KAFI's Gone and Summer is Here

The weather has been beautiful, and I have not been on the web much because of it. Though I haven't been outside much either. I decided to redecorate the upstairs bathroom before it get's too hot (no air conditioning). I've come to the conclusion that the reason I've only done 4 rooms in the eight years I've lived here is that I forget what a time-consuming-pain-in-the-ass it is to remove wall paper, paint, install lighting, etc. But, it's looking good. I'm down to the trim and the fun part of picking out accessories.

I had a deer in the backyard a couple of weeks ago. Very cool. I could have reached out and touched her. A little country right in the middle of the City.

Here's the follow up about KAFI. It could have been a little more organized. These are some of the thoughts I had after attending 3 of the 5 screenings (and hope to pass on as a volunteer next year.):

Keep the Website Updated the Weekend of the Event:
The Catalog I’d downloaded, wrongly told me the Sat. morning screenings were at the Stryker Theater when they were at the State. A note could have easily been made to the site (that I referenced all weekend, including that morning). Information obviously wasn’t uniformly conveyed, or when I called I would have been told I could buy tickets for THAT mornings show at the State Box Office.

An update to the Sunday schedule would also have been appreciated. During Sat. evenings screenings, I missed WHEN on Sunday they were going to repeat Friday nights line-up and announce the winners of the Cartoon Challenge. That information was NOT available on the website Sat. evening or Sun. morning.

Package Deal for Screenings:
I would have attended all five. But, $10 a pop wasn’t in my (or many potential fans’s) budget, so I had to choose. I think you’d sell more tickets if people could have access to all five screenings, but only have to pay for 3 or 4 (or something in between).

Shirts for Sale Instead of Posters:
Shirts were sold on-site in past years, but the audiences were much smaller and I’m sure they lost money. They only offered them through CafePress this year (It will cost ya around $30 to have one delivered to your door, but there are lots of style choices.). I was ready to pay up to $25 on site, and the audiences were much larger this year — more potential buyers. A small run would have sold to “even” at least. The printing cost of the poster would have covered it. But, who knows! That technology has gotten pretty inexpensive these days! (I was not impressed with the poster, but I have one because they were giving them away at the end of Saturday night.)

DVD’s:
I would LOVE to see this weekend’s (and past years) festival(s) offered on DVD! It would be a wonderful collection of unique, moving art and social commentary from around the world. A great and unique addition to my film library!

KAFI: Right Brain Heaven

The 2009 Kalamazoo Animation Festival International was the best Fest yet! With over 80 films from all over the world, and exceptional talent competing in the Cartoon Challenge, it was difficult to choose the “best.” It was a great weekend of moving art and philosophy, social commentary, humor — ideas! —all wrapped together. Stuff you think about for days – or longer. A stimulating weekend of entertainment! Animation is so much more than "cartoons!"

The short films ranged from hilarious, to disturbing, to beautiful moving art set to music. All of them were great. I felt changed somehow after a weekend of viewing the best animation from around the world. Suddenly, I was seeing my own environment very differently. All of them left me wanting to create stories through animation myself. And, I missed over 30 of them.

The Cartoon Challenge — where students from all over come together for 3 days of intense production of a 30 second PSA (they sleep on cots in the lab) — starts Thursday and their "movies" premier Sat. night. All the teams produced excellent entries this year! (Not true in years past.). I couldn’t choose a favorite. I have decided I will volunteer for the next KAFI. It’s an incredible thing to have in Kalamazoo every two years, and I’m determined to get the word out to more fans — and potential fans!

I do have some suggestions on how we might make it better, but I'll save those for my next post.

The KAFI is Here!

I love animation — and this weekend Kalamazoo will be filled with it — and the people that create it — and those that want to learn to create it! The Kalamazoo Animation Festival only comes to town every two years, so don't miss the opportunity to see some really moving, funny and thought provoking little animated movies created by students from all over the world. Plus some great workshops, speakers and exhibits! The first screening is tonight at 5:30 at the Museum's theater. See you there!

To learn more, visit the website at www.gokafi.com

“So, you’re an atheist? Does that mean you don’t believe in God?

Someone recently asked me that question.

Yes, I am an atheist — I don't believe in god. I think the universe is WAY to big for a god (any god, in any religion) to have created. I think religion is an outdated concept. It helped us answer the questions we had about life at one time (and served to control the masses), but it's time for us to move on.

A couple of years ago I would have said I was spiritual — something as large and massive — and incredibly beautiful — as the universe must have SOME meaning. I've questioned life and looked for answers since I was very young. One of the things that bothers me most about religion is how it’s used to justify the most ruthless, inhuman violence, bloodshed and torture — all in the name of God.

