Cucalorus

So originally I thought Cucalorus was going to be fun. I even thought it might be awesome, but I was not prepared for how much I would love it. I already enjoy watching movies to the extent that I will watch them until my eyes bleed, even if I dislike them. This is not a new development, it is something that I gained from film school while being forced to watch things I did not want to watch, sometimes more than once. As a filmmaker, and more importantly a storyteller, I have learned that there is something I can gain from watching almost any film. (and the ones I can't learn from are generally youtube exclusives my friends con me into watching like "cat on a vacuum") So naturally film festivals are something I want to participate in. 

I grew up in Oklahoma, the land without trees and film festivals (although some are springing up/developing atm) so the only one I'd really been to was a festival put on by the school district where I went to high school, and it functioned more like an awards ceremony (well and of course I'd been to Visions). I was unsure of what to expect. What Cucalorus brought to the table was so much more than just exhibition, but a chance to interact. One film I went to see, "How to Lose your Virginity" featured an uncomfortably entertaining quiz at the beginning, and a fascinating Q&A with the director at the end about her topic. I loved that you got to feel like you were taking part in a film. It wasn't distant, like some giant living in the Hollywood hills..and at the end of the presentations, people clapped. (What?) 

Overall, it was an incredibly real, personal experience and I kind of wished it would last forever. I have to constantly remind myself that making a good film is attainable. Having the normal but sometimes slightly crazy people in front of me, telling me how they struggled, how they found their passion, and how they channeled that to make something great was a fantastic "YOU CAN DO IT" just when I needed it. 

What I loved about Cucalorus, and what I really hope we can achieve with Visions, is that feeling like when you graduate high school. You stand next to (in my case) 2,000 other people and for once in the whole four years you've been inhabiting the same space you connect. People you don't know are your friends, and conversations happen that never normally would. Because passion and storytelling connect people who would normally have nothing in common. It's the most awesome feeling in the world, and I'm sure you agree. :D