After attending the first filmmaker’s workshop at the Wild Rivers Film Festival, I was invited to go to Augustino’s down by the harbor. At first, I was told that there would be a drink on the house, but then I was told that I needed to buy a ticket to get a drink and a bite to eat. The person with the tickets was nowhere to be found, so I just mingled with the filmmakers. I got each of the filmmakers from the morning session to spell their names so I could write each on the sketch. It turns out this is a great ice breaker when meeting people.
There was an RV parked in Augustino’s parking lot and several tents set up behind the RV. A couple was making wood fire pizzas to order. I started sketching since I knew time was short. There were three adorable puppies hanging out in the rear RV window watching all the proceedings. Someone pointed out the ticket person, so I interrupted the sketch to get my tickets. I thought I would be paying by using the square device, but I was told, “ heavens, no, you don’t pay, we are celebrating you.” I picked up a sweet white wine at the bar and wrote my order for a pizza on a notepad. I picked up a triangular numbered wedge and wrote the same number on my order sheet.
The pizza was ready before my sketch was complete. I decided to leave the sketch as it was. I had a very pleasant conversation with Scott Brock. He has edited films for Scorsese and he has just finished a book which is a passion project full of his photography. Since I am close to finishing my book. “COVID Dystopia”, we had much to discuss. I feel that all things digital are not going to last for millennia. If you want art to last it has to be something physical that can be held, like a book. Most early silent films disappeared because the film stock degraded and in many cases burnt up. Thomas Edison preserved some of his early films because he printed each frame on paper.
The pizza was tasty, the wine divine and the conversations enlightening. The film festival was off to a great start.