We were all quite excited about going to San Francisco. For me it was the first time to meet up with Nancy and after being in contact for such a long time it was exciting to meet her in person.
We met at the gate at the airport in Atlanta and got a few minutes time to talk before going on bord and flying to Frisco.
Driving from the airport in San Francisco to our hotel at Fisher Man´s Wharf was like riding a roller coaster – lol ! We went up and down the hills and we all had a funny feeling in our stomachs. Our hotel was the offical hotel for the festival visitor´s and entering the lobby we almost ran into Michael Smith from the American Indian Film Institute. He seemed to remember me and said that we´ll get to talk later, because he was busy. Who else were we going to meet – we were looking around, but there were no actors around. That day was nothing important going on so we decided to take a walk around a bit and had something to eat at “Johnny Rocket” – for me, the European, the first time ever. I was told that this place is typical American.
The next day we walked over to the Palace of Fine Arts and got to walk some hills of San Francisco. Entering the Palace I saw Michael Smith´s wife walking by, next to her Tracie, who I know from my time in Edmonton. She was surprised and happy to see me again and because she knows Nathaniel Arcand, she told me that he couldn´t come to the festival, cause he was still working back in Canada.
We had a hard time getting our VIP passes. They were not ready yet and since we had planned on being at the Palace all day anyway, to watch some of the documentaries so it was no problem to do so. As the day was winding down and we thought to go back to the hotel and just pick them up the next day, Michael Linn from Linn Productions entered the Palace and recognized me right away. It was a warm welcome and I liked him right from the beginning. He was with his mother Carolyn, Chris Eyre and Actress Carla-Rae Holland and introduced me to them as “the woman who is doing the German website for our movie (Imprint) ”. They also mentioned that Michael Spears would be there that night and so we started to get excited again. Michael Spears! After all this time I will finally meet him in person !!! Everyone started getting busy again so Nancy and I decided to go outside and have a smoke … to calm down a bit. While I was turning around to light up my cigarette, I saw a tall guy with long hair walking up the street. I couldn´t see his face, but by the way he was moving I could tell that it was Michael and told Nancy “hey, Michael is coming” – “Who?” Nancy asked, “Michael Spears”. I wasn´t excited at all and thought “oh well, let´s take a look at him.” While he was passing us, telling a short “Hi”, the huge poster of the AIFF put up at the main door fell down and I couldn´t help saying to Mike that it wasn´t me, cause he was starring at me for some reason – lol. He tried to put the poster back on the wall jumping up and down all the time and I started laughing “Now this guy is that tall and he still can´t make it”. He turned around and was laughing too. From that moment on I couldn´t stop anymore and said something like “But I didn´t want to talk to you anyway, cause I´m still mad at you.” He stopped trying to put back up the poster and looked at me “Do we know each other?” “No, but you know a friend of mine and promised her to get in contact with me. Anne Schröder from NewNativeSpirit Germany. Does this sound familiar to you?” “Oh, yes – sure – I remember” “My friend´s name is Nadja and you met her here last year.” “Yes, yes – but I was talking with her a lot last year.” “ Yes, you did, but you didn´t contact me and I was waiting for a year now.” We both started laughing. “Oh well, we need to change this then … what are you here for?” I explained to him what NewNativeSpirit is doing and again he said that he is very interesting in cooperating. “Hey, I got to go in there for now, but we will talk later.” While walking through the door he turned around and smiled “We should hang out together tonight. ” Then he disappeared and I started shaking for whatever reason. We walked back in as well and were looking for Nadja to tell her that we ran into Michael. Nancy started telling Nadja how I was talking to Mike and started laughing again “I guess this was typical Anne!”
We decided to wait for everybody to come out of theatre and see what is going on. It was a long day and we were so tired that finally we decided to call for a cab and go back to our hotel. While waiting for it Carolyn Linn and Carla-Rae Holland left the Palace and because they wanted to go back to the hotel too, we offered them to share the cab. It was a funny trip back - the cab was packed and the driver seemed to make a fun out of taking the turns real fast - lol. At the hotel we were still laughing and so a successful day ended good for us.