I've come to the conclusion that life just happens. That's what it does — all by itself. It's hard sometimes. It would be so helpful to blame, thank or justify my actions by believing in “something greater than myself.” It would be comforting to think that “this” isn’t all there is. That we don’t “really” die. I understand why people believe in god. But, I don't.

I watched Religulous awhile back. I loved it! It was very Bill Maher — he’s a little too in people’s faces, but he asked some really good questions!

A Note to Green Gracious Readers

PVC is a VERY bad thing for our environment. I urge you all to check out the Blue Vinyl website to learn more. You can get a synopsis of the movie there (though the film is very funny — and horrifying all at the same time.)

And, no offense meant Lori. You're dad sounds very awesome — and like a lot of fun! It's just when you learn the horrible toll it takes on the environment, you can't not pass on the knowledge. Green Gracious is a great resource and I thought it was a good place to try to call attention to this issue.

Here's a sample from the site. The woman's name is Judith Helfand:

My father’s answer to rotten wood…
Everyone assured me vinyl siding was safe, and would only let off toxic gas in the rare event of a house fire. But after my experience with cancer caused by DES [a synthetic estrogen and anti-miscarriage drug prescribed to my mother and millions of other women], I figured any material so loaded with synthetic chemicals had to pose some kind of risk. Later I asked my dad, "If you had known that over the course of its lifecycle, from the factory to the incinerator, vinyl produces a wide array of deadly pollutants that threaten our future with a global toxic crisis, would you still have put it on the house?" "I hope not, honey," he said. "But they didn't write that on the box." So, with a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand (a remnant from my parent’s house) I took off – on a journey to re-write the outside of the box.

(I see I didn't remember exactly how the story began in my previous post.)

On a similar subject, there was a bit of good news about an attempt to clean up the gigantic plastic island that's floating about in the North Pacific yesterday. This article actually uses the word "sinister" to describe this thing!

Blue Vinyl in Kalamazoo Tuesday

I just discovered the movie "Blue Vinyl" will be shown at the Library on Tuesday, May 5. This is a very powerful film I saw through the now defunct "The Film Connection." It was a film lending library with some great independent movies.

Blue Vinyl had a lasting impact on me. I think of it often. The story starts with a simple quest — find affordable siding for her parent's house. They want to use vinyl, but she thinks it's tacky and would ruin the charm of the home she grew up in. It turns into an education about PVCs and their impact on all of us. I highly recommend it! It starts at 6:30 in the Van Deusen Room.

One of the things I miss most about The Film Connection is the Media that Matters Film Festival every year. I was recently reminded of this when I saw someone had made a mainstream production of two women that clean up crime scenes. I saw a short about a lesbian couple who started the trend many years ago through one of those Media that Matters shorts. It was called "Family Values." Not a comedy, that's for sure, but a great story!

Postscript to Weirdness

Did the police have the right to do that?

Not that I wouldn't welcome them if someone had been brandishing a gun or something (and, for all I know they were). I do appreciate their presence and their roll.

But, I can't help but feel a reasonable expectation of a right to privacy on my own property — especially in a city as small as Kalamazoo. What if I had been on my patio — in my backyard — an extension of my house?

Having a cop pull ALL the way into my driveway (a good 50 ft. from the road) and walk across my backyard is just WEIRD. A total invasion of my space at the very least.

Ahh, city life!

THAT was Weird!

I'm inside on a beautiful (though cool) sunny Saturday afternoon with a horrible cold. And, I guess I'm glad for that. If I'd been out on my patio a minute ago, I'd have FREAKED out as a police officer came walking through my backyard!

I was sitting here in the office trying to get my wireless router working again when I saw the top of a car go by the window. I looked out, and saw it was a police car. Weird! The cop got out and walked through my backyard into the woods. I quickly grabbed the camera — just in case — and tried to see what was going on. I could see there was another officer out there, but couldn't really see what was happening. "Did they find a body back there!?" "Was someone running from the scene of a crime?" "I can't see!"

I did finally make out another person. "Maybe a homeless man living back there?" (A neighbor a few doors down let's homeless men live on his porch from time to time, so why not?) It's city property, so I doubt they'd come out and harass anyone for being out there.

One of my favorite things about my view is the woods in the back. When I first moved in, I have to admit I'd get a bit paranoid about who might be back there. I have seen at least one pretty rough lookin' dude walk through there and up to the houses to the west during the day.

But, I've gotten pretty comfortable with the idea that it's a private area, and sit out there by myself late at night quite often in the summer. But, with the experience today, my paranoia may have just returned.