Sundance, Atlanta, Cleveland, Austin, New Orleans, Raindance, Hamptons, Chicago International, Seattle Shorts, Anchorage and Miami Shorts. My daily commute begins and ends with the NYC Express Bus. On most days, it takes me about an hour and a half to get to where I need to go from when I leave my house to when I arrive at my destination. This bus ride is when I usually try my best to shut down and free my mind of any stress, issues or thoughts. It is my peace time. There was one ride a couple of weeks ago that was definitely out of the ordinary.
The list of cities mentioned above represent film festivals that chose not to program my short film Docket 32357 . I hopped on the bus knowing that I didn't get into one of the festivals and I was a little frustrated. I thought the film was a good option for their program based on their past editions. So I hop on the bus and there are two young kids sitting next to one another. You can tell that they're excited to be taking a ride. I'm not in the best of moods because of the rejection and these two kids are getting louder and louder. They're disrupting my Randy time. Not only did my film not get into the festival, but now I have to hear these two kids oooh and aaaahh at every thing that they saw passing by in the window. And that was when I found the beauty in the moment. These two boys were excited by things that adults take for granted. The shadows cast on the bus created by tunnels. The construction site that is creating a new building. The large 18 wheeler truck that was carrying supplies to its destination. They were enamored by all of it. That was when I realized that it isn't the end of the world to be rejected by a film festival. The point is that I'm doing pretty well even with these setbacks. I am creating. I had the strength to pursue something that I love with all the risks involved. I've overcome numerous setbacks and roadblocks that have appeared. I understand that this all a part of the endgame and while it sucks in the moment it is exactly that: a moment. There is more time and opportunities to pursue. When the next rejection comes I'll accept it, learn how I can get better and attack the next chance. The laughter from those two boys not only put a smile on my face, but it also put things in perspective and I thank them for that.
