The week in review: 1/2-1/8
So there I am. In the background. On the right. It was Saturday, Jan 7. When we started it was hovering above freezing, but when the sun went down the temperature dropped. A group of citizens, frustrated by the lack of government action, took to the streets to provide the basics of shelter with tents, blankets, and food to their brothers and sisters who shivered in the cold.
All of which was illegal.
But tell that to one who is desperate for the basics of survival.
The report can be seen below.
The reason I was photographing all of this was for footage for the epilogue to The Eviction. Although I have already begun to send the documentary to festivals, I feel that the ending is lacking a finality with The Cottages at Hickory Crossing. I heard about this opportunity to help, and document those who were giving a hand... and I went. The name of the group was DONTCOMPLY. While some of you may be surprised to find out that a part of the freedoms they are fighting for is gun rights, I say don't take offense. They know that support for the freedom of others is the best security for their own. At least that's the theoretical argument. Or... back down here on planet earth... there were people that were in desperate need of help, and they were there to help. Now the next day's meeting at CitySquare was full of the good and the bad. I thought I had everything ready. I had set up the meeting with Jonathan Grace, a Pastor featured in The Eviction. A grad student at UNT, Arnila Guha, had come out to run sound (she did a great job by the way). I had my trusty Cannon 650ti. But after the service... I found out that it was not an ideal day for the interview.
But hold on... more important I found out the cottages WERE FINALLY BEING OCCUPIED!!! Thirteen of the units had residents and they were processing tenancy on about 4 units a week. So super cool on that! Now how goes all for my festival run for The Eviction. Well let me share my cover letter with you. Dear (Festival), "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free." Simple lines of a simple truth. But how do some react when those huddled masses threaten property values. "The Eviction" documents how Dallas dealt with a curious question: How does one evict the homeless? On May 3, 2016, the City of Dallas forcefully evicted a homeless encampment. It numbered in the hundreds. It was cloistered in a five block sliver beneath a highway overpass near downtown. It even had its own name: "Tent City." Utilizing a cinema-verite style inspired by Robert Drew, award winning documentary director Andy Galloway traces the final month of the encampment. Interviews ranging from the observers, the actors, and those trying to bring a resolution examine the complexity of the social reality of the homeless and homelessness. I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your decision. Andy Galloway andy@andydocs.com
So what festivals have I entered? Here is a list.
So as you can tell I have entered a lot of Festivals. I will probably be holding a fundraiser in a little bit. Selling t-shirts. But know that it will go for a good cause.
Most of these are documentary festivals. So far I have entered two festivals in Chicago, and one in the City of London.
My Texas festivals so far are the Thin Line Festival in Denton, the 30th Dallas Videofest, and the Austin Revolution Film Festival. Also remember, I can be turned down by all of them. But I hope not.
One festival that I am very excited to hear back from is the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. This is a traveling festival that makes appearances in Southern Towns and if chosen
beyond being able to speak about the documentary process of filmmaking... you are also offered a stipend. Pretty cool. But guess what... all of these festivals can say no. So anyway it has been a busy week and I am looking forward to hearing back from some festivals that Wally and Gonzales are currently under consideration for.
