambien in the world couldn’t make air travel more bearable. Happier stories and photos of the festivals themselves to come. For now, I’m just glad to be “home.”

My internet access on the road was spotty, so if you’ve been trying to reach me the last month, please try again now. I’ll be here until September 14, when I fly to Israel. More on that soon.

Okay, here’s a picture of Sweetpea after all. 

International air travel sucks butt (how many “lap babies” can they pack on one 16-hour long-haul?) but the festivals themselves sure are nice once you get there. Durban was warm and had lively audiences. I saw some good films and was put up in a very nice hotel, which I seldom left due to warnings about rampant street crime. DIFF also gave me an unusually beautiful festival bag, made of intricately printed African fabric.

3 flights and about 20 hours later I arrived in beautiful Melbourne without my checked suitcase, which vanished somewhere between Johannesburg and Perth. The Melbourne International Film Festival then sponsored a whirlwind shopping spree at Target 45 minutes before closing, where I scored some underwear, pants and a bra, and learned Australian clothing sizes don’t correspond to American. The lovely and talented actress Arta Dobroshi got word of my plight and lent me some of her movie star duds, including a hot strapless number I don’t want to return. The city of Melbourne is handsome indeed, reminiscent of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, but you do need to wear clothes there - it’s cold, and it’s the law. The MIFF audiences were TEH AWESOMEST!!1! - “Sita” played simultaneously in two full houses, and the post-screening discussion was a lot of fun.

Then I flew to Brisbane, where I am now. I like Australia. Gone are the adventurous exotica-seeking days of my youth - give me that familiar Western decadence. Australia is like the US, but less populated and prettier and seemingly more functional, unless you’re an Aboriginal, in which case neither country is particularly lovable. But I am a product of the Decadent West, and after 2 days on godawful airliners I really appreciate returning to a familiar culture. Except it’s on the other side of the World. Uncanny, that. Tonight a BIFF volunteer named all 5 boroughs of New York, proving we are truly one people.

Tomorrow “Sita” screens to a bunch of school kids. I am looking forward to it. Now that the film has proven itself as a cartoon for adults, kids’ screenings just broaden the audience, instead of pigeonholing it as I’d first feared.

Next Week: Jecheon, Korea!

My new, hopefully post-bed bug life coincides with my new passport, which I just got today. A clean slate! I feel so fresh, like a newborn 40-year-old.

I need the extra visa pages for my upcoming festival tour, which includes:

Durban International Film Festival
July 23 - August 3
Durban, South Africa

Melbourne International Film Festival
July 25 - August 10
Melbourne, Australia

Brisbane International Film Festival
July 31 - August 10
Brisbane, Australia

Jecheon International Music and Film Festival
August 9 - 14
Jecheon, Korea

Who needs an apartment when you’ve got airplanes and hotels? And who needs money when there are party snacks and meal vouchers? See you on the other side of the World!

Meanwhile, if you’re in New York, Sita will screen at the

Long Island Film and Wine Festival
July 31 - August 3
Martha Clara Vineyards, Long Island, New York

Obviously I won’t be there, but a bunch of NY Sita collaborators will! Come see the movie and say hi to them.

Now I get to enjoy two glorious weeks in my favorite city in the World. Sita did very well in Europe, especially France - in addition to the Annecy prize, she won “Best American Feature” at Avignon. All of which takes some of the sting out of returning to a lost potential romance, a friend’s descent into alcoholism, and a bedbug infestation in my building (the exterminators come Friday). Still, I am overjoyed to be reunited with my beloved cat Bruno, and walk and bicycle in the city I love, bedbugs and all.

Here are some pictures of Novi Sad, Serbia, I took while attending the Cinema City film festival.

“Enfin, Sita sings the blues, Cristal du long-métrage, sera diffusé dimanche à 14h30.”

On DVD, because the French print and I are still in Avignon.

Truly, missing my cat is the biggest downside to all this traveling. They just don’t make ‘em as fat and cuddly as Bruno, here in Europe.

Other than that, I can’t complain. Today I’m off to Avignon.

I’m currently at a VERY well-organized film festival in Serbia. They picked me up at the airport, assigned me my own handler, put me in a top hotel, gave me a detailed personal schedule, fed me, got me a local SIM card for my cell phone, drove me everywhere on time…and this is their first year! It’s organized by the same people who’ve done a music festival in Novi Sad for 8 years in a row, and their experience handling complex logistics and tempermental egomaniacal artists shows. Sita had two well-attended outdoor screenings. Now I get to relax and sight-see until I return to Geneva Sunday. 

Thanks everyone who sent kind words about the Annecy win. I still can hardly believe it. What a strange world! I love you all.

Holy shit

I’m off to France, Serbia and London, back mid-July. I’ll blog if I can, but posts may be sparse depending on internet access and free time. See you in Europe!

Seattle International Film Festival May 25 and 26 (I can’t attend, alas)

Annecy Animation Festival June 9-14 - I’ll be there

Cinema City in Novi Sad, Serbia, June 14-21 - I’ll be there too

Avignon/New York Film Festival June 25-29 - and there too I will be

Taipei Film Festival June 20-July 6 - I will probably miss this, unless someone buys me a ticket from France to Taiwan for June 30. Anyone?

British National Library July 8 - yes I will be there! Why do you think I’m subletting my apartment?

And then I will come back to NY for at least a week.