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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Home in the Alternate Universe

We will spend the next four days in a land of make believe.

Tomorrow Sal and I adventure to our 8th True/False film festival in Columbia. I always feel light, like none of my personal problems exist.

I live in this alternate universe where I'm embedded in running a successful theater, entrenched in film. In a way, David Wilson, one of the co-founders of the RagTag cinema and True/False Film Fest is living the life I wish was possible.

It's one of those classic, dollar short and a day late situations. Had I been born just a few years earlier and graduated with a few thousand less in debt, I might have taken a huge risk opening an independent theater and it would be me running around for the next 7 days with no sleep.

I always leave the festival feeling rejuvenated, empathetic to the real problems of the world, unfathomably sad for situations people are born into, and celebratory of the simple human experience.

Even outside the films, there's something magical about the city of Columbia. It may be the nostalgic energy flowing through my veins. This short period of time where I didn't necessarily have true adult issues, protected from the outside world by the promise of a great life. But I was independent. I lived on my own, made my own schedule, did whatever I wanted to do.

We come back from the film festival Sunday afternoon and have that Monday off so that we could go to the Central West End and watch the Academy Awards with some friends at iTap.

Last year we had a blast at this party, and we didn't even see most the films. This year, we've managed to see most the nominated films.

Get Out
Logan
Lady Bird
Baby Driver
Star Wars
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water

(And there's a chance, a small one, but a chance, that we will fit Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri in before Sunday.)

I may be more excited about this weekend than anything else I'm doing this year. I'm ready to give myself to the magic of Columbia, documentary films, Hollywood, good beers, better friends, and great memories.