NC Film Festival at UNCG

http://www.ncfilm.com/news_detail.asp?id=246

Last Thursday Maddox spent the night at his Grandma T's house and so we had the night to have fun. What in the world do we do?? We looked at each other like two people who were trying to solve the problems of Iraq all by ourselves. Let me check the Internet I chimed in, in hopes that we could find something different, something fun, something memorable. The North Carolina Film Festival being hosted at UNCG came up on the screen. It just so happens to be that I go to school there so we would get the $1.00 off admission which brought the price down to $4.00. Wow, what great marketing...we were hooked already. A cheap night where we can enjoy movies. The question is what kind of movies...we had never seen independent movies before. I mean...not the ones that weren't main stream. As soon as we arrived we had problems getting in because the box office was closed. We needed to buy some things at the store to get exact change to get in the show. We felt so out of place....there were these older college professors there with their wild beards looking each like they had their own style too smart to understand, very artistic looking people with the coolest hair styles and clothes that weren't supposed to look expensive but must have cost a fortune, and then us...late, awkward, stepping over people in the isles, the parents of an 8 month old, couple who has been married for 5 years, and inexperienced independent film watchers. We should have had that stamped on our forehead, but that wasn't necessary, one look at us and the people already knew that. Lucky for us the lights were dim and the movie was playing. We started watching the first film...all in sub-titles....about a guy who took pictures of bugs and now had to take a picture of a guy on his death bed. What a bad movie to start the night with. I looked over at Randy moving very uncomfortably in his chair, trying to look as interested as he could, while thinking it would have been much better to stay at home and watch sports. I needed to sound encouraging, " This next film looks really great. I mean...the last one was really good too. Don't you think?" I said with a convincing smile. He wasn't convinced but I could tell he was trying think of something nice to say as he ate another piece of his chocolate candy. Then the next movie started. It was an animation short film and it had us laughing out loud. Okay...not so bad, we sort of liked this now. The next film was by a high school senior and was about a law firm hiring a security guard to act like their top executive and break in their new hires. It was hilarious. Whoa...the talent in these film makers. One of our favorites was the Wine Bar. I don't even think explaining it would justify the movie. It was really great....we were really getting in to these 15 to 30 minute movies. I even teared up in a few spots...I mean really great movies. The funny thing is that we left the theatre feeling like a part of the crowd, and not the outsiders we had felt like when we had entered the theatre. We really got it, it was ALL about the art. It was watching a movie and realizing that you were a part of so many other people who all experienced the same emotions and events. We all laughed at the funny parts, and cried at the sad parts. We didn't have to look a certain way, or live a certain life style to get these movies. We not only ended the night with some great conversations and some laughs, but we had a quiet connection of understanding who we were and how we shape our lives to be what we are.