An update - Oxford Film Festival, my own creative endeavors and The Oscars (Beautiful Boy, If Beale Street Could Talk and Roma)

It's been a week since I last posted, and so much has been going on.

I mostly spent the week watching Netflix. I finished "The Haunting of Hill House" on Monday after binging it on Sunday. I found the first episode to be quite weak, but at the urging of social media, I decided to give it another go. I found it very enjoyable and incredibly scary in moments. I found myself crying in the final episode because they actors were so good, even if the screenplays they were given were not.

Now I'm onto "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," which is so fun. It is whetting my "Buffy" appetite. I'm hoping it will continue for several seasons, so it will have a chance to develop the way "Buffy" did.

OXFF
First off, I've been diligently attempting to program the LGBTQ films for the upcoming Oxford Film Festival. I have some really, REALLY exciting things to show our town, but I can't say much until we officially announce.

Many of you might recall that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Oxford Film Festival a grant to program more LGBTQ films this year.  I don't know what I would have done without that. Even now I'm going to have to turn away films that I love, which breaks my heart. I can only hope that the films I can't show will be seen somewhere else. One thing is for certain - the Oscars have been saving me for decades.

Brian, the (not Oscars) writer
I have also been working with a friend of mine and former colleague on a project that I can't really talk about either! I will say this...she reached out and asked if I would be interested in being a writing partner for a potential series to be pitched to networks.

This! THIS is the dream. This is what I have wanted. I want to write and direct film. And what was my initial answer? No...I don't have time. I've never written dialogue. I am not good enough.

In the words of Sebastian in "La La Land" - Pishy Caca!!

We have had a couple of conversations about character and story and it has been invigorating to my creative soul.

And then my Macbook died. The universe certainly has a sense of humor. Alas, I continue to write by whatever means necessary. Hence - a PC.

The Oscars 
Since I last posted I watched "RBG," which is a fantastic documentary and seems to be vying for the 4th or 5th Documentary Feature slot. The nominations for this category have become a bit more predictable than they used to be, but you never know. I have seen so few docs to know what's really going on in the category, but I can't imagine "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and "Free Solo" (sight unseen) making the cut. I have yet to see "Three Identical Strangers" or "Crime + Punishment," but if other prognosticators are to be believed they are at the top of the list as well.

Today I am seeing "Beautiful Boy" in Memphis. I have still heard nothing back from Amazon about my hope to interview Timothee and co. What that tells me is that either Amazon doesn't quite know how to do this Oscar thing or they have little confidence in the film or its chances. More will be revealed in a matter of hours.

I'm seeing Barry Jenkins's "If Beale Street Could Talk" tomorrow, and on Tuesday, Netflix, who is clearly beating Amazon at this year's Oscar game, set up a screening  of "Roma" for me. Expectations for that film are through the roof.