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Grace and I rose from our hotel room beds with heavy hearts on the final day of Nòt – who wouldn't? After four days of artistic inspiration and community we knew it would be hard to say goodbye, but we were determined to make the most of our final hours.
Following breakfast we attended another one of Nòt's incredible educational panels: "Focus on Distribution." Immediately following the panel we interviewed Gaia Antonini, one of the jurors for this year's festival. If you're interested in becoming a juror or learning more about the jury's process, check out that section of the full Nòt Festival Guide (coming soon*).
We sat outside OltreBorgo for a bit of writing before being swept off for lunch. One last time we all loaded into random cars, squeezing four people into the three-seat back row. The two-minute drive to the vineyard is something I will miss – every day, a new person behind the wheel, someone different in the passenger's seat, and a couple of newbies in the back row. Not just efficient transportation, but forced mingling. What more could you want?
Our final Nòt lunch couldn't have been more beautiful, the sun filtered through the long rows of overhead trees and it was pleasantly warm. The comparison to the downpour of the day before was stark.
Midway through stuffing ourselves full of tortellini, Grace and I paused to interview Giovanni "Gio" Labadessa and Alizé Latini, the brilliant founders of Nòt Film Fest. Despite having hardly eaten any lunch themselves and running on roughly three hours of sleep a night – now for many nights in a row – both were happy to talk to us. They shared, from their perspective, what Nòt is all about, who it's for, and what makes it so uniquely wonderful. Grace wrote an entire article that beautifully captures this interview and the energetic forces that are Gio and Alitźe. If you're thinking about submitting to Nòt, or just coming as an attendee, give it a read!
Nòt, as a result of its founders, is a festival that is honest about what they have to offer – what they are and, more crucially, what they aren't. Understanding the fabric of a festival, before you submit at random, empowers filmmakers and creatives to truly have control over where they invest their time and money.
A post-lunch matcha for me and a chai for Grace was the only obvious next step before more "Meet the Filmmaker" interviews at CFA's home-away-from-home studio space. These interviews, conducted for the benefit of filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike, will soon be up on CFA's YouTube channel, so be sure to check back for those! Whether you were at Nòt – or not (get it) – you may find your new favorite creative through one of these interviews. And you never know, maybe someone that you resonate with will be your next collaborator. Crazier things have resulted from a random direct message or two...
One of today's interviews was with director Nick Dugan from Foxhole. Nick ended up winning best director in his category, Director's Cut, for the short. This short was surprising, a quality I am always seeking in film – especially short films. The performances and cinematography were beautiful, clear intention behind every decision the filmmakers made. League of Filmmakers has an article on Nick's film if you're interested in learning more.
Speaking of the Director's Cut block, after a quick-change back at the hotel, it was time for the moment the CFA team had been waiting for all week: the screening of Murphy's Ranch. The entire CFA team, Grace and I included, had the pleasure of being part of Murphy's Ranch in some capacity. Directed by John Michael Riva Jr. (Mikey to everyone here at League of Filmmakers and CFA), and filmed by Indeana Underhill, Murphy's Ranch is based on the very real – and now long-abandoned – Nazi sympathizer compound that exists in Los Angeles. The film, despite its serious subject matter, is approached with a humorous tone and pays homage to the classic 90s, LA action-thriller. LA's iconic sky-line acts as the backdrop for the vibrantly colored and brilliantly scored short.
Shortly after the Director's Cut screenings, with our studio space all wrapped up, and our camera gear stowed safely in our hotel room, there was just enough time for Grace and I to grab some pizza before attending the award show.
While I'm sure many festivals revolve around their red carpets and their eventual award show, Nòt hadn't felt that way. Winning didn't seem to be a topic of conversation, nor the point of submitting to and attending Nòt. That energy carried into the ceremony as we watched many of the people we'd met throughout the week win in their category, receive honorable mentions, and cheer relentlessly for their new friends and future collaborators.
The award ceremony came to a close a little past 11pm and a true dinner (no, the slice of pizza doesn't count), had yet to be consumed. Most places were in the process of closing and turned us away as they desperately tried to signal the lingering diners that they should also be leaving.
When we did find a place that would seat us (Enoteca Monte Giove) we ordered a variety of flatbreads and a large board of cheese. So... really very similar to every other night. Grace, yet again, thought that she had ordered a vegetarian option – when it came out, it didn't just have meat on it, it was ALL meat. Not a veggie in sight. Not even a garnish. We'd been bested by the translate app yet again.
Everything worked out in the end though, Grace picked from the plentiful vegetarian flat bread options at the table and I had the best brie cheese I've had in my entire life. Factually speaking, I haven't tried all that many brie cheese, but Trader Joes has a new thing coming if they think they're at the top of my list after this dinner. Sorry TJ's, still love you.
Dinner ended well after midnight and one last time we (very carefully) made our way down the steeply inclined cobblestone street. Outside OtreBorgo everyone was gathered for the final after party, reveling in the smoke-filled warmth of the night. Grace and I bid farewell to Tori, our incredible go-between for all Nòt related business, and I marveled over festival founder, Alizé, one last time.
Grace and I returned to our hotel room, where we should have promptly gone to bed and rested our weary bones for the coming days of travel.
We did no such thing.
Maybe it was the late-night dinner, or the sadness in knowing the trip was well and truly coming to an end – either way, we spent our fifth night in Santarcangelo di Romagna chatting until 3am.
We recognize that we've hit the co-worker lottery and don't mean to rub it in. We wish the same for all of you. If you haven't been so lucky, don't give up yet... You may one day find yourself on a work trip with someone you can tolerate!
From Grace and I, to all of you (however many of you that may be), thank you for keeping up with our Nòt Film Fest experience. We hope you enjoyed our daily musings and would love to hear your thoughts on our trip. Where did we flourish? Was there anything we missed out on? Did we make you want to attend Nòt? We certainly hope so.
Until next year, Grace and Haylee xo