Next morning Nancy and I decided to go downstairs to have a coffee and ... yes, it´s bad ... a smoke. While we were sitting outside the hotel talking, Michael Linn joined us and asked "Damn, where have you guys been last night? We were looking for you." We explained that we were just too tired and suddenly Tonantzin Carmelo was standing next to us. Michael introduced me to Tonantzin not knowing that T and I were already looking forward to finally meeting each other after being in contact on the Internet for some time. We´ve been talking about meeting in Frisco before I was leaving and so we both weren´t surprised at all. All I can say is that she is WONDERFUL and such a pretty woman. Everybody had plans for the day and so we wanted to meet up again in the lobby to walk over to the Palace together for the screening of "Imprint". Somehow we were included and while walking to the Palace later that day, everybody was asking me all kind of questions about Germany, mainly about the German "Oktoberfest" - lol. Arriving at the Palace there was still some time left and because we all were hungry we were looking for a restaurant. Michael Linn and I also took the chance to talk about our cooperation and at the restaurant I got to sit next to Michael Spears and talked to him about NewNativeSpirit and some common friends - which made him even more interested in NNS. I told him about his fans in Europe and I had a mission to fullfil and gave him the Cds for him and his brother. He was very impressed and first thing he did was reading the "message" we´ve decided to put in - in some way he was touched and promised to listen to it right after returning to his hotel room. I offered to put the CDs back into my purse, by that he wouldn´t have to carry it all night or even loose it ... *wink* ... and he promised to give me his direct contact info later that night. It was fun to be with all of them and even Cody Lightning was with us and made everybody laugh so hard!
After returning to the Palace it was about time to enter the theatre and Michael Linn asked us to sit together with them. I made it to sit next to Michael Spears and he told me to watch the movie very carefully. I really wanted to do so, but he was making jokes all the time ... he and Cory remembered a few scenes where they must have had lots of fun.
"Imprint" is an excellent movie and you really have to watch it very carefully to catch the point. There was a short Q&A´s after the screening and then we all had to leave the Palace.
We decided to meet up in a club near the hotel and "relax" a bit ... I guess the rest of that night is private ... sorry
Next morning we had to check out and go to another hotel ... I was only able to book 3 nights at the hotel from Germany and they asked for like three times the amount I paid for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for one more night on Saturday, so we booked the last night in a hotel close to the Palace. At a restaurant near by the AIFF had a dinner for all the VIP´s and we were invited to come. So we left our baggage at the hotel and decided to pick it up ater the dinner. I still had Michael´s Cds in my purse and so I was hoping to meet him at the dinner. He appeared for a second at the end of the room, talking on his phone when a girl ran into me, pushed me aside and started screaming "Michael, Michael!" LOL Ok - maybe this wasn´t the right moment to give him the CDs. I will sure see him again later ... But there was some other Michael shaking my hand only a few minutes later: Michael Horse, who was the host of the Awards Show. He was very interested in NewNativeSpririt and told me that he would be more than pleased to come to the next film festival in Germany. He was very kind. Well, we went back to the hotel and asked the guy at the reception to call Michael in his room and ask him down. Right at that moment I saw him walking across the street and went up to him. "Hey, there you are - have you been to the dinner? Missed you there." I told him that we saw him, but that he seemed to be busy *grin* so that we decided not to disturb him. He had this big smile on his face - btw a very beautiful smile. Again I asked him for his direct contact info and he wrote it down for me. He smiled "You need to protect it with your life!" Of course, he agreed to take pictures and I finally gave him back his CD. "I´ll go to my room and listen to it now. Well, see you guys at the show tonight!"
Tonantzin was also in the lobby and Mike talked with her a real quick, then went to his room. Tonantzin asked us where the dinner is and if she still can go there. She was waiting for some friends and I asked her if she would agree to answer some questions, which she did.
