What’s so great about film festivals
As you read this post, I’m making my way, bleary-eyed, from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, kicking off a couple of weeks on the road to support Adele and Everything After (formerly called Letting Go of Adele) at screenings and film festivals.
Before I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker, I’d attend film festivals and get an ache of longing when the director took the stage for the Q&A. It’s what I imagine some women feel when they see other women’s babies, but I felt that way about other people’s films.
Maybe it’s coming of age in an era when watching a film in the cinema was an event, a social occasion, an ephemera: I saw favorites like Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting and Lost in Translation over and again in theaters; unwilling to wait the months it took for films to make it to DVD, and certain that the big screen spell couldn’t be recast on my dinky television.
Whatever the case, to me the pinnacle of success for Adele and Everything After was to see it projected in a darkened theater, a hushed crowd sharing the experience of watching the story unfold.
The film had its world premiere at Cleveland International Film Festival, where it was screened three times to packed houses. When you’ve worked on a movie for a while, a sense of separation settles in. You watch it so many times, and focus on such infinitesimal details, that the creative process turns into something detached and analytical. Watching the audience in Cleveland watch the film, and seeing people take in the story for the first time, was a magic carpet ride back to the early rush of wonder and amazement and surprise that drew me to Marty and Adele’s story.
The most compelling thing about a screening is observing audience reactions that you never anticipated. People laughed in unexpected places: I never realized that folks would find it funny that Marty’s other dog is named Chewbacca, but it elicits giggles every time. And while we were certain that the film struck deep emotional chords, it was interesting to witness which scenes caused the most sniffling. There’s a moment in the film’s second act which we knew was pivotal, but we never expected the audience to react as they did: with a collective gasp.
It’s the ultimate reward to witness people respond to your work. I guess it’s the reason that anyone creates: to know you made a connection.
That’s why film festivals (and other screenings, too) are so wonderful, and why I’m heading out for a couple of weeks on the road to support the film. I get to stand up and soak in the applause when the credits roll; answer questions and listen to feedback; and witness Marty, the star of the film, meet people who learned something about their own lives through witnessing her journey. To know that I, in part, facilitated that is a reward beyond anything else that happens with this movie.
Below you can find information about our upcoming screenings in Delaware, Tennessee and Massachusetts. And in my next post, lest you think it’s all private jets and hotel suites, I’ll be sharing some of the challenging aspects of attending and financing a film festival run for an independent documentary. Think low-budget airlines and crashing on couches.
Upcoming screenings
Canine Partners for Life, the service dog organization that trained Adele, is hosting two free screenings of the movie this Friday and Saturday, July 21st and 22nd. Tickets are going fast, so if you plan to attend, register here.
Next, we’re on to Scruffy City Film and Music Festival in Knoxville, TN, where Adele and Everything After is the opening night film of the festival, screening at 7 PM on Thursday, July 27th. This festival features movies that have outstanding music, and we’re honored that the film has been recognized for the beautiful score by the talented Gabe Noel; and supported by music from The Ballroom Thieves and Hayley Reardon. Tickets are on sale now.
From there, we’re on to Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod, where the movie screens on Monday, July 31st at Falmouth Academy. It’s the first time we’ll share the film on Cape Cod, where several pivotal scenes in the movie were filmed. Tickets here.
We’ll have a whole bunch of cast and crew in attendance at all of these screenings, so let us know if you’re coming and be sure to find us and say hello. It means a lot that people show up to see the movie, and we love to meet friends and fans.
Adele and Everything After is a feature documentary about a woman with an untreatable heart condition and the service dog who transforms her life, produced by Long Haul Films. Want to stay up-to-date with news about upcoming screenings, the making of the movie, service dogs and our filmmaking journey? Text DOG to 44144 or go to aaea.co/subscribe.
