Ah, home safe and sound in the comfort of my home. Away from the masses of partying people in the French Quarter, many of whom were in New Orleans for the 2nd Annual Big Easy Shorts Festival. By my count there were just over 35 short films over the 2 days of the festival and before going any further, I have a rather rude admission to make. The only program of shorts I saw was the one where my film “Drag King” was playing. I know, I know…I’m awful. I even had a discussion at the opening night party with festival co-directors Daniel and Laura Martone about how rude some filmmakers are who only see their film and skip everything else. Then, I did it. Complete douche-baggery on my end, and I’m very sorry to them and the other filmmakers.
To tell you the truth I feel bad not just because I missed some great stuff but also because I didn’t get to hang out more with Daniel and Laura who are two people very passionate about films, especially short ones. They also run the Beverly Hills Shorts Festival and when I realized this before I left, I braced myself for some uptight faux-arty types who are programming a fest to please themselves and their peers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Laura and Daniel are totally cool, down to earth people and all the volunteers and programmers they had working for them couldn’t have been kinder, warmer or more real.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a flipping fantastic time in New Orleans, because I did. But I feel bad because every single person I met who was attending the festival with a film or just as a spectator was really great. For instance, at the kick-ass opening night party, I started discussing microbrews with one of the festival attendees. He asked if I had ever tried this really potent local brew. When I said “no, but it sounds killer” I had barely finished my sentence when he was out the door and back with a cup of the beer from down the street. In New Orleans, you can get drinks “to go” and bring them anywhere. Which is awesome as was the beer and the effort to get it for me. It also proved quite surreal for myself and filmmaking partner John Beck who hit N’awlins like two sailors on weekend pass.
Our screening was at 5:30 Saturday (I had been there since late Thursday) at the Canal Street Cinema which is on the top floor of a fairly high scale shopping mall. The Big Easy Shorts Festival had booked a screening room for the weekend so many filmmakers were truly seeing their films on a big screen for the first time. Daniel and Laura even managed to get a $500,000 projector donated for the festival! Very cool. So being the terrible festival goers we are, John and I rushed to the theater at 5:15, “to-go” cup of beer in hand as we strode through the makeup section entrance of Saks 5th Avenue. I’m sure the makeup gals there have seen worse, but I know I’ve never seen two half drunk guys with big plastic cups of flat beer rushing through a Saks 5th Avenue. Pretty awesome.
As we made it to the theater Daniel and Laura were literally glowing. The documentary shorts screening was sold out! Sold out! Many festivals take several years to build up enough of a following to sell out a theater and this festival did it one screening into their second year! Pretty awesome. So like typical drunken creeps, we picked out a spot on the floor and hunkered down for the program.
I honestly liked all the films that were shown and the festival managed to put together a nice slate of fun docs as well as interesting, more informative docs. There were two really interesting shorts about the New Orleans jazz scene and another about New Orleans street performers. Also in the program was a short about a female wrestler from the late 1950’s and another one I’ll get to in a minute plus “Drag King.” A really nice variety.
When the lights came up, one doc short had clearly owned the night and that was Ray Owl’s hilariously funny short “The Biggest Little Shrimp in Town.” In it, a guy with no experience whatsoever in the shrimping business buys a few hundred pounds of frozen extra-large shrimp that he plans to sell in the street and make a killing. As poorly laid out plans go, the whole thing fizzles and we were rolling in the aisles by the time the film finished. As the lights came up, John and I stumbled down for the Q&A only to see the star of the doc and his director decked out in pimp clothes and white shrimping boots! Classic! Needless to say they stole the show as well as the audience award for best doc as well as all-around audience award. These guys deserved it as they brought the house down and brought a big crowd.
After the Q&A the shrimp guys, Ray and Doug, invited us to a party down the street. Never ones to pass up a party, John and I agreed. We got to the place a little early and heard a commotion coming down the street and as we strained to see what it was, we saw the shrimp guys had managed to get a huge crew of friends and a small band to march them to the party! Kick-ass! The party was a blast and from there on out, it was lost weekend, Don Lewis style. I did see the sunrise twice, ate a hot dog that in my mind was served to me by Ignatious Riley, saw Mardi Gras Indians perform, drank way too many beers and made two strippers fall in love with me. At least I think they did. They said they did and my bank account shows I really liked them.
Sunday night I managed to make it over to the Awards Ceremony and it was my immense feeling of guilt for missing much of the festival that got me there. However I couldn’t believe it when they named “Drag King” the programmers choice for best documentary! Totally unexpected! Usually “important” and “serious” docs win these things! For once, we pulled one out. We got a nice certificate and an even nicer steadicam! Awesome! After that, it was off towards Frenchman street for a last night of camaraderie and merriment with the Big Easy Shorts Festival folks at a very cool local jazz haunt. Again, everyone was so cool and nice and I can’t wait to make something new so we can get a chance to come back to this festival. Mark your calendars folks, next year…it’s on!
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Posted by Don R. Lewis in Writer's Corner