“Life and the Lady” came out of the festival gate in style with a trip to Toronto on October 17th-21st! It was a whirlwind 5 days as I met with other Directors, Producers, organizers, volunteers, and film appreciators and came away with a ton of photos and videos to share.
REFLECTIONS ON TORONTO: A note from Director Micha
Being the first public World Premiere festival for The Lady, it was a great event to dip our toes into the festival circuit! The organizers put a lot of heart and passion into making sure that the filmmakers come away with a ton of promotional images and a sense of accomplishment. It’s been some time since I’ve been out of the country, having been dedicated to the completion of this project, so I was pleasantly disoriented when I arrived (do not EVER leave your electronics on a plane!) Lack of sleep stole my first day, but I was able to attend all four days and still manage to visit both Niagara Falls and walk on the edge of the CN tower! (That was exhilarating – see photo)
Even though it had been a long four month submission jockey to get The Lady some exposure, the work started to pay off! I’ve realized that beyond the years on the project, at this stage, my only desire is to have an audience for the message of the film. Nothing means more at this point than finding a sizable, appreciative audience. In my future filmmaking, I need to keep this in mind, as I skirted the line between genres on this project.
The largest realization for me in regards to the Lady has been that She could have been a feature! She is a complex mix of story with allegory, and a rebellious ‘punch’ that was meant to leave the audience thinking. That being said, I am proud of Her and the young woman she is growing up to be. I am elated that we had an earlier than expected start to the festival season, gotten down to an early start, and feel grateful for the exposure.
BON VOYAGE TO PARIS!
Just after watching “Midnight in Paris” on the flight home from Toronto, we found out the we had been accepted to the Paris Independent Film Festival! Contemplating whether or not to represent the film in the City of Lights (hometown of our main actress,) the decision came down quickly and we packed our bags!
“Life and the Lady” screened on a challenging evening; November 24th – the second weekend of the Paris Yellow Vest Protests and two blocks from the action at the Champs–Élysées.
Our entourage of about 10 people exited the theater to tear gas and police, so there was nothing left to do but get some wine! As Vonnegut is quoted as saying….so it goes! The festival was a VASTLY different experience to Toronto, in that it was more of a ‘screening of selected independent films’ than a traditional film festival (with workshops, networking events, and Q and A.)
Being in Paris, however, was a fantastic experience! Over 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to go, but budget and company kept me from getting to know Paris in the way that I did this time. With 8 full days, it was full steam ahead to inspiring neighborhoods, art museums, and exploration. Following a similar route that Hemingway did at one time (from Toronto to Paris,) I was ‘over the moon’ at learning about and appreciating some of my newly discovered ancestry, as well as appreciating the culture in which the language is shared in the film.
We may have a few festivals to get to yet in 2019, so stay tuned! Please, if you haven’t LIKED or FOLLOWED the Life and the Lady Page or the new Michelantony Dunston, Filmmaker page on Facebook, please become part of our audience at these links:
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Thank you for continuing to support artists like myself. We couldn’t do it without you!
Warm regards,
Michelantony ‘Micha’ Dunston
Your Director / Producer / insane daredevil