a new season

I love this time of year — after Labor Day through the end of the year.

The weather

The clothes

The bright-colored leaves

The anticipation leading up to the holidays

My son’s birthday (mixed with sadness at his growing older)

Thanksgiving

The possibility of snow

And of course, screening season

Because I am a voting member of BAFTA (British Academy of Arts and Sciences), the studios court me (along with the other 1,500 US Members and 5,000 UK Members).  They want us to see their award-worthy films in the hope that if we see and like them, we may vote for them.  A qualifying film is any film released in the UK (and most of the major ones are) before year-end. That's about 250 films.

Around late October, the studios post their screenings online.  A month later, I start receiving DVD’s of the same films, in case I missed seeing any in a private screening room.  In November, I could probably see a film every night.  I can also bring a guest, so it’s a very social time.

Since 2009, I have also been on BAFTA’s screening committee.   Initially I was assigned to work with Disney.  My job was to develop a relationship with the execs at Disney, and secure new releases for BAFTA-member screenings.  It was a rocky start.  I got along great with the people at Disney, it was one of the senior BAFTA members who gave me a hard time — so much so that she was told by others to back off.  I remember once she even took offense at an email I sent her, ending with the words please advise.

A couple of years later I was given another studio, Twentieth Century Fox.  And recently, I get the nicest email from the same person who initially appeared to hate me.   She complimented me on the work I’ve done, and asked if I could take on Sony Picture Classics.  I am thrilled. Both for the change in our relationship, and the additional responsibility. 

Tonight Corinne and I see a screening of SALINGER—a brilliant narcissist with a penchant for very young women, nasty to friends, absent from family, and a miserable father.  I come away intensely disliking the man, but wanting to re-read Nine Stories and Catcher in the Rye to see all I missed when I was in 7^th grade.