The Disappointment Dance

One of my friends has been elated recently because he wrote, directed and produced a short film that he has submitted to damn near 25 festivals.  He was accepted into one, The San Francisco Black Film Festival.  He flew up to SF and wound up being woefully disappointed in what he saw in terms of the festival's professionalism.  The trip to SF also put an end to a "friendship" he had with another fella from TX.  Turns out that fella showed his heinie while there.  So, my friend wants nothing to do with him as a result!

My friend was hoping that his next film festival experience would be with HollyShorts Film Festival.  That's the festival for which I worked as a Q&A moderator last year.  I was hoping he'd be selected so that I could interview him at his film's screening.  Well, he hasn't called and told me he was chosen, so I'm thinking perhaps he wasn't.  If that be the case, I suspect my friend isn't feeling the absolute best at the moment.  I stumbled across one of the short films that was chosen to be screened at the festival and e-mailed him the trailer.  In all honesty, I think he'll immediately see a marked difference between the cinematography of that one and that of his own.  The other one most assuredly cost more than $1300 to shoot.  Most assuredly.

If it turns out my friend doesn't get into HollyShorts, it's on to the next.  He hasn't the time to cry over spilled milk.  Just wipe it up off the floor and keep it movin'.  Since this is his first film, I'm sure he clearly sees where he needs to work on improving his craft.  I wish him the best and hope that he doesn't allow this one rejection to take the shine off his bright future!!!!  God bless him!  Disappointment is inevitable.  But it doesn't have to be debilitating!  He just has to KEEP DANCING!