X-GEN Goes to Cackalacky: A Sea Shanty Road Trip

Cackalacky Blog #2: Saturday

In which Sergio learns important "life lessons" (as opposed to lessons learned outside of life?...never mind, roll with me here...)

1:04am - Room 117

On Derek's laptop speakers: Hip Shop singing Barber Shop Quartet versions of Baby Got Back and Sugar Hill Gang; On TV: Comedy Central's mystifying mix of stand-up comedy and commercials for sleazy videos.

The day began for us with a leisurely trip to the hotel breakfast spread. After eggs, waffles, sausage, coffee, fruit, and cereal, we borrowed a tripod poster stand from the nice hotel people and headed over to the Overcash Performing Arts Center. As we put up our brand new X-GEN poster, Sergio proclaimed - in a very thoughtful voice - "We just owned every other poster in this place." And we did...it's that cool, and don't argue with our intern.

We watched 11 movies today. Highlights were "Super Non" (a film about a support group for siblings and children of Super Heroes), "Rewind" (a touching tale about stem cell research and double-/triple-crossing senior citizens and a former Nazi doctor), "A Little Light," (in which Alan Thicke is swept up into the atmosphere and then deposited into the alleyway of an L.A. parking cop so that he can impart life-changing wisdom while learning anew to appreciate eggs), "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" (a Hungarian short that is beautiful, crushing, devastating, haunting) http://www.extremefilm.com/nowyouseeme/ , and "Beautiful Dreamer" (an old-fashioned, expertly-shot, and very well-acted movie about...just go here and see for yourself: www.imageworksentertainment.com ).

Matt, Sergio, and I attended a panel discussion about financing and distributing independent movies. Some very useful advice about finding and persuading investors and some great stories. Case Chenowith, writer and producer of "Beautiful Dreamer," gave us a great example of the fearlessness you need to get your movie made: he walked up to Jimmy Stewart's front door and offered his gardening services if Mr. Stewart would read his script. Good form.

Derek and Kate joined us in the afternoon, dove headfirst into a segment of short films, and kept going for 7 hours.

A full day today...more movies tomorrow: "Mojave Phone Booth," "Saving Sophie," "Why Shakespeare?," and "Santa's Camel."

 

Cackalacky Blog #1

Matt Long Reporting:

6:10 PM-- Luke Wilmington serenades Long & Wilmington with Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars
6:17 PM-- Beck's "New Information" blasts from Long's car as Long & Wilmington pull out of Durham
6:48 PM-- Long & Wilmington discuss bands that sound like cover bands of themselves
6:56 PM-- Long sticks head out window and screams, "X-Gen freaking ROCKS!"
6:56 PM-- 2 large cows stare back stoically at bald man yelling out window, they are non-plussed
7:30 PM-- Stop for gas and sandwiches (only in America)
7:48 PM-- Wilmington sticks head out window and screams, "X-Gen freaking ROCKS!"
8:04 PM-- It rains real hard
8:16 PM-- Long & Wilmington discuss MySpace and the many merits of The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Dibgy Sellers
8:19 PM-- Long turns to Wilmington and screams "X-Gen freaking ROCKS!"
8:24 PM-- Pull into Charlotte
8:27 PM-- Long & Wilmington rack brains for films set in Charlotte
8:30 PM-- Wilmington suggests Days of Thunder
8:31 PM-- It continues to rain real hard
8:39 PM-- Long parks car on CPCC campus
8:42 PM-- Long & Wilmington enter the Overcash Performing Arts Center, guns a blazing
8:46 PM-- Check in at registration table, get cool all access filmmaker passes

   Wilmington checks in: Racing to Charlotte to attend Gala Opening Night. We catch the end of the "Groucho" performance as Ferrante abuses a sketchy out-of-work actor, several people who either can't remember, can't pronounce, or are afraid to give their real names, and a girl named Heather. Pre-party mingling begins with an awkward Junior High vibe - - many people trying to look very casual while marveling at how casual everyone else seems to feel. Eventually, you start talking to someone and find out...there ARE people who speak your language! Party afterward went something like this:

9:09 PM-- Prince's "Pop Life" blares on sound system
9:10 PM-- Wilmington schmoozes 2 festival sponsors and procures 2 cigars
9:17 PM-- Food and drink are consumed
9:26 PM-- Long works room, talks with director of "Post House", they exchange cards
9:44 PM-- Justin Timberlake brings sexy back
9:57 PM-- Wilmington discusses editing and film grants with director of "Coffee Therapy"
10:01 PM-- People are vibing off our Teen Spirit postcards, they think Teen Spirit is real (yaaaaaaaaay!)
10:06 PM-- More food and drink are consumed
10:19 PM-- Tom Petty rocks the room
10:37 PM-- Long discusses festival strategies and writing with director of "Saving Sophie"
10:56 PM-- Wilmington switches to wine
11:01 PM-- Photos are taken
11:07 PM-- Long & Wilmington introduce themselves to festival director Dutch Stamey and talk shop
11:08 PM-- Receive good feedback on X-Gen
11:09 PM-- Dutch's boyfriend loves our poster, he wants one!
11:26 PM-- More photos are taken
11:33 PM-- Long & Wilmington are filmed and interviewed for behind the scenes Cackalacky spot
11:45 PM-- Long & Wilmington close down party and walk back to car in the rain
12:01 AM-- Get back on 85 and point the car towards Durham
12:47 AM-- Waffles and coffee at Waffle house
1:21 AM-- Back on road, Long talks to girlfriend in LA, Wilmington reviews Cackalacky film schedule
1:48 AM-- Loud music to stay awake, Wilmington types MySpace info for X-Gen on laptop
2:33 AM-- Long drops Wilmington off
3:03 AM-- Lights out