Patricia writes: “I just came back from a decorator show house tour that benefits our Baltimore Symphony Orchestra here in Baltimore, Maryland. In one of the bedrooms upstairs in a beautiful house located in our city a decorator had done the entire bedroom with a Middle Earth theme!! It was absolutely beautiful! One little nook was entirely dedicated to Bag End. The ceiling was painted with a map of Middle Earth! I was able to speak with the artist and she is a huge Lord of the Rings fan and told me she was so excited to be able to decorate this particular room. If you live in or near Baltimore, I highly recommend touring this show house. I wanted to hide in a closet to spend the night in this bedroom!!”
Frodo_for_President writes: Well, since I can now count myself as one of the lucky few LOTR fans who have had the opportunity to see ‘Ringers: Lord of the Fans’ on the big screen, I figure that it is my civic duty to write up a report for TORn! I had a wonderful time, and of course can’t remember much, but here are some highlights:
I had the pleasure of attending the screening at the Regency Lido Theater during the Newport Beach Film Festival this past Saturday night. The day started out with a wonderful line party conducted in traditional TORn style. There was trivia, a costume contest, and candy for everyone! All the participants in the costume contest received a ‘Ringers’ t-shirt, kindly donated by Sideshow/Weta Collectibles. The winners of the costume contest (including categories such as ‘Most Lived-In’, ‘Purple is my Color’, and ‘Ithilien Rangers I’d Most Like to Get Lost in the Woods With’ – in addition to the typical ‘Best in Show’ of course) received ‘Ringers’ pint-sized mugs and a LOTR trivia game. Trivia winners received raffle tickets that were later drawn for another LOTR trivia game. More ‘Ringers’ t-shirts (donated by the Ringers crew) were handed out in the theater. And the Line Party ended in grand hoopla with the arrival of Billy Boyd, who took his time walking down the line, pausing here and there for photo-ops (which I unfortunately missed, as I was in the theater helping set up for the costume contest awards at that time maybe someone else can post pictures of Mr. Boyd with his adoring public!). As everyone took their seats, the heads of the Newport Beach Film Festival gave a short speech, during which we found out that they are also died-in-the-wool LOTR fans! What a great way to start the show. Carlene Cordova (‘Ringers’ director and co-writer) gave a quick intro, encouraging everyone to ‘give a shout out’ when they saw themselves on the screen (and let me just say that she didn’t have to ask twice with this crowd in fact, she probably didn’t even need to ask at all!), and the lights dimmed’
*Cue hootin’ and hollerin’ from 600+ LOTR fans*
Let me just say that this film is pure joy for all LOTR fans. There wasn’t a part of it that didn’t hold my attention. There are naturally small problems with technicalities and flow occasionally no movie is perfect but it definitely delivers on all its promises. (You all remember how it feels to come to the end of the Appendices and realize that there is no more? That’s how I felt when this movie ended.). Now, there’s not really much I can write about this film that others have not written before me, but I can point out a few things that really stood out for me personally:
The wonderful use of humor along with heart-wrenching joy and love for fandom was perfectly balanced. The way it followed Tolkien’s influence through the decades was very unique and informative. I learned new trivia facts, I met new people (and was quite honestly scared by some of them!), and I recognized familiar faces. It didn’t take itself too seriously, but also did not make fun of fans again, a perfect balance. Of course I have to give a shout-out to the Terry Gilliam-esque animation sequences that we’ve heard so much about, although my personal favorite segment was the mariachi flavor of the ‘collectibles sing-a-long’, which was total random fun. And then there was the brilliantly hilarious blurb of a rabid fangirl yelling complete nonsense at Elijah during an outdoor even of some kind, with Elijah just nodding and smiling in his incredibly patient way. Oh, and one of TORn’s founders, Chris (aka Calisuri), had one of the funniest lines in the whole film. It went something like this: ‘And my fiance’s like, ‘What are you doing throwing a birthday party for a FICTIONAL character??” And we can totally understand the complete bafflement on his fiance’s part, as we have all been exposed to it in some way or another during our everyday lives, whether from family members, co-workers, friends, or complete strangers wondering why we’re wearing elf ears.
