Usually, if you ask me whether I want the good news or the bad news first, I’ll tell you I want the bad news. Bad news first means I get the opportunity to troubleshoot, and then have some of the sting taken away by the good news. Hearing the good news first means that the good news is not as sweet as it could be. In the back of my mind, I’m always wondering what the bad news is, so the good news loses its luster. And then tarnishes quickly, as I turn my attention to the bad news.

Since I’m a bad news first kind of person, I intended to post my list of films I will not be seeing before I post the list of films I will be seeing. But I needed to work out what I will be seeing first! Since I will be posting details of films I see after the fact, this good news post is mostly a list. You’ll get trailers and details after I see the films. But since I’m not going to see the films on the bad news list, I want that post to be more detailed, along the lines of what I wrote for the Shorts #1. That will take some time. So good news first, for a change.

It took me quite a long time to come up with this schedule. But this is final. I think.

Continue reading →

I had not checked on the Special Guests section of the Florida Film Festival for over a week. I was on the Festival site to check the details on ticket packages and prices for the post on the Passholders Dinner, and thought I’d check to see if any Special Guests had been added to the line up. SUSAN SARANDON IS GOING TO BE THERE!!!!!!!!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Okay, just give me a minute to calm down.

Continue reading →

Last night, I went the the Pre-Festival Passholders Dinner. This is an unofficial Film Festival event. After I went on about how I’m not a party kind of person, you might be surprised that I would go to an event where I knew no one. But this particular event is my personal best case scenario for meeting people. It was a sit down dinner in a restaurant. Everyone has a known common interest that it it easy to talk about. I did not know until I got there that I would be the only one in attendance who (1) was attending the Film Festival for the first time and (2) did not know anyone else there. If I had known, I might have been more nervous. The group turned out to be friendly, and I am so glad I went.

Continue reading →

I warned you that I would write a couple of angst-filled posts as I contemplated my schedule during the Florida Film Festival. I really like organizing and planning. I’m not always as good at executing those plans, but it doesn’t stop me from making them!  The process of reviewing the options and putting together what I want to do is a sporting event in and of itself, and part of the fun for me.

I’ve always been like this. My family could tell you about our first trip to Walt Disney World, when I was 19 years old. I had the family running back and forth across the parks, based on guidance from The Unofficial Guide to Disney.  I had a written plan in my pocket and as soon as we got off one ride, I would whip it out and declare where we were headed next.  In that case, the plan definitely worked in our favor.  We came during the busiest week of year — between Christmas and New Year’s — and, thanks to my advanced planning, never stood in line longer than about 20 minutes.  Angsting over planning is how I roll.

Continue reading →