The Kings of Queens: QIFF Day #2

So, we came to NYC on 11/13 to screen our short film Snow Bunny. You heard what happened on Day #1, right? If not, click here.

DAY TWO, SATURDAY, 11/14:

• We started the day with a surprisingly lovely complimentary breakfast + free espresso drinks at The Verve Hotel, then walked through Queens toward the main Queens Film Fest site. On our walk, Jessica stopped and made this face:

"What the what?" Jess on Day 2 of QIFF

Because she saw this:

Julie + PIzza in the Cone

Pizza in the Cone. Unfortunately we were still full from breakfast, so we moved along.

Frank Sinatra School of the Arts

Got to the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, where we met filmmaker Matt Shea.

Jess & filmmaker Matt Shea

• Matt directed Patriotic Danger, a 1-hour action short that screened at QIFF on Fri, 11/13. We were so relieved to find that Matt was as nice and kind as he’d seemed over Twitter. (Follow him: @MattOfAllMedia)  He was also just as hilarious as his astute Tweets about the festival.

• We tried for the second time to get our QIFF filmmakers passes. This time we were told the passes were ‘on their way’ (they must have had a hangover from the night before), so we waited.

Snow Bunny Swag

While we waited, another filmmaker came in and ranted & raved because QIFF staffers had failed to returned his emails and calls for weeks. He threatened to pull his film. The poor QIFF staffer behind the desk did the best he could to calm the filmmaker down. We decided that we could wait a little longer for our passes, so we dropped off some Snow Bunny swag, including some posters by artist Danny Hein, and left.

Brunch w/ the Greenberg-Segan's at Cafe Bar

Nina-Rose + Leontine

Sascha + Jessica

Brunch with Leontine Greenberg + Sascha Segan + their incredibly cute daughter Nina-Rose at Cafe Bar.  Brought Leontine back to QIFF with us.

Our QIFF Badges

• Finally got our QIFF passes but were told that they’d run out of lanyards. “Someone’s getting the lanyards at Staples right now.” Great.

• Met up again with Matt Shea and took in about 10 shorts of assorted genres, styles, and production values. Some of our favorites included Kwame by Edward Osei-Gyima and Visit China by Anthony Samangy. One that we really wish we’d seen: Jenny Got a Boob Job by Lon Diamond.

• Attended a panel on movie distribution. After much confusion about who was actually supposed to be running the panel, we listened to a couple of film distributers from Cavu Productions explain why none of us in the audience was ever going to get anywhere without them.  Okay, to be fair, that’s not exactly what they said.  But they did say that in order to make it in film, you have to have a great story (check), make features (someday), have hundreds of thousands to invest not only in the movie but in distribution costs (wait…), and you have to hire someone like them to get the movie into theatres (oh, I get it.)  It was nice that they shared, but the panel was 40% solid advice + 60% a commercial for Cavu Productions.  Can’t blame them. We’re wiser for having been there.

• In the back of the room was a group of young men who turned out to be the brains behind the movie Self Helpless, which also showed at the festival. They’d gotten their film into some theatres in the Vermont area and were also headed to Boston.  The folks on the panel told them that it was a HUGE mistake to open anywhere but NY or LA if you were serious.  We told them that we thought it was wonderful that they’d secured those venues and to keep on keepin’ on. Follow the journey of Self Helpless on Twitter at @selfhelplessmov.

• To kill time before our 8pm showing, we grabbed some pizza (not in cone form), got lanyards for our passes (yay!), then scarfed Thai food (burp) before attending our Snow Bunny screening.

Julie + Jess

A Good Sign: We're on the schedule

Before Snow Bunny Screening

8pm – Snow Bunny screening…it was wonderful. We were in a block with 3 other shorts, including the movie “Inside of Me,” whose cast and crew were the most exhuberant we saw the whole fest.  Jess and I held our breath the whole time. The packed room laughed and gasped at the perfect times.  We each noticed things we wished we had changed about the movie, but it was a good experience overall.

Julie & Jess after the screening

Julie & Jess w/ Maria Lokken

Jess, Matt, Julie & Eren Gulfidan of FilmAnnex

After the screening, we had the great fortune to meet a couple of people we’d connected with on Twitter: producer Maria Lokken (@Maria_56) and Eren Gulfidan of Film Annex (@gulfi). Both women were complimentary, supportive, and wonderful to talk with.  We hope to see them again next time we’re in NYC.

Jess & Leontine at Omonia Cafe

Matt & Julie @ Omonia Cafe

At the end of the night, we ended up at Omonia Cafe, a Greek bakery / bar with thumping music and a truly diverse crowd. A perfect way to unwind after the screening.

Ready to find out what happened on Day #3 of our NYC / QIFF adventure and why Jess and Julie were so happy on this subway ride?  Click here.

Best subway ride ever!