Sarasota Film Festival!

[AMISLANDER]

I decided to do something for myself this year and volunteer to help out at the Sarasota Film Festival...We have William H. Macy coming in this year as well as Robert Altman and other stars...I'm going to work the opening night which is held at the Van Wezel and got asked yesterday if I want to work the party afterwards....well, I work 830-5 but I figure, this is a once in a lifetime chance to meet the film industry...and with my story (about my experience...REAL...not like James Frey...) I may be able to make some good connections! The Gala is afterwards at the Ringling Museum...wow! It should be a blast, I think!

They are trying to get this as big as the Sundance Film Festival!

Altman is the director of M*A*S*H and the closing night ceremonies are sold out...The festival kicks off with Funny Farm on March 31st. The movie stars Chevy Chase, Penelope Ann Miller and Christopher McDonald all of whom are scheduled to attend the screening and post film gala....I'm going to be working the last three nights as well and hope to get to the closing night ceremonies as well....I think this is pretty exciting!!!!!! There will be filmaker Questions and Answers after the movies and I will be there!!!!!

I'm excited!

[Minnymouth]

SOUNDS LIKE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT TO NOT MISS...... GO FOR IT AND HAVE A BLAST......

Years ago (many) I tended bar at nite (partime job) in a nightclub in Ohio that the entertainers from Nashville came to each weekend (different ones each weekend)....

I worked my fulltime job and this parttime job also....

During that 4 years I worked parttime there, I got to meet many, many of the old country western singers..... Johnny Cash, June Carter, The Osborn Brothers, The Statler Bros, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck, Cal Smith and many, many more....

Our club, being on the circuit, had entertainers year round coming in. Many of them were some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.......

Really enjoyed that "time" in my life..... (back in the 70's) and meeting all those entertainers was a thrill to me being in my 20's at the time....

So if the film festival and actors is your thing - THEN GO FOR IT AND HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!!!! Chances like that don't happen often.....

Please let us know how much you enjoyed it and what all went on and who you got to see and meet.....

HAVE A BLAST.........

MINNY

[AMISLANDER]

SOUNDS LIKE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT TO NOT MISS...... GO FOR IT AND HAVE A BLAST......

Years ago (many) I tended bar at nite (partime job) in a nightclub that the entertainers from Nashville came to each weekend (different ones each weekend)....

I worked my fulltime job and this parttime job also....

During that 4 years I worked parttime there, I got to meet many, many of the old country western singers..... Johnny Cash, June Carter, The Osborn Brothers, The Statler Bros, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck, Cal Smith and many, many more....

Our club, being on the circuit, had entertainers year round coming in. Many of them were some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.......

Really enjoyed that "time" in my life..... (back in the 70's) and meeting all those entertainers was a thrill to me being in my 20's at the time....

So if the film festival and actors is your thing - THEN GO FOR IT AND HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!!!! Chances like that don't happen often.....

Please let us know how much you enjoyed it and what all went on and who you got to see and meet.....

HAVE A BLAST.........

MINNY

Thank you!!!

It's right here in my own backyard!!! I'm pretty excited!

Wow, Johnny Cash!!!

[Minnymouth]

I enjoyed meeting Conway more than any of them..... And then years later (about 20) I meet him again when I was working nite auditor (parttime again) at a Holiday Inn in Georgia and they were staying there. He called the desk at 3:30 am, said "hello darling" and wanted to know if I had coffee made. I told him sure did. He came down to the office, discovered I had met him years ago, had a cup of coffee with me and we talked about the club I used to work in in Ohio and my boss there that he knew.... really a small world.....

You have a "blast" and yes "be excited" - because it is sooo much fun sometimes.........

[Minnymouth]

To this day I can still remember how it sounded when Conway said "hello darling" over the phone to me at 3 am in the morning. Some things - you never forget!!

[Minnymouth]

Now many years later I go to "Refro Valley" here in Ky. Its about 20 min from my home.

For those of you who don't know "Renfro Valley" is the birthplace of country music........... long before Nashville or the Grand Ole Opry even existed.
Renfro Valley is where it all STARTED......Bluegrass and Country Music!!!!!!!

On the stage at Renfro Valley have stood the GREATEST of all Country Music Singers..... many got their beginning of their careers there.....

And the old buildings still stand today, same stages, etc..... They now have new barns they do shows in and they still use the old original barn (renovated) for smaller shows.

I have sat in the same seats that my mother sat in 70-75years ago (as a child) to watch a show at Renfro Valley...... (she got there by horse and wagon).

I still enjoy going there at 3-4 times a year, seeing a show, shopping the specialty shops of the locals (mountain people).. and visiting with the "steelman" (steele guitar player), whom I worked with almost 30 years ago at the club in Ohio... who is in the band at Renfro Valley now and has been for years....

It truly is a "small world" we live in..... when you can keep crossing paths with people in your past all over the US.

[AMISLANDER]

I'd love to go to....

Graceland...I think that would be neat...

[Minnymouth]

I have to agree with you on going to Graceland, too!!!
Someday, I'll make it........

[SinkingFast]

Been to Graceland. It's awesome!

We lived in Louisville, KY when they were filming the movie "Stripes". The cast and crew were all over town for several weeks. One of the film guys gave me a filming schedule so I could be in the right place at the right time to maybe be in a shot here or there. Back in the day, I was kinda cute and caught this guy's eye, so to speak. Didn't make it to any of the shootings, but,......... We did get to have dinner with Bill Murray one night. It was unreal. He's quite a hoot in person!

[AMISLANDER]

That's cool!

Been to Graceland. It's awesome!

We lived in Louisville, KY when they were filming the movie "Stripes". The cast and crew were all over town for several weeks. One of the film guys gave me a filming schedule so I could be in the right place at the right time to maybe be in a shot here or there. Back in the day, I was kinda cute and caught this guy's eye, so to speak. Didn't make it to any of the shootings, but,......... We did get to have dinner with Bill Murray one night. It was unreal. He's quite a hoot in person!

I think Bill Murray is a RIOT!!!!

They filmed Palmetto, here in Bradenton as well as parts of Great Expectations, about by me on the gulf...Denzel Washington filmed some movie here, that one of the restaurants talks about all the time in Bradenton Beach...