Hey Laughing Boy - No Mo Buwwets!

• I've now been awake for almost 20 hours. Had a quiet breakfast pastry, banana and OJ in the cafe at the Hilton where the main con entrance is, killed some time until the local Starbucks opened at 8:30AM (that's right, on Sunday the Starbucks opens at 8:30).
• It appears that Atlanta's indigent, transient and mentally-ill-but-released-and-still-wearing-the-hospital-bracelet population all come out in the mornings. I saw guys combing through garbage cans for their breakfasts, all the while holding very intense conversations with nobody in particular. It was just a bit freaky.
• I did slip a couple Washingtons to the dude setting out the chairs and sweeping in front of the Starbucks - apparently he's had cancer treatment, and is trying to work his way out of medical debt. Whether that's true or not, the fact was that he was working, and I wanted to encourage that. Besides, he let me in the SB before they were technically open.

• With some caffeine in me and a sandwich procured for later (thinking ahead), I went to the sci-fi film block in the screening room. A lot of them had to do with toxic environments and folks wearing gas masks or environmental helmets.
• Ambassadors Day was very unique and I thought well done.
• The German film Deus-in-Machina blew me AWAY. Incredible effects work and a really original and intelligent plot.
• Sat in on a panel on legal issues in independent film. It focused mostly on copyright, trademark, product placement, music licensing and the fair use defense. Valuable stuff there (although I was already well ahead of the curve on most of it).
• Sat with Kely McClung of Blood Ties and the previously mentioned David No for most of the blocks. What a great couple of guys. Kely's girlfriend (?) Amanda is super nice and really funny.
• The comedy block that followed had some pretty great material.
• Enter the Grasshopper runs like a fantasy sequence out of Ned's Declassified, with great production value and a fun premise.
• Monster Job Hunter - funny and gross and cathartic. Especially if you play 1st person shooters.
  
• 07, once again, hilarious parody of 24.
  
• Todd Lubitsch's Blood of the Cross was shown in its official capacity in this block. That was fun to see again.
• Had to stick around for another screening of Zombie Love. I managed to get a copy from director Yfke (pronounced EEF-kuh, as I understand). Gave her a copy of OA.
• I will definitely be showing all of these film trades to my cronies back in Seattle.
• Went to dinner with David, Kely & Amanda. Todd L. showed up and the two of us went for drinks while the other three went to David's millionth screening of Forged - that was a huge hit at the con. It played on the Indie Film Festival track, the Apocalyptic cinema track and the Silk Road (Asian cinema) track. Nice reception for David in the States.
• I had several people come up to me today and say how much they enjoyed Ordinary Angels from it's premiere screening. Wow!
• Now I'm making the truly last post before I return home tomorrow.
• It was a really great festival/convention. I made some good contacts, not just in a professional capacity, but in a way which I think is rooted in mutual respect and admiration for one another's work - perhaps even friendship. People who are in visual media for the right reasons and who are just plain Good Folks (TM).