In the Mix with Aaliyah Miller

I'm just one day away from flying out to Pasadena. The anticipation for this trip has been building for me and I'm ready to get away. I need to. I have a lot on my plate right now. I'm in rehearsals for a production entitled Incantation (I will have a blog about the show when I return), planning a wedding celebration (since I'm already married), and also getting ready for the 2010 Action on Film (AOF) International Festival, http://www.aoffest.com/ . While part of this trip is business, I also see part of this trip as a personal retreat from the world as I know i Preparing for AOF has required a lot of time and I don't have much of it these days. I've had to order two movie-sized posters for the film to display at my screening and relabel post cards to promote the film. I've also been constantly posting on my social networks, handling my traveling accomindations, and a bunch of other little tasks I can't remember at the moment. I'm glad that I was ...

I know my last entry had a tone of frustration. Since then the level of stress I was feeling has subsiding a  bit. I feel better having got some things off my chest. It wasn't just what I wrote, I also received some really encouraging feedback from a fellow screenwriter as well as words of encouragement from others who read this blog. Thank you. I'm please to report, actually I'm more than pleased, I'm completely ecstatic. This morning, I received the earth shattering news (earth shattering for me) that After the Headlines received a nomination from for Best Produced Screenplay at the 2010 Action on Film (AOF) International Film Festival, www.aoffest.com . I was happy when After the Headlines was accepting into the festival but getting nominated really sweetens the deal. I am really looking forward to the trip out to Pasadena in a couple of weeks. Out of the Box , a short screenplay about five women of color living with HIV/AIDS was nominated for 'Best Short...

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Barnes and Nobles in Waterbury, trying to crank out an outline for my spec script. In the midst of my mind block I get a call. I look at that phone and don't  recognize the number so I let it got to my voice mail. The phone rings again and this time I decide to answer it. It was a  good thing I did, on the other end of the phone was a coordinator from the Kent Film Festival, http://www.kentfilmfestival.org/about.html , congratulating me on my acceptance into the festival. It took a couple of seconds for it to register and for me to respond to the good news. But once I realized his call was for real I was elated (it was a kodak moment). Since I let so much time pass between that phone call and this entry, I cannot remember the man's name who called, but I do remember him telling me that he likes to personally call accepted filmmakers when he likes their film. My reply to him was, "You made my night." He really did. The last few wee...