Full Frame is considered the premiere documentary film festival in America. Out of 1200 documentaries, 60 are selected. We were in some good company and the filmmakers we met were great, as well as seeing familiar faces from other festivals; Gita Pullapilly and Aron Gaudet with their wonderful film, The Way We Get By, David Simpson, Milking the Rhino, and Ondi Timoner, We Live In Public. I met a bunch of students from Dayton, Ohio that came down to watch films, interact and get advice from filmmakers. For all you Deadheads it was definitely a trip to meet Wavy Gravy. There was a documentary made about his life called Saint Misbehavin – The Wavy Gravy Movie, directed by Michelle Esrick. Michelle told me they have been working on it for ten years. We were also able to reconnect with co-directors Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri, October Country.
We had a great audience for our screening and the care that goes into the technical aspect is amazing. We had a 350 seat makeshift theatre in the conference center at the Marriott Hotel in Durham. Nothing against the other festivals but it was the best looking projection we’ve had so far. Afterwards the crowd kept us for an hour. The questions didn’t seem to end but Justin handled every one very eloquently, as he always does. Again shock and awe at discovering how America influenced the Holocaust. The location of the festival had more significance for us being in North Carolina. Sterilization didn’t officially end in North Carolina until 1974. Very disturbing. Today the Governor as well as State Representatives are trying to give reparations to those who were wronged.
Southern hospitality was in full force. Peg Palmer, Executive Director, Sadie Tillary, Director of Programming, Stephanie Barnwell, Manager, Programming and Special Guests, and the whole staff were absolutely fantastic, especially Lani Simeona, Hospitality Coordinator. She went above and beyond the call to help us with whatever we needed. All around an exceptional festival for documentary filmmakers and film goers alike. I highly recommend Sons Of Cuba, the festival’s opening night film. It’s a fantastic documentary about young boys in Havana who train to be champions. Unfortunately it was the only film I was able to watch because our film was screening at the Beverly Hills Film Festival the following day. Justin stayed to represent the film at Full Frame as I boarded a plane for Los Angeles.
2 interviews with Justin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdVWC1Pt-NY&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk6zowbuj7Q
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- Producer Pete Demas and Director Justin Strawhand, War Against The Weak
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- Justin is interviewed for Channel 14.
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- Getting our seats for opening night film, Sons Of Cuba.
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- Jill DeWeese-Frank (Director of Development) Sadie Tillery (Director of Programming), Lauren Whaley (Press Office)
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- Opening night party.
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- Opening night party.
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- Sadie Tillary, Director of Programming and Peg Palmer, Executive Director
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- Future filmmakers from Dayton, Ohio.
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- Jon Goldman (Director, Woods Hole Film Festival), Jay Spain (Moving Midway), Luke Adams
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- Wavy Gravy!
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- David Simpson, Milking the Rhino
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- October Country co-directors Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri.
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- Gita Pullapilly and Aron Gaudet (The Way We Get By)
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