Once upon a time, a student of mine told me that he wanted to start his own film festival. He didn't want help setting it up, just a compliant "adviser" to supply signatures when necessary. The festival was Blu Moon. The student was Jesse X (He can decide on his own whether to "out" himself).
Jesse handed the festival to another student, one with a team of supporters. I upped the ante by making the festival a multi-credit "course" of sorts and nudging the leadership here and there. Eventually, I left the school -- and left the festival with another team of students. And so it went.
Years later, the festival has survived neglect by the department that was once its home, competition from the university, and the pains of age and evolution. It's back.
Oh, and one more thing. Now I'm a student, thinking of submitting an early version of The Mural Project Movie. Crazy talk? Perhaps. But I can guarantee that it'll be fun.
Thank you, Ansel Adams -- and the new team of Joshua and Steven. Let's rock G-Vegas!
