It’s been busy, crazy, fun times so far. Work days around the clock, running from film premiere to screening to afterparty. None of the events have been as big as the Wanted premiere, but there is always a red carpet thing with some press if talent is scheduled to show up.

I am really getting acquainted with filmmakers and publicists now, and finally have a face connected to the name. In the beginning it was always a matter of scanning the movie-going crowd for the yellow press badges that are dangling from journalist necks. Now it’s more an act of saying hi and catching up with people, which is nice.

Every event here is networking in overdrive. Kodak Speed Dating, the Filmmaker Lunches, the Poolside chats, etc. all revolve around promoting connections between starting filmmakers and industry reps. Below are pictures of such a networking extravaganza: the Filmmaker Cocktail Reception at The W Hotel.

It is impossible for me to fully capture the last few days, but just to mention some anecdotes…

At the premiere of Finishing Heaven, Ruby Lynn Reyner was the perfect match for bad boy director Mark Mann. Striking the funniest poses on a tiny strip of red carpet, she finally got those 15 seconds of fame she had been waiting for her whole life. That is also the subject of the film, a heartfelt documentary about two lost souls who were part of Warhol’s Factory and started shooting an ambitious film project in those drug-fueled days of art-for-art. The hours and hours of footage never went in post-production. A quarter of a century later Ruby Lynn and her old boyfriend director Robert Feinberg are given a second chance at greatness. That is if they can overcome old fears and habits.

Seth Packard (both star and director of the film HottieBoombaLottie) is crazy talented and a real nice guy. He was one of the people I had been buggin’ with press matters for weeks, but never met in person until the premiere of his film. The movie is one of my Festival favorites and with the big studios circling around this indie project like hungry vultures, you might be seeing it at theaters near you soon.

Lori Petty, director of The Poker House, is quite a handful. When she started yelling at Festival volunteers, because her wallet was stolen at the World Premiere of her film, you could smell diva from afar…

Melvin Van Peebles speaks Dutch! We chated a little about his travels through Europe and how he lived in Amsterdam. We were there to represent the Festival during some interviews, but all of a sudden Melvin disappeared for an hour to have some family time. Yeah well, what can you do… I guess you cannot contain a man wearing red socks and plastic sandals.

WireImage covers the whole Festival and sometimes their photographers even catch me on film, as was the case at The Pleasure of Being Robbed premiere or the Prince of Broadway screening.

At night the place to be is the Target Red Room for the After Dark Fest. Dancing to tunes of downtown L.A. DJs, some cocktails and food, mingling with directors, actors and press. It’s the perfect closure after a long, long day.