...THIS IS ALWAYS A FUN ANNUAL EVENT...this is the 19th ...lots of free films (not all are free)...and they often give complimentary food & drink at some of the films or panel discussions etc. Most of the people are friendly and nice, although one of the guys can be a bit grumpy, and one of the lady workers told me I couldn't stand up in the dark at the back of the theatre (not bothering a single person, just stretching my legs) because it's a "fire thing". Hmmm. If there was a fire I think I would be very much out of the way...because I would be the first one out standing by the door. I didn't argue though, but it was odd of them because these people are not your standard Los Angeles rent-a-cops just doing their job. Most of them seem like they are a bit more genuinely interested in what is happening around them, including the films. But then there is always the exception. Maybe I met one of them. Apart from that I have enjoyed seeing a few new (or old classics but new to me) french films, especially the one show below about "Will it Snow for Christmas?" This was mostly a clean-cut, nice scenery, happy ending film. A few of the others went a bit too far in terms of violence or nudity (I'm happily getting too old for some of that stuff that used to excite me, visually, when I was younger) and so I left halfway thru having got the gist of the film. I like sampling new films but have a difficult time watching for too long without stretching my legs, and when the lady told me I couldn't stand quietly in the back I decided it was a good time to take a break and go do some other things for a while. I really like the director of this festival. He is a Frenchman...maybe resides here now...I noticed he worked for the Cannes film festival for a while as well. He usually makes an announcement at various points-in-time and is always very respectful of us as an audience . Keep up the good work my friend!
