Guest Blogger

After a freezing morning commute to the New Video office in New York, I just checked the weather in Durham, because I always forget it's warm in North Carolina in fact often hot and I never pack accordingly. Last year, I walked from venue to venue looking like Nanook of the North wrapped in winter woolies and feeling as if I had arrived from Scotland (my homeland) but THIS year I have planned ahead and with a comfortable 74 F I will dig out my sling-backs and summer togs for the weekend ahead.

I am actually just off the phone with a very enthusiastic Greg Kendall, Vice President, Balcony Releasing, who is driving to Durham from New York from Amherst because he is one of the many participants on a panel I am moderating on Saturday called STATE OF THE DOC. He gave me some really great ideas and I have a feeling we are in for a lively discussion. Early this evening I am calling David Laub from THINKFilm who is currently on the jury at the Florida Film Festival who is also on the panel so I plan to pick his brains too.

I have to say, I do enjoy Full Frame. It's laid out very well with a courtyard in the center of all the screening rooms beside the main hotel where a local bistro sets up shop offering a selection of yummo salads and sandwiches – very convenient to stop off between screenings (without the gloves and wellies). There, I plan to catch up with filmmakers and festival programmers and hopefully make new friends.

In particular, I am looking forward to seeing a few films I missed at other film festivals — and although I have seen the film I will attend Jon Reiss' screening of Bomb It (we are releasing this on DVD on May 27th). There is nothing better than seeing a doc in a packed venue with a appreciative audience — and I am interested to hear the Q&A. Also. My old friend Stefan Forbes has his new film Boogie Man screening and I am keen to see that too.

Better dash. I have back-to-back meetings at New Video before I head home to pack.