Real People | Real Stories

We spent Saturday and most of Sunday at DocFarm, a structured/casual retreat for local documentary filmmakers and enthusiasts. This is the third year it’s been going on, and the first Amy and I have been able to attend (we’ve usually got a wedding booked that weekend, but this year, on account of we were in Nepal most of the spring, we had the weekend free).

Several really cool films got screened and discussed. Sticking out in my mind immediately are “Ars Magna“, the winning 2008 International Documentary Challenge short. Team Juicebox was more than ably represented at DocFarm by Amy Enser. 

James Smith showed a chunk of his forthcoming film “Floored“, about open outcry stock and future trading, which looks like it’s going to be a richly character driven film about something I know just about nothing about. 

Dierdre Allen Timmons screened “A Wink and a Smile“, a 2008 documentary about several women’s ‘journey’ through Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque. What a great film, particularly from a filmmaker’s perspective!–It’s local; it’s got a perfect (and finite!) natural story arc, a range of characters relatable by women and men alike. It’s sexy and surprising, and smart. There’s built in character development, as it focuses on individuals doing something new and risky. And it’s beautiful! Good criminy is it beautiful! The cinematography just killed me. An inspiration, really.

We also got to know (and become old friends with) our new pal Traca, she of Seattle Tall Poppy fame. Who knows absolutely Everybody, it turns out. Awesome. 

That’s far from a full report of the weekend. It was just great. We came home with some feedback on our film that we feel great about, just in time to find out we’ll be screening a version of it at next month’s Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival. Yay!