I drove down to San Pedro for the final night of the San Pedro International Film Festival (for those outside LA, it’s the port for Los Angeles right next to Long Beach, but is only connected to the rest of LA by a narrow corridor so that it feels very much like a different city). The San Pedro downtown can be desolate in some areas but there’s an arts / restaurant revitalization in a few blocks, which is where Collage: a Place for Art and Culture is located and the place for the closing night party and awards.

“Don’t Eat Paper!” remained only a nominee but I did take part in a presentation with the winning screenwriter about our respective screenplays. An unexpected lively Q&A followed where I was asked quite a few questions and even asked for advice for the beginning screenwriter. (I actually could give her some practical advice as I’ve been doing this a while, but it was the first time I’ve ever been asked that question.) I also got to drink some Croatian wine (a sponsor of the festival)… haven’t had Croatian wine since 1987 when I took a vacation there. Next to Collage was a beautiful Art Deco former Montgomery Ward department store from 1930, which has been put to re-use.