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She Said, Z Said: Tips and Tricks for Navigating the Film Festival-Sponsored-by-Lynda.com
She: What was your favorite part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year?
Z: I think it was at the Virtuoso Awards. Patton Oswalt made a joke about entering that little blue door by the side of the Arlington Theatre stage and magically transmogrifying into a guy in a dress by the time he entered from stage left.
She: That little blue door was always a mystery to me when I went to matinees as a child. Now I know where it goes. And that it doesn’t magically change you into a guy in a dress.
Z: But the funny part was when Andy Serkis went through the door after Oswalt, and then entered stage left without his shirt or jacket.
She: I was impressed that he owned the bit, and stayed topless for his whole interview.
Z: Very English of him. What about you? What was your favorite part?
She: I loved seeing Martin Scorsese. What a brilliant man. At age 69 he has more information at his fingertips than I’ll ever have, not to mention he’s able to articulate it so well. I was actually kind of awed.
Z: The other two things that you can always count on for quality are the writer’s panel and the director’s panel. The writers and directors tend to be smart and funny, and don’t get let out into public too often, so they work hard to be entertaining.
She: Plus both the writers and the directors always seem genuinely interested in and respectful of what the other panelists have to say. I don’t think Santa Barbarians realize what an usual thing that is to see in Hollywood.
Z: Yeah, the film festival definitely presents the kinder, gentler side of the movie business to our fair town.
She: I love it. I think the writers and directors panels are pretty consistently my favorites.
Z: The only problem with the panels is that they let the audience ask questions, which always invites a couple of idiots to come to the microphone and talk about themselves for five minutes before asking some question that doesn’t really make sense.
She: It was great how Peter Bart at the director’s panel wasn’t taking any of the bogus questions. He actually told one group of self-promoting “questioners” to sit down.
Z: Once the audience started booing them, I think he was safe to shut off their microphone.
She: Which was pretty entertaining in its own right.
Z: Which movies did you like this year?
She: I never get to see as many as I want to, but I loved Starbuck.
Z: Even though it was French Canadian, I found it charming, too.
She: Pina was great too, about the late choreographer Pina Bausch. That was probably the best use of 3D I’ve seen so far. Actually, all of the documentaries I saw were pretty strong. I went from Lithuania to Germany to France, New York and Montreal in one day.
Z: And you say I never take you anywhere.
She: Here are a few more tips for the festival that I don’t think are too heavily publicized. One, many of the panels are taped, and then put up on Lynda.com where you can watch them for free. Awesome.
Z: I was impressed that the audiences always seemed appreciative of Lynda.com for sponsoring the festival, even though they had to be getting fatigued by the sheer number of mentions at every screening.
She: I’m guessing that’s because everyone in the audience is trying to get a job with them.
Z: It wouldn’t hurt to hire me to do some new commercials for them.
She: Two, the audience’s favorite films from the festival are screened for free on the “3rd weekend,” which this year is Feb. 10-12 at the Riviera Theatre.
Z: I do appreciate how much community outreach the festival tries to do. They also do elementary school field trips for the kids to come see a movie and have a Q&A with the director. This year it was Gore Verbinski, and I remember that Koss got to see James Cameron a couple of years ago.
She: I wonder if our kid asked any questions?
Z: He probably tried to pitch Cameron a movie, and was told by Peter Bart to sit down.
She: As well he should be.
Z: Yes, dear.
— Feel free to pitch your screenplay ideas to She and Z (who, like all writers, are entirely powerless to do anything with them) by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). And follow them on Twitter: @lesliedinaberg. Click here for previous She Said, Z Said columns.
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