‘And I could go on, but I’ll spare you’
After a standing ovation was given to ‘Ringers’ and its crew, Michael Hines, director of ‘Instant Credit’, took the mike to introduce the short film, starring Billy Boyd. He did warn us that the actors speak Scotch-English throughout the film, but I was still completely surprised to find that I could not understand a WORD of the opening scene! But I started picking up words here and there as I got a more comfortable with the dialect, and it turned out to be a very cute and funny short. It contained some classic Billy facial expressions, which of course received many ‘awwwws’ from all the females in the audience!
After ‘Instant Credit’ finished, Carlene, Cliff, Billy, and Michael took the mike for a Q and A, which had to be quick because we were running WAAAAY behind schedule, pushing all the other films to be screened that night even further back. I must admit that I took a bathroom break during the Q and A – *blushes* – so I don’t know what was talked about. I’m sure it was fascinating though!
On to the after party at the Hard Rock Cafi, Fashion Island. The place was PACKED to the gills with all types: costumed LOTR characters, fashionably hip younger people, chill older folks, and boringly normal late-twentysomethings (me). One thing we had in common we were all bonded by LOTR-love! (and free drinks) Much mingling and dancing ensued’ and continued until two in the morning, when the restaurant staff forcibly kicked us out. We geeks sure know how to party. Things I will remember from the party: dancing Aragorn, dancing costume-less Singing Gandalf, Billy getting chased to the bathroom ONCE AGAIN (poor guy), seeing familiar faces, and getting re-acquainted with quite a few online friends, which was by far the highlight of the day. Community is one of the things that makes this fandom so great, and it is completely celebrated through ‘Ringers’ – by the people who worked on it, the people who are in it, and the people who watch it. What more could you ask for in a film made by the fans, for the fans?
“700 years of pop” is how German-born harpist Asni describes her music, which she will be performing on a tour for Chamber Music New Zealand next month, as well as at venues in Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin. Internationally recognized as a specialist on medieval and baroque harps, Asni one day got tired of playing only music written before the year 1750, and picked up a Beatles tune. Rather to her surprize, it sounded really well on the harp, and since then she has been exploring the repertory of contemporary pop and film music more thoroughly. Asni will be presenting her programme “700 years of pop” in Te Awamutu, Tokoroa, Warkworth, and Motueka, as well as in Wellington. In addition, she will be performing her new programme “Travelling in Middle-Earth” in Hamilton, Dunedin and at Old St.Paul’s in Wellington.
Upcoming performances: Wellington: Friday, 22 April,7 pm at 91 Aro St: “Jammin’ at the gallery – Asni , harp; Rick Jensen – saxophone; Richard Whyte – guitar. Wellington: Wednesday, 4 May, 1.30 pm, Central Library, Victoria St: “700 Years of Pop” – as part of the New Zealand Music Month presentations.
Chamber Music New Zealand tour: “700 Years of Pop”: Te Awamutu, Saturday, 7 May, 2.30 pm – Waipa Council Chambers Tokoroa, Sunday, 8 May, 2 pm – Putaruru Timber Museum, Pinewood room Warkworth, Sunday, 15 May, 12 noon – Mahurangi Estate Winery Motueka, Saturday, 21 May, 7.30 pm – Chanel Arts Centre For more information visit the Chamber Music New Zealand website.
Additional tour dates in May and June: “Travelling in Middle Earth”: Hamilton, Wednesday, 11 May, 1 pm – Lunchtime concert, Performing Arts Center, University of the Waikato Dunedin, Wednesday, 18 May, 1 pm – Lunchtime concert, Marama Concert Hall, Otago University Wellington; Tuesday, 28 June, 12.15 pm – Lunchtime concert, Old St. Paul’s
cd release: Asni – 700 Years of Pop, with Laurie Randolph, guitar, Christian Hagitte, producer – available here and in selected music stores
******************************************************************* About the music
Improvisation – also called jamming – plays a large part not only in jazz and contemporary music, but also in baroque and medieval music, and it bridges the time gap between songs written and popular at the time of the Crusades, and arrangements from Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings” soundtrack. Inbetween are jazzy arrangements of pop songs from the Renaissance, dance hits from the era of J.S. Bach, roots music from the Spanish Golden Age, and a selection of folk tunes from Ireland, Africa and Estonia – the latter are culled from an old and battered book on Estonian folk dance that has been passed down to Asni on her mother’s side of the family.
