One of the greatest joys in life is watching a former student bust out and make her own films her own way. I've been teaching 19 years at Nassau Community College Adult Education. Most students come and go. Some excel. One of my students screenplay won a Sundance Film Festival award. But the best thing to come out of my class is Maria Fillippone. She was a student of mine around 2009. She became my main PA for two trailer shoots (Three Slices of Delirium and Rasputin on Campus). She was vital in an industrial film I made around the same time. And she's gone on to making her own short films plus directing local plays on Long Island stages.
Yesterday (12/30/21) I was invited to attend the screening of her latest film, Mid Life Conversations at the Bellmore Theater. The film was delightful, funny and at times incredibly sad. I told Maria that she has mastered the Long Island condition, she has captured the environment very much like Woody Allen captured Manhattan in his films. I am so happy for her. I'm trying to talk her into compiling all her work onto one disc for all to see.
Another great thing happened today. I ran into my old employer, Henry Stampfel. Henry was one of many who trained me as a projectionist. But I later became his "Guy Friday" in helping him manage his theaters. The one great thing I learned from that experience was how much I didn't want to own a movie theater. Prior to that, I thought I did. The other great thing was that we ran horror retro film screenings at his theater in 1994, 95 and 96, long before the current crop of hop-alongs. Those were great times. I enjoyed my conversations with him today. Thanks Maria for having me there, calling me out and bringing warmth to a very cold day!
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| Maria on her big day of the premier of Mid Life Conversations. |
