And the Pipes Began to Sound ...

TUESDAY EVENING continued...

As the party wound down at Home and Planet, the hum of the bagpipes warming up was filing the room and then the street. We continued our annual tradition of the Bagpipe Procession, led by the Mackay Bagpipe Corp. The crowds meandered through the streets of South Bethlehem, and sound wound its way to Whitaker Labs on Lehigh University's campus. It was about time to begin the show, SouthSide Film Festival '07.

After some intros we began the screenings with Pascal Magnin's lyrical "Reines Du Jour". This film is filled with movement and mayhem, beautifully shot in the steamy Alps. Soon it was time for the next offering, our Documentary Filmmaking Workshop films. This year's four films continue our tradition of revealing the people places and things in and around Bethlehem that make our community so special. I spoke at length about this workshop earlier this week and last week. Suffice it to say, these were some of the audience favorites.

And then we screened the entrants from this year's Image Over Word, a competition for the creative filmmaker. We provide the (bad) script, and the filmmaker weaves the story and imagery. The six entries this year did not disappoint. These films were competing for the Festival's only "prize". And just as last year the boys from Space Ship Brain raised the bar with their ?Love". Kevin Kiernan and Steve Wilt went home with the $1k check rewarded by our judges, and Hayden Films presented them with the viewer award, where our audience could go online, view the entries, and vote! This prize was some filmmaking software. Time for an intermission.

Immediately after intermission we prefaced tonight's feature with my friend Don Hertzfeldt's "Everything Will Be OK", winner of the Shorts Competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Don again did not disappoint the audiences. And finally it was time for tonight's feature film: Mitch Teplitsky's "Soy Andina", highlighting the culture and traditions of the Andean community in South America. A wonderfully colorful film, filled with scenery, sounds, and treasures of this far away land. Mitch led a spirited Q&A, and soon it was time for today to end... literally.

That didn't mean that the day was over, as we all stayed out well into the morning to celebrate with my fellow Board members, visiting friends of the festival, and our guest filmmakers. this again is just one of those special "touches" we like to pout on for our out of town guests (and ourselves). A good time was had by all. But alas my carriage was turning into a pumpkin, and I needed some sleep. Wednesday would be more of the same excitement.