“As a harpist, people always seem to assume that one has to be some sort of angelic – or spaced-out? – New Age-y sort of person” says Asni, “ but I am much too down to earth for that! I like pieces that have a strong rhythm, a groove, a swing. I also love exploring all the different tone colours one can produce on a harp. Proper phrasing and expression are important – it is all about how the music ‘speaks’, and you can apply that to a modern pop song just as well as to any baroque or medieval piece.” “I like the unexpected and will often surprize myself in the middle of a performance, with an idea, an expression, a turn of phrase that I hadn’t thought of before. Improvisation plays an important part – most of the arrangements are my own, but they aren’t nailed down and fixed for all time, but will often change over the course of several performances. And I am definitely not trying to be mystical or angelic, except under very rare circumstances! Down to earth and groovy is more my thing, and at times I can be quite the drama queen on stage.”
Asked what made her pick up such an unlikely instrument, Asni’s answer is spontaneous: “Reading too much Tolkien!” Disappointed with the decidedly un-elfish unwieldiness of the modern pedal harp, which she had been learning since a teenager, she took up early harps after finding out about all the fascinating varieties of the instrument that existed during the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Meanwhile, she has established herself internationally as one of the foremost modern performers on early harps. She was a member of New York early music ensemble ARTEK/458 strings, as well as working with internationally acclaimed ensembles such as Chanticleer (USA) and the Drottningholm Baroque Orchestra (Sweden). Later this year she will be representing New Zealand at the World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland. In 2003, Asni came to New Zealand for a tour of concerts, fell in love with the place and stayed. She has been teaching at Victoria University Wellington, as well as getting involved in Wellington’s vibrant cultural life in various other ways. She has performed with singer Pepe Becker and her specialist early music ensemble “Baroque Voices”, as well as with alternative pop group dGare at last year’s Fringe festival. Asni is also an accomplished painter and photographer and is currently exhibiting some of her work at 91 Aro St. in Wellington, which is also the venue for her next upcoming performance.
Little did Asni imagine, when she first went to see Peter Jackson’s “Fellowship of the Rings” in her native Berlin some four years ago, that the movie would spin her life out of orbit and have her end up on the other side of the globe. So impressed was she by the creative accomplishments of the movie, that she decided Wellington was the place to go: “If they can pull off something like that, it can’t be a bad place for someone like me!” Chance, or fate, assisted her in putting her idea of coming to New Zealand into practice: On an internet fan forum she made friends with a former Victoria University music graduate, who put her in touch with the university’s music department. Eight months and many, many emails later she boarded the plane to embark on a three month tour of the country – and fell utterly in love with the place. It then turned out that one of the music students at Victoria University had an interest in learning about, of all things, baroque harp, and so she was offered a small teaching position. Immersed in Wellington’s creative buzz and delighted by the support that artistic and creative endeavours are currently receiving both from government and City Council, and from the man and woman in the streets – which is in stark contrast to the attitudes she has encountered in her native Germany – she has never looked back.
About Asni
German-born harpist Asni has been an active participant of the European early music revival since its beginnings in the mid-1980s, and has established herself internationally as one of the foremost modern performers on early harps. She has bern a member of New York early music ensemble ARTEK/458 strings and toured the USA with the Mark Morris Dance Group, as well as working with internationally acclaimed ensembles such as Chanticleer (USA) and at the Drottningholm opera house in Stockholm (Sweden). Later this year she will be representing New Zealand at the World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland, as well as perform and teach in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2003 she came to New Zealand for a tour, fell in love with the place, and stayed. Currently, she is teaching early harps at Victoria University Wellington, and has performed with a wide range of music ensembles in the creative capital – – she has worked with singer Pepe Becker and early music ensemble “Baroque Voices”, as well as with alternative pop group dGare at last years Fringe festival, to name but a few. Her musical and artistic interests range widely and include film, photography, painting and writing, as well as looking after her own ever spreading website, www.asni.net. She holds a MA in musicology and has several published articles and radio broadcasts to her name, including a feature for German radio on Douglas Lilburn and New Zealand Music. She also runs her own music publishing company, The Harp & Hobbit Press.
“Travelling in Middle Earth” This article can be found on Asni’s website.
