Well Part 2, here it is! :) The day of the festival started out with a little picnic type thing in the park by the Convention Center. They did this last year for CF.org and CMF members so this year, I'm not sure who all was invited, but lots of my friends were there! :) It was great being able to see everyone before the festival actually started because from that point on things are pretty crazy! Let's see...who was there?? The Bluedorns, Naylors, Tulls, Leddens, Burns, Stephen Nasby, Nathan Daher and his friend, Chris Ong, Sarah and Kristen (the girls we met at the academy), there were just so many people...can't name everyone I guess! :D It was really nice talking with them all!
John Naylor and Helena Bluedorn
Chris Ong and Stephen Nasby-first time meeting them both
Nathanial Bluedorn
By 6:30 or so it was time for it all to start! It was so exciting just being back in that theater! The opening ceremony was quite long. Mr. Phillips started out by talking to us all and introducing some different speakers like Mr. Botkin, Mr. Swanson, R.C. Sproul Jr. and others. Then Mr. Phillips narrated while Charlie Zahm played guitar and sang. It was kind of neat I guess...I'm just not a fan of guys in kilts! :( Kind of weird for me, but his first song "Be Thou My Vision" was really REALLY good! Wish I could play guitar like that! :)
Later in the evening George Sarris did one of his performances on "Joshua and the battle of Jericho" it was...interesting! :P I think we were all getting tired from being in there so long and getting antsy to see the first movie! :) Around 9:30 they were about finished so we ran down to a different theater to see the first movie of the festival "Click Clack Jack" It was a cute movie, and had great production value! It was one fun day that's for sure, but we were ready for bed by the time the movie was over!
Friday was probably the most exciting day for me!!!! Can't wait to tell you all that happened! :D :D It started out with a great movie by the Sampley Family (sp?) "Dad the Hero of the Wild Wild West" I think everyone enjoyed it and it was quite comedic too! :) From that film we were on to the big theater to see "Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" I was probably most excited to see this film! I had read a lot about it and I LOVE Christiano films, so I knew I'd love this one as well.
The movie ended up being better than I would have guessed actually! It had me laughing a ton and crying so much by the end! Mandy and I were especially touched by this film I think. Can't wait for it to become available on DVD! :) Afterwards Rich Christiano stood up for a Q&A time for the film. Oh I forgot to say, before the film started, Mandy and I tried to go up to Rich Christiano to talk to him, but he was speaking with this other man. As soon as the conversation ended, he bolted! :D We were left standing next to this older gentleman. It ended up his name was Wendall Moody. Our last names caught eachothers attention and it was an immediate conversation starter! At the time of us talking we had no idea who it was that we were talking with! :) The movie was about to begin though and he asked Mandy and I to come up after the movie so he could introduce us to Rich!!!! So, after the film we did just that! He was in the front row and we went up to join him! Rich came down and this man introduced us like he had known us for years! :) Ends up that Mr. Moody was the man that got Rich and his brother into making Christian films! How neat, huh? He had been doing Christian films since at least 1980. He said he worked with Dean Jones in 1980 on a film, 'The Music Box'. He said he was getting ready to re-release it and gave us his email so Mandy and I could get copies of it! Such a sweet man and a blessing to man I'm sure! Of course Mandy and I couldn't walk away without getting a picture with these two guys! :)
We only saw a few more films that day, Fireproof which of course is WONDERFUL, The Prodigal Trilogy and then the LeClerc's film "The Other Son" After that Caleb, Daniel, Bethany and I went to the special reception thing for some of the Academy members! It started at 3:45 and we had planned to only stay 20 min or so, not knowing what the reception would be like. Well, I'll say this much, it was SOOOOOOOO GREAT! Another highlight of my trip! There were only like 50 people there and that included all the guys that made the feature films and the press. I was very excited for this certain someone to walk in and then in he came....KIRK CAMERON! :) Can you guys tell how excited I am?? Or was! ;) Okay, so maybe I'm playing it up some, but it WAS neat for me. I used to watch Growing Pains (not that I'm proud of that) but I've watched him since I was pretty young! lol Well when he first walked in we couldnt say hi or anything because Mr. Phillips started to talk, but he was RIGHT there behