Hobnobbing at the Chatham Film Festival

A surprise call from a dear friend yesterday lead to a day of hobnobbing with filmmakers at the 9th annual Columbia Film Festival in Chatham, NY.

Talents like Peter Biskind, Marc Maurino, Steve Vause, and even NBC Correspondent Dawn Fratangelo gathered to talk shop about their work.

Chatham is a wee-tiny town with only 1 theater and 2 make-shift locations, one fitted with plastic chairs, a descent projector and a portable movie screen. We stayed long enough to see a 2006 flick called 'The American Ruling Class' and a premiere screening of a 20 minute short called 'All in the Game.' Both were shown in the Morris Memorial building, fine as a YMCA venue but sitting in an antiquated gymnasium did little for my crooked spine and bony pushkin.

The 88 minute showing of 'The American Ruling Class' was like nothing I ever watched. It contained dramatic elements along with documentary and musical themes.

In short, it's a fictitious plot with contrived characters from Yale University who interview real authority figures Walter Cronkite, Robert Altman, James Baker, Peter Seger, Howard Zinn and Kurt Vonnegurt about whether or not there exists a ruling class in America. Like commercial breaks, several creative musical spoofs inject humor and sarcasm when it's needed most.

After the showing we gathered for a delicious spread of wings and babaganous at a quirky watering hole called the Peint O Gwrw. Many thanks to the owner for prepping our pub grub and the bartender for describing how the drink Absynthe with worm wood is mixed. Not that we tried the sinister hallucinogen but a sip of the anise-flavored spirit would be nice the next time we visit.

If you missed the film festival this year, make sure to block off your calender for it next year. It's a four day feast with film trivia parties, panel discussions and screen writing competitions. Don't forget to bring a cushion.