The Santa Barbara International Film Festival ran from the end of January through the first week of February, and I was lucky enough to attend as a staff writer for an online independent film magazine. The magazine, it turned out, was not a bona-fide news outlet, and its "content" was more of a placeholder for the advertisements that surrounded its insidiously arranged blather. The editor never responded after I submitted my articles, and I never got paid. In a word, it was a scam. But hey, I got better-than-front-row-seats (can I use that many hyphens?) to an awesome event.
I say better than front row because a press pass actually gets you into more places than a "Gold Pass," which will set you back about $600. On the red carpet I got to photograph and interview the likes of Will Smith, Al Gore, and Guy Pierce. Tom Cruise was there, too, but apparently he's too cool to show his face anywhere other than the main stage for any more than (literally) 3 minutes.
Probably the coolest encounter, though, was Chris Gardner. He's the guy played by Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness. In the 80's, he and his son (two years old) lived on the streets of San Francisco after he lost his apartment, but Chris took an internship at a brokerage firm that eventually lead to a successful career in the stock market. Pretty crazy story, and meeting him was an incredible experience. He's really an awesome guy, and he had some cool stuff to say when I asked him about the hope the movie has given to people living in poverty.
All-in-all it was awesome, and though my grades suffered due to the time I spent writing and going to events, it was an incredible opportunity that I am grateful to have had the privilege of experiencing.
When Tom Cruise finally decided to show his face, he spent the precious 3 minutes trying to steal Will Smith's wife.
Here we see the aspiring journalist in his natural habitat; behind the more important news outlets and struggling to shove a voice recorder into Al Gore's face.
