The Week in Review: 5/5 - 5/15

It was Che. Sure I could have carried my 'Burnt Orange' Zippo... but no... I carried Che. It is a little rough for wear, but it is the Zippo I never have to worry about loosing. If I can't find it, I know its just on a little revolutionary expedition. It will be back. Like the Spartans it would come back bearing its shield... or lying upon it. Well that could be it, or when I felt its weight in my pocket I knew that it was a just decision... if only for the symbolism. See, I graduated this week. In a way I can associate the difficulties, toils, and triumphs. He was no saint, but he was no sinner. He found himself in the fronts with those behind faltering, his men wanting for supply, but he would continue regardless. What kept his going was his passion.

So what I am trying to say is that I finally received my M.F.A. in Documentary Production and Studies. The guy behind me, is Professor Ben Levin. A good man. Reflective of many within the Department he is one who strives to see his students excel. Beyond being a giant of Documentary production, he also walked with them. Many of the names and stories discussed in our study, he personally knew and worked with. True, there are some whose promises were found lacking, but in the end even they support their students.

So what's an M.F.A. Its a Master of Fine Arts. It's not a masters. It's a terminal degree, kind of like a Ph.D., but not. If it sounds like that doesn't make sense... welcome to Academia.

Also, on the incredible side, I got to see my son Sam. He lives out in North Carolina with my ex. He is also having a graduation. He is going to be graduating from High School, and he also received an Associate Degree though his dual credit work. He will be attending U.N.C. Chapel Hill in the fall. Super proud. My other son Gabriel is doing awesome as he is going through a program to get his electricians license. An awesome member of a specialized craft. i was quick to discover that if it is a picture of Sam and I standing together... well it shows that my apparent exercise regime of doing nothing, isn't working for me. HA!

So what else has been going on in the world of Andy docs? Well The Eviction won some Festival awards. On May 9th I was notified that it had received an Award of Recognition from The IndieFEST Film awards. This was cool, as it was a Festival aimed more at the fiction crowd. But what happened to the Docs Without Borders Film Festival? I was supposed to be notified on May 8th. Well I looked at the

website to find out what The Eviction had won. To my surprise... it won an Award of Excellence. So what is an Award of Excellence at a Documentary Festival? It is an award defined by the Festivl as: "Awards... granted to entries with truly exceptional artistic and technical achievements" Meanwhile, Wally waits for June 26. That marks the event of the LGBT Toronto Film Festival. Gonzales: Come and Take It! was chosen a finalist for the Industry BOOST Competition. This week I will be working