It was a rainy day and we called a cab to go to our hotel and relax a bit, before we had to get ready for the Awards night at the Palace. We were so hoping that it would stop raining, cause we planned on walking to the Palace. But it didn´t stop raining. It was a Saturday night and all the cabs were busy and we didn´t know what to do. Finally we decided to just leave the hotel and see what will happen. Suddenly Nadja jumped on the street and waved her arms and ... a cab was right there !!! The guy was on his way to pick up some people, but the Palace was like a two minutes drive away and he gave us a ride. It was raining so hard that the streets were flooded and first thing I felt when I left the cab was water in my shoes. "Great! That´s gonna be a wonderful evening!" came to my mind and after Nadja and Nancy had wet feet too, the three of us weren´t in a good mood at all.
Michael Linn was all excited that night, because "Imprint" was nominated for a few awards. But he still had some time to get almost all of the Crew and Cast in front of my camera. The AIFF Awards are the most important awards for NA actors and films and so we were all hoping for "Imprint" to get some.
We couldn´t get seats next to Michael and the others that night, cause the nominees had directions where to sit. So we sat down right in front of the stage, so I could take some good pictures.
It was an exciting Awards show and it included some excellent performances, like great dancers and singer Robert Mirabel. I couldn´t take pictures of everything and still will get some more from one of Tonantzin´s friends, so you´ll find lots more pictures in the photoalbum pretty soon. "Imprint" really got some awards - only Michael didn´t get one for BEST ACTOR. We all felt sorry for him, but Michael Linn said that he already expected that to happen, because he´s seen Best Actor Cody Lightining in Four Sheets to the Wind and he was just great !!! Also Michael´s part in "Imprint" is pretty small compared to Cody Lightnings part in Four Sheets to the Wind. But of course Michael Spears deserved the award as well ...
Here is the complete list of the winners:
Best Film
Imprint, Director: Michael Linn, USA
Best Director
Sterlin Harjo - Four Sheets to the Wind
Best Actor
Cody Lightning - Four Sheets to the Wind
Best Actress
Tonantzin Carmelo - Imprint
Best Supporting Actor
Ernie Tsosie - Mile Post 398
Best Supporting Actress
Carla-Rae Holland - Imprint
Best Documentary Feature
Our Land, Our Life, Director - George and Beth Gage, USA
Best Documentary Short
Dream Makers, Director: Susan Cardinal, Canada
Best Live Action Short
Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, Director - Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg, Canada
Best Animated Short
Raccoon and Crawfish, Director - Dale Rood, USA
Best Music Video
What Are We Fighting For? Director: Eric Benda , USA
Best Public Service
A Place Between: The Story of An Adoption, Director - Curtis Kaltenbaugh, Canada
Best Industrial
Seminole Tribe of Florida 50th Anniversary, Director - Dennis Pellerin, USA
Eagle Spirit Award
Carrie Dann
Eagle Spirit Award
Jimi Simmons
After the show everybody was getting ready to go to the After Show Party. It took place in the same restaurant as we´ve been for lunch that day. It was still raining and it wasn´t easy to get a ride to the BOUDIN, but finally we made it. The place wasn´t that crowded. Everybody was in a good mood and we were looking for Carla-Rae Holland, because she promised to still do the interview with us. It took her some time to finally sat down with us - she was a winner that night and everybody wanted to talk to her. Carla is a very emotional person. I loved to talk to her and even more to listen to her - she had such great stories to tell. Well, after the interview we decided to leave the party - it´s been a long day.
We achieved what we´ve been to San Francisco for and our mission was truely fullfilled. While leaving the place Michael Linn ran after me and gave me a big hug. "Anne, it was a pleasure to meet you and I´m really gratefull for your support and what you are doing for "Imprint". Thank you so much!" He didn´t know that it was all my pleasure and that it was a great experience to meet him and all the others! Michael Linn, his cast and crew will travel throughout the States and promote this great movie, they will attend Award Shows and will go to After Show Parties just like Tonantzin said: "There is always a party afterwards."