sporting harry potter's invisibility cloak (2010 atlanta film festival)

Tonight I finally managed to catch a film at the Atlanta Film Festival (AFF).  The fest started last week and runs through this Friday, so I made it there right in the middle of the 9 day event.

This annual film lovers' extravanganza is special to me because 5 years ago the film I wrote and produced, The Lady from Sockholm, premiered as one of the selected feature-length narratives (and then went on to screen in about 40 other festivals).  The organization behind AFF really helped me when I was writing and pulling together the project and I appreciate the support.

So, tonight a friend and I decided to see "Feed the Fish" at the festival.  "Feed the Fish" is a comedy about an author with writer's block who seems to have a penchant for landing people in the hospital.  (Note: this is not the official synopsis, which I am sure is much more interesting and well written, this is just my lazy, late-at-night, one-sentence interpretation about what I saw.)

The film features Tony Shaloub (the director's mother is a "Shaloub" so as he joked in the Q&A, "nepotism pays") and as expected, Shaloub is one of the highlights of the film.  So, the screening was enjoyable and running into a few friends was nice, but here is what stands out most in my mind about tonight...

(Or as Tony Shaloub's character Adrian Monk [from the TV series "Monk"] would say, "Here's what happened...")

When my friend and I were picking up our passes in the ticketing area one of the festival coordinators SHRIEKED out my friend's name and started telling her how much she loved her writing.  (Which is great, I love her writing too.  [See, my friend is a very popular columnist and multi-published author.])  But here is where the Harry Potter invisibility cloak that is referenced in the blog title comes in... the woman didn't say BOO to me. My friend and I were the only people in the room who were not working for the festival and it was obvious we were together.  She then went on to chat-up my friend, have a photo taken with her, and then commit the biggest offense in my eyes -- she offered her a cookie without offering me one. 

Well, I think everyone should be offered a cookie, so here is my tray for people who are too absorbed to have basic manners.

Okay, maybe this is a bit (or bite) extreme, but it's funny, isn't it?  In all seriousness, I'm sure my friend and the woman who works for the fest didn't think anything about what went down, but it kind of annoyed me.  And that's what this blog is for -- for me to have a place to record my thoughts, dreams, and the slights that hurt my feelings.

BTW, the above photo was taken by me a few years ago at one of Sister Louisa's art shows.  If you don't know who Sister Louisa is click this link to find out more -- but if you are likely to be offended by religious ribbing (and some hard to swallow doses of enlightening truths) then don't click that link.

BTW2, if you're in the Atlanta area please consider checking out a film or two from now until AFF ends on Friday night.  The Arts have really been under fire in Georgia lately (this week Ga. came dangerously close to being the only state without a state-sponsored arts agency and funding) so it's imperative that indivduals patronize non-profit art orgs.

Just make sure to bring your own cookies.

********
For more pithy patter, connect to me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/lamousin) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lamousin)