J.R.R.Tolkien was known to his contemporaries first and foremost as an eminent Medievalist and professor of the English language. While the languages and histories he created for the different beings that populate his Middle Earth are deeply informed by his academic pursuits, he did not provide a similarly stringent system for the music of his elves,dwarves, men and hobbits. However, music plays an important part in his fictional universe. Readers of “The Silmarillion” – the book that details the history of Middle Earth and Valinor before the events described in “Lord of the Rings” – will remember that the Tolkinean universe is in fact created through music: it comes into being through the song of the Ainur, the Angel-like beings that take the place of Gods in Tolkien’s world.
Among the musical instruments that are mentioned in Tolkien’s writings, the harp takes pride of place. Played by elves, dwarves, and men – though not, as far as current evidence goes, by hobbits! – it is easily the most popular and widely distributed music instrument in Middle Earth. But what did the music sound like that Thorin’s dwarves played in Bilbo’s cave, right at the beginning of “The Hobbit”? Or the lament that the Lady Galadriel sang, accompanying herself on a harp, as the Fellowship of the Ring was leaving Lothlorien? Or the festive music that the harpers of Gondor provided at King Elessar’s wedding? These things are open to speculation, and musicians have come up with their own solutions, ranging in style from the plainchant-inspired melodies that Tolkien himself suggested, to heavy metal music and such 20th century classics as Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” or “Stairway to Heaven”.
So in my own travels in Middle Earth, where do I begin? Well, I suppose playing the harp is a good start. The film music that Howard Shore wrote for Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies has inevitably been setting a standard – well-researched as well as eminently creative and beautiful, his soundtrack has become an instant classic, and I have adopted several of his songs in my programme. And if proof is needed that they are authentically Middle Earth, I can confirm that they work extremely well on the harp!
Another lead might be the musical cultures of the people on whose languages Tolkien molded the phonetics and grammar of his Elven languages Quenya and Sindarin. Celtic languages such as Gaelic and Welsh were a major influence in their creation – but so was Finnish, the odd one out among the European languages. Finnish is closely related to Estonian and also to Hungarian, but not to any of the other Indo-European languages generally spoken in Europe.
The Estonian folk tunes that I present in my programme also have strong personal connotations – I found them in a book on Estonian folk dance (written in Estonian, alas!) which has come down to me on my mother’s side of the family. Their style is similar to that of much Scandinavian and Northern European folk music, and they mix very well with some German dances from the early 18th century – the “pop music” that a J.S. Bach would have been familiar with.
The Neapolitan toccata I present at the beginning of the programme may be a less evident choice – but with its strange and twisting harmonies and sudden outbursts it provides a fitting prelude for “Gollum’s song”. The Spanish and African-inspired dance music sets a festive mood fitting, perhaps, to a wedding in Gondor – their use of ostinati patterns has inspired much Baroque music, as well as substantial sections of Howard Shore’s soundtrack, as can be witnessed in his beautiful Elven song, “Evenstar” – as well as in my own creative speculations on what the music of the Elves might have sounded like.
Celtic music has often been the first choice of musicians trying to create Tolkien’s musical universe, and it cannot be missing in my programme, either. New Zealand, of course, has its own Celtic heritage – and for many people all over the world, New Zealand has become almost synonymous with “Middle Earth”. The soundtrack that Michael Nyman wrote for Jane Campion’s “The Piano” uses Scottish folk tunes quite extensively, as can be witnessed in the beautiful and soaring “The heart asks pleasure first” – which should thereforehave its place on my short itinerary through Middle Earth.
‘The War of the Ring’ Web Campaign for The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game to Launch Summer 2005
This summer, Games Workshop Hobbyists in the UK will get the chance to take part in “The War of The Ring” web campaign. The campaign gives hobbyists the chance to decide the fate of Middle-earth! Will the efforts of the Fellowship be futile with the forces of evil overrunning Middle-earth destroying anything good that stands in their path; or will the forces of good rally together and drive out the dark forces allowing Middle-earth to return to peace once more? The fate of Middle-earth will be decided!
The War of the Ring website (www.thewarofthering.co.uk) will be at the centre of the campaign with hobbyists registering their game results, following the campaigns progress and talking tactics! The website will have the following features:
Interactive Map – where you can explore Middle-earth, find out information about the progress of the campaign and post your gaming results.
Forums – Here you can discuss tactics, battle plans and where to post your results.
Hobby Articles – Giving tips on gaming, painting, converting and terrain building.
Important dates for this site:
1st of May website goes live for browsing and registration
1st June the first results can be posted
31st of August the end of the campaign
September the results of the campaign will be posted
Events and activity around the UK
During the summer there will be coordinated activities around the UK:
Daily gaming, painting and modelling in Games Workshop Hobby Centres
The Wrath of Umbar roadshow will be visiting selected Games Workshop stores and independent stockists where participants will have a chance to pick up a special edition Gimli on Uruk-Hai model and participate in special hobby activities.
Warhammer World will also be hosting ‘The Battle for Rohan’, a campaign weekend on the 16th and 17th of July
White Dwarf, Games Workshops hobby publication will be giving away a free campaign map of Middle-earth with issue 305
About Games Workshop
Games Workshop designs, manufactures, distributes and retails tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures, marketed as a complete hobby. Its key brands are Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game.
The Games Workshop Hobby attracts over 750,000 people worldwide (12+ age group). Hobbyists can paint the miniatures, build their own scenery, join local clubs, take part in local, regional and national tournaments and read all about their favourite characters and worlds in the associated Black Library books.
With its international headquarters in Nottingham, the company also has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and over 2,100 people are employed by the company through these operations. Games Workshop owns over 250 retail stores worldwide and Games Workshop product is featured in more than 2,000 independent outlets internationally. Games Workshop is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
Games Workshop controls every aspect of its business, from initial concept and design through to manufacture, distribution and retail. Products are sold through the Group’s own chain of dedicated retail stores, through independent retailers, by mail order and direct via on-line stores. The Group’s publication White Dwarf is available via the stores, by mail order, on newsstands throughout the world (in several languages) and through its website – http://www.games-workshop.com/
About New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is the oldest and most successful independent film company in the world. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, licensing, merchandising and international marketing and distribution. New Line is a pioneer in franchise filmmaking and its Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the most successful film franchise in history. Together with its subsidiary, Fine Line Features, New Line is a unit of Time Warner. For further press information about New Line Cinema’s merchandising program, please contact Stephanie Baumoel or Sheila Feren at FerenComm, 212-983-9898.
‘The War of the Ring’ Web Campaign for The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game to Launch Summer 2005
This summer, Games Workshop Hobbyists in the UK will get the chance to take part in “The War of The Ring” web campaign. The campaign gives hobbyists the chance to decide the fate of Middle-earth! Will the efforts of the Fellowship be futile with the forces of evil overrunning Middle-earth destroying anything good that stands in their path; or will the forces of good rally together and drive out the dark forces allowing Middle-earth to return to peace once more? The fate of Middle-earth will be decided!
The War of the Ring website (www.thewarofthering.co.uk) will be at the centre of the campaign with hobbyists registering their game results, following the campaigns progress and talking tactics! The website will have the following features:
Interactive Map – where you can explore Middle-earth, find out information about the progress of the campaign and post your gaming results.
Forums – Here you can discuss tactics, battle plans and where to post your results.
Hobby Articles – Giving tips on gaming, painting, converting and terrain building.
Important dates for this site:
1st of May website goes live for browsing and registration
1st June the first results can be posted
31st of August the end of the campaign
September the results of the campaign will be posted
Events and activity around the UK
During the summer there will be coordinated activities around the UK:
Daily gaming, painting and modelling in Games Workshop Hobby Centres
The Wrath of Umbar roadshow will be visiting selected Games Workshop stores and independent stockists where participants will have a chance to pick up a special edition Gimli on Uruk-Hai model and participate in special hobby activities.
Warhammer World will also be hosting ‘The Battle for Rohan’, a campaign weekend on the 16th and 17th of July
White Dwarf, Games Workshops hobby publication will be giving away a free campaign map of Middle-earth with issue 305
About Games Workshop
Games Workshop designs, manufactures, distributes and retails tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures, marketed as a complete hobby. Its key brands are Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game.
The Games Workshop Hobby attracts over 750,000 people worldwide (12+ age group). Hobbyists can paint the miniatures, build their own scenery, join local clubs, take part in local, regional and national tournaments and read all about their favourite characters and worlds in the associated Black Library books.
With its international headquarters in Nottingham, the company also has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and over 2,100 people are employed by the company through these operations. Games Workshop owns over 250 retail stores worldwide and Games Workshop product is featured in more than 2,000 independent outlets internationally. Games Workshop is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
Games Workshop controls every aspect of its business, from initial concept and design through to manufacture, distribution and retail. Products are sold through the Group’s own chain of dedicated retail stores, through independent retailers, by mail order and direct via on-line stores. The Group’s publication White Dwarf is available via the stores, by mail order, on newsstands throughout the world (in several languages) and through its website – http://www.games-workshop.com/
About New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is the oldest and most successful independent film company in the world. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, licensing, merchandising and international marketing and distribution. New Line is a pioneer in franchise filmmaking and its Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the most successful film franchise in history. Together with its subsidiary, Fine Line Features, New Line is a unit of Time Warner. For further press information about New Line Cinema’s merchandising program, please contact Stephanie Baumoel or Sheila Feren at FerenComm, 212-983-9898.
Garfeimao writes: The Line Party was a blast. Some people showed up at 6am, and by the time I got there around 1:30pm, there must have already been about 30 people in line, or more. We had some 18 entrants in our Costume contest, and all entrants got a Ringers shirt, with the winners getting Ringers Steins, and the Best in Show got a LOTR boardgame. We had a trivia competition, and everyone was given raffle tickets, until we could get the shirts to pass out to them. We must have handed out an additional 50 Ringers shirts to the crowd. There was a basket of assorted candy, which went over quite well as I passed it around. The theater staff and festival staff seemed rather amused and bemused by us, but I think they had a lot of fun too.
Once inside the theater, and with all the prizes given out, the film finally started. I was happy to note that my street sign, and others in the neighborhood, made the final cut. But when you live on Gondor, how could that not be in there? Much later on, I’m back onscreen, happily crooning about my Wee Scarvie, that I’m a Loon (fan of Billy Boyd) and that I frequent the message board that used to be on his official website. And I must point out here that Billy was sitting just two rows behind me, and I’d been talking to him an hour or two before the film. I gave his girlfriend a Wee Scarvie, for heaven’s sake, and explained it’s history. So, it was quite comical to see how I will be immortalized in the film. But you know, it’s all good, I’ve never made any bones about who my favorite in the film is, and the filmmakers knew that.
So, the rest of the film, it’s very energetic, got some really cool imagery and animation, and some very funny dialogue from Narrator Dom. They sort of span fandom from the halls of the Literati, to pop icon status, the hippie culture to Rock n’ Roll and everything in between. Heck, I’m a third Generation LOTR fan, since my Grandfather was the one that bought the books for my mom when she was in school, which she then gave me when I was in school. The music rocks, no doubt about that, and they interview a vast array of singers, authors, scholars and actors outside of just those currently involved in the films. The funnest part was seeing this with a lot of other Ringers, including many we were to see in the film. We were all encouraged to give a shout out when we saw ourselves or friends of ours.
At the end, the actors from the films give a really beautiful message of how the fandom has affected them, and will continue to affect future generations. The film had technical difficulties at the end, and I had to run to the restroom, but it appears they were able to rewind and run the ending again. So, the bulk of the audience got to see that. And then it was off to the post party at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Wow, what a rager that turned out to be. I have been going to the Newport Beach Film Festival since it first started, 6 years ago. I usually go alone, because no one in my family is interested in art films or foreign language films, like me, and most of my friends are up in LA. So, when the film also includes a post party, I tend to go for awhile, then get bored because I don’t know anyone. I’m not in the industry, so I’m not networking, and so I’ve always been a bit on the outside.
But this year, because Ringers was coming up, I had already talked with some of the Festival staff and was able to continue getting to know them at the screenings and parties I attended (Crash opens in the US soon and is really good, and Layer Cake, from the UK will rock your socks off). I then ended up running into other film buffs and some industry people who were easy to talk to and not just into networking. Go me. And then I got to meet a few actors, Billy Boyd only being one of them. So now I’ve been to three films in three nights, with three very different parties. I’m going to another film tomorrow, and then I may catch the British Short film series on Tuesday, since I now know the director of one of the films quite well. Again, Go me. In short, I really like film festivals, but it was a joy to see a film I had a little something to do with, and one where I knew so many people in it. I think everyone involved in actually making the film really put their hearts up there on the screen, and it shows. I hope everyone gets to see it really soon.
