Festival Experience in The Windy City

Last Wednesday morning was the first time I’d gotten on a plane in four years. Destination was Chicago, Illinois, where Illinois International Film Festival was taking place. Luckily, it is also the place of residence for my aunt and uncle.

The Screening

Friday, November 18th, 2011, 3:15pm was the scheduled US premiere of Bill, Please! at the ViaDuct Theatre. It was a very inconspicuous building and hard place to find, being beside an overpass. We drove around and around as the clock ticked past 3:20pm. Finally we were able to follow Google map’s instructions (navigating through a 5-way intersection is no easy feat) and arrived at the theatre.

We hurried inside to a quiet lobby adorned by posters of shows. It was small, warm and cozy but aged, kind of like the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver.

viaduct lobby; there is a small bar to the right

Aunt was anxious and worried that we’d missed the screening. It was ultimately the reason we had made the trip to Chicago, after all. Quickly we bought tickets (I was handed an all-access pass and a t-shirt), and were relieved to learn that the films were behind schedule. Whew, we made it!

We were able to enjoy a few shorts before Bill, Please! was screened. After all these months after the film was completed, I was still nervous to see it with other people… especially people whose opinions I value (in this case it was my relatives). I suppose that’s what happens: you’ll always be nervous before your work is shown in public!

To add to the nervousness, they stop each film after it’s been screened and invite the filmmaker (if s/he/they are present) to go up to talk about the film. They had been informed of my attendance, so I was “called” down to the stage afterwards to say a couple of words about my short piece. It wasn’t a big crowd, but I could tell my film had made an impression on them. My uncle told me I looked “cool” when I was up there; that I “looked like a filmmaker” as I answered some technical questions.

Q&A with the filmmaker after each film is screened

We stayed for a few more quirky shorts (drama and documentaries) after my film. Unfortunately that was the only festival viewing experience I had for the entire weekend. (I was away at another part of the town playing tourist during most of the festival.) It was a fairly small but intimate festival -it had a “community” feeling (I mean that in the most positive way possible). If I was there longer I’d start mingling and talking to filmmakers.

screening schedule, all-access pass, and t-shirt

Awards Ceremony

The next time I dropped into the theatre was for the awards night on the very last day of the festival. I don’t know why I insisted on going. I didn’t know what the awards were, and I didn’t know if I was going to get one.

[We'd been driving around the city to sight-see before arriving at the theatre, so I didn't have time to change into a more formal outfit. Lo and behold, I was wearing a silly giraffe animal toque I had purchased the night before. I thought, screw it. If anything it'll just show off my silly unique character.]

They handed out a lot of awards. Among them was “Best Comedy Short”, which I thought I had a decent bet in. So when it went to someone else, I thought my chances of winning anything else was next to none. Most of the filmmakers weren’t present to receive their award (some are from as far as Israel). A lot of those who were said it was the first film festival they’d been in. I wasn’t hopeful until they came to the second-last award: “Best International Comedy Short”. And Bill, Please! was announced to be the winner moments after. I couldn’t believe it! I practically jumped out of my seat and leapt to the stage (with my giraffe hat still on, of course). Nervously I made a “speech” with broken sentences, thanking the festival for the US premiere and cast, crew, friends and family for their hard work on the film. I could barely put my thoughts together.

Lots of pictures were taken after the event wrapped up. My family and I were ecstatic! I am super proud of everyone who had the chance to work together on this film and for making it the short that entertains and pleases the crowd. This award is yours, too!

the award and the festival organizersIIFF Best International Comedy Short - "Bill, Please!"

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