548 Photos on the Last Day Alone

I'm sitting here editing all the photographs I took during DOXA - and there were about a gazillion of them. On Saturday ALONE, between the screenings, the in-between-screening-shenanigans and the closing night film and par-tay I took 548 photos!! So the task is somewhat daunting. I had this dream of sharing a photo essay with you, but I feel stuck in photography purgatory: sorting, editing, cropping, sorting, editing, cropping - ad infinitum. I think it's gonna take some time to put that together (though rest assured I'm working on it). (I should also say that in an indoor festival setting, I'm shooting in less than desirable lighting conditions. So, to make sure I've got coverage, I need to shoot a lot, because I can't always tell if people's eyes are open or if it's in focus etc..... I shoot a lot in the hopes that I have at least a handful of good photos amongst the sludge!)

Tonight, instead of sharing that photo essay with you, I'm going to share some thoughts instead. There were many beautiful films at DOXA this year such as David Christensen's The Mirror, Small Wonders by Tally Abecassis, and BAS! Beyond the Red Light by Wendy Champagne. (All by Canadian directors, I might proudly add) . There were also a host of fabulous films by Polish filmmakers including Chemo by Pawel Lozinski and a gorgeous short film called Where the Sun Doesn't Rush by Matef Bobrik. Despite the fact that a heavy work schedule kept me from seeing everything I wanted to see, I can honestly say that it a good time was had by all.

There were fantastic celebrations and parties, and memorable meals at our favourite haunts El Taco (where Margaritas flowed as freely as opinionated movie going fans) and Subeez where we lounged in the DOXA lounge and sipped a myriad of delicious beverages. We laughed, we debated, we hooked up with friends, and we wiped tears from our eyes.

A festival is a place where you get to connect with people who love the same kind of stuff you love - some of them are long time friends, and some are people you've just met in the line-up. It feels like you're bouncing around in a magical bubble and encountering interesting and friendly folks along the way. DOXA delivered on all of the above for 10 days. And that's a cause for celebration.