Filmmaker's Showcase

Last night, the K-man and I met Ronnie and Jeff in Westport to attend the Filmmaker's Showcase at the Kansas City Gay and Lesbian Film Festival hosted by the Tivoli Theater. We hit Joe's Pizza for a slice before the screening. Good pizza in a tiny little shop behind Kelly's Westport Inn. Kelly's is the cornerstone of Westport's bar scene and is the unofficial headquarters of the annual St. Patrick's Day blowout.

We headed into the theater and after being given a complimentary Ghirardelli chocolate, found our seats. I did have Keith snap a pic of the movie poster print for The Bicycle Thief(pictured at left)...I love the Italian film posters that decorate the theater lobby. The 2010 Out Here Now Filmmaker's Showcase film was You Should Meet My Son written and directed by Keith Hartman. Keith Hartman first gained notice with his thought-provoking and very funny YouTube videos about Prop 8 and these were shown before the film began. I won't go into a detailed review of the film itself. Please check out Ronnie's terrific blog Cinematherapy for a full synopsis.....it's listed under My Blog List at right. Ronnie says it best when he calls the film a hoot....a hoot it was, with two instantly classic characters in sisters Rose and Mae. I, of course, appreciated that many of the best scenes took place at the dinner table...including a reference to Miss Salsa Roja's huevos.

The highlight for me, though, was sitting two rows behind the filmmaker during the screening. Mr. Hartman introduced the film and admitted he was terrified to bring the film there in it's current state. The film was still raw and a work-in-progress. Film festival director Jamie Rich convinced him to bring it anyway and therefore we became the Midwest test audience. We also discovered that we were the first large audience to screen the film. The film indeed had sound issues as Mr. Hartman had already informed us but it didn't subtract from the overall joy it brought. While I certainly enjoyed the screening, I kept stealing looks at Mr. Hartman. It was fascinating watching him light up as certain lines brought big laughs and wince when the sound was flawed. I found myself nervous for him and then elated for him when the movie brought a positive response. Following the screening, an informal Q & A was held with the director and we were allowed to delve further into his creative process. In the end, it was a great night for filmmaker and audience alike. Check out the film's website at http://www.youshouldmeetmyson.com/You_Should_Meet_My_Son/Main.html.