Last night was the world premiere of Take It Or Leave It? at the DC Asian Pacific Film Festival and I’m very glad to say the audience seemed to really enjoy it. They laughed big — and in all the right places. After the screening, I got up on stage with Jackie (my actor) and the two other filmmakers in attendance for a Q&A, which went very well. Everything else about the festival has been great, too. The staff of the festival are super-nice and friendly. I’ve met some very cool fellow filmmakers. The theater where my short screened was the AFI Silver, a new theater with a excellent projection and a great sound system. Not least, I’ve seen some terrific films, most notably the wonderful The Grace Lee Project by Grace Lee and the devastating And Thereafter by Hosup Lee, both of which are documentaries. I wish I had time to stay for the entire festival, because there are a lot of good films showing.
I’m happy now, but to be perfectly honest, I was anxious all week long leading up to the premiere. I’d never seen the film on a real cinema screen before and never before an audience of strangers. I wasn’t sure what to expect. How would my hand-held DV camerawork look on the big screen? Would the audience laugh at the jokes? Would the tape jam during the screening? What kind of questions would they ask at the Q&A if they hated the film? Should I bother ironing my shirt before going?
Fortunately, it all went well. I wish I could be in Vancouver for the Canadian premiere next month, but I need to work on my next project. If you’re in Vancouver, please go see it — and please laugh in all the right places.