I’m back!

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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.

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Ode to my Festival Relations Manager

How many broke, independent filmmakers get an MBA with decades of experience as a University administrator to handle their print logistics, festival scheduling, screener-sending, tour planning, database-programming, and endless back-and-forth emailing? Like everyone else involved with Sita Sings the Blues, she’s extraordinarily talented, extremely smart, and doing this for love. Not only does she want the film to succeed, she also wants me personally to not starve or go insane.

In case you haven’t guessed, she’s my Mom.

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Greetings from Novi Sad

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.

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