I grew up in CC. I've always been a 'movie person'. I was here for Billie Jean. I can tell you a VERY thorough history of our local movie theaters. Every weekend my friends and I would have a parent drop us off at either Cine 6 or the mall to see a movie....usually 2 (we snuck in to the second one). My first job was at National Video which was the first stand alone video rental place in town at the corner of Everhart and SPID. A small group of friends would take a long lunch every friday during high school and go to the dollar cinema. I wrote movie reviews for the Carroll High School newspaper. I was never introduced to film events (like a CC7D) or film culture outside of the normal movie theater experience because it simply did not exist here for me to meet it.

I left for college in 1990 with no intention of coming back. My biggest regret: not going to film school. Should have. Was chicken.

I was introduced to the concept of film culture in two different key experiences. 1) I dated a girl from Tampa who, when visiting there, took me to a place called The Pitcher Show where you could eat an actual meal and drink an actual beer while you watched a movie. Watching movies can be more than 'going to the movies' 2) In 1996 a friend of mine began renting out a room in Austin from a guy who was about to open a small theater called The Alamo Drafthouse. He invited me down and introduced me to Tim League. The Alamo took off and shortly thereafter I began driving down to go to film experiences there.

After grad school, I lived in two larger TX cities (the largest two, actually) with vibrant film cultures and would, in addition, drive to Austin at a moment's notice if a film event came up that I wanted to go to. I've been to Q&A screenings with Kevin Smith, John Carpenter, Mel Gibson and more. I've watched horror movies all night at a dilapidated house for the criminally insane, watched movies for 24 hours straight with Harry Knowles from Aint it Cool, seen Friday the 13th in the theater on Friday the 13th and seen Halloween in the theater on Halloween. Not bragging; just saying. I did these things because they were available where or close to where I lived and because this is the kind of 'stuff' I like to do. When I came back to CC in 2001, I immediately missed the ability to do these things. I discovered quickly that film culture in our city was largely tied to Will Smith releases at Century.

I believe that if you don't like the status quo you can do one of three things: complain, wish, or produce. It's much more fulfilling for me to produce because complaining and wishing never help you get where you want to be.

I started CCFS in attempt to duplicate or at least use as a template the Austin Film Society.

We do this for one reason only: to change CC into the city we want it to be. We just happen to want CC to be a city with a vibrant film culture. Unless something weird happens I will live here for the rest of my life. And if we can do a little work to get this kind of stuff down here or create it from scratch, won't CC be a fantastic place to live? These events and this work won't make me rich. This work won't make us famous. This work won't bring us power.

Some things have succeeded and others have failed. A large group that goes to movies together on a regular basis simply does not work in this city. Many have tried and it has never worked out. Free screenings of cult films didn't work too well either. We did 80s films and horror films and the turnout was not great. Some filmmakers asked for ongoing mixers where people can get together and then didn't come to them. The mixers were a mixed bag, but they're fun and don't cost anything so those will continue in the near future. CC7D works (so far). The Expo in May 2008 worked very well and will continue in the near future.


In fact, ideally, we will watch others get rich and famous and powerful as the films they make get them noticed on a larger level. I was talking to a regional filmmaker recently who screened some work at a festival north of here. He was pleased with the reception, has some more screenings now set up around the state and we hope great things for him. Don't forget us when you get to Hollywood.

We have NO IDEA if Coastalthon will work or not because one thing we've learned is that there is no recipe for success in CC.

If it does, great. If it doesn't, great for trying. The beauty of this for us, though, is that the success of this event rests firmly on the shoulders of local filmmakers. All we are doing is operating the projector. When Coastalthon is over, there will be no judges, screening order placement, award winners or protocols to complain about. Just make a movie and let people see it. Will you? If not, why not?

Today can be the day where you ask yourself, what do I want the film culture of CC to be? If the answer is positive, then what will you produce to get it there? No more complaining about what CC isn't. No more wishing that CC had more. Now we produce.

As solid Coastalthon information trickles out, will local filmmakers decide to make a new film simply because they know it will be seen? Will local filmmakers make a film when there is no cash or competition or awards to win?

If they do, we're on our way to whatever their vision is about CC's film culture! If they don't, then.....what?