Greetings everyone!

I recently returned from the 2010 Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. The trip was very successful on a number of levels. For starters, RESISTANCE won Reserve Best Screenplay! To date, RESISTANCE has won awards or received nominations in 21 international film festival screenplay competitions and labs. WOW. The number blows me away – and my hope is that it’ll blow away a potential producer/investor, too. RESISTANCE is a film that is begging to be made.

While at the festival, I participated in the “Good to Go” program. This involved a form of “speed dating” with potential film producers and one literary agent. Sounds crazy, but it was actually well-organized. I moved from table to table, doing one-on-one pitches that lasted approximately 15 minutes each. Everyone was approachable and savvy. The process was enjoyable, not stressful.

Catherine Hardwicke was the rock star of the festival. During her special tribute, she held a mini-master class for the audience. She was so giving of her time and knowledge. I have a saying: The bigger the star, the nicer the person. Catherine Hardwicke proved this to be true.

Actors Karen Black, Wendy Crewson, and Theresa Tova also impressed me during their panel discussion about women in film. They invited the panel attendees to ask questions and share their experiences and thoughts throughout the discussion. It was inspiring, enlightening, and heartening to listen to and share ideas with such accomplished artists.

The greatest thing about the Female Eye Film Festival, though, was the people I met. Writing is such a solitary act. It was wonderful to connect with other screenwriters and filmmakers. I was able to meet Hallee Hirsh, who appeared in SPRING FORWARD, which was directed by my mentor Tom Gilroy. You may remember Hallee as Annabelle Fox from YOU GOT MAIL with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, but she’s all grown up now and successfully making the transition from child to adult actor. Hallee’s latest film 16 TO LIFE screened at the festival. She’s poised for stardom. Keep an eye on her. I know I will!

Additionally, I got a reminder of how small the entertainment world is when I met writer/director Angela Garcia Combs and producer Richard Wilson, whose film NOTHING SPECIAL was the festival’s closing gala feature. Actor Barbara Bain stars in NOTHING SPECIAL. She is the mother of Juliet Landau, who is set to star in the live staged reading of my other script WONDER DRUG on April 18 at Cinespace in Los Angeles, California. (Visit www.wonderdrugthemovie.com for more event details.) Talk about six degrees of separation (if that!).

I left the Female Eye Film Festival with only one regret: I didn’t get a chance to speak with style icon Carson Kressley. (He associate produced the film 16 TO LIFE.) I saw him from afar at an after-party, but alas, we didn’t connect. He looked fabulous, though!

As ever,

Caitlin

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