An Evening at the Oscars in Aspen

[su_heading size=”18″]An Evening at the Oscars in Aspen[/su_heading]

No I did not travel by limo to Aspen Film’s annual LIGHTS, CAMERA, OSCARS® party at the Viceroy Snowmass Hotel, as I had originally planned. Nor did I dress in a silk tulled gown. Instead I drove there myself and arrived late, as usual, with nobody there to see me walk down the red carpet. It was just me, my cameras and I. No flashing bulbs, no pretensions, not yet anyway….just kidding. Although, I do like to turn it up every once in a while, I am far more comfortable in my Adidas, blue jeans and t-shirt, and I truly prefer to not be in the limelight unless….I have Wade or a good friend by my side.

The party was going on strong downstairs and I slipped unnoticed into the dining room as Aspen’s Plum TV host Oliver Sharpe asked the film savvy guests Oscar trivia questions.  I slowly walked around the room checking it all out, the beautifully decorated tables, the glamorous evening dresses and the silent auction table where I was under strict orders by Wade to avoid anything remotely resembling a Chalet in Switzerland….or a horse.

Finally I sat down and joined in on the dinner conversation as Anne Hathaway upstaged a quiet James Franco on the three screens displayed throughout the room. It was refreshing for me for the first time in years to be able to watch the Oscars without the boys lunging 360’s all around me. Tell me were you as excited as I when Colin Firth won Best Actor and Christian Bale, Best Supporting Actor?

Later in the evening I was able to catch up with Laura Thielen, Artistic Director for Aspen Film.  As Laura continued her Oscar text messaging dialogue with her daughter  in New York, she told me of all the nominated Oscar films that were tied into Aspen Shortsfest.

In the debut film Animal Kingdom Jacki Weaver was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the Director for that film, David Michod, won the award for Best Drama when his short film, Netherlend Dwarf, premiered in the 2009 Aspen Shortfest.

Also, Oscar Winner for Live Action Short Film, God of Love, Directed by Luke Matheny, premiered in Aspen Shortsfest in 2010 and was honored with a Special Recognition Award by festival juror Sarah Siegel-Magness, Co-Producer of Precious, and actress Meg Ryan.

So, we don’t have to be sad that the Oscar’s are over because Aspen Shortsfest is coming April 5-20. Clearly a festival not be missed, it is one of the select short film festivals where work can qualify for Oscar consideration. Keep your eye out for the Program Guide that will be posted mid-March for schedule and ticket information and look for Best Animated Short winner, The Lost Thing, in addition to a new short film with Oscar winner Colin Firth. I’ll be sure to go…in jeans and a t-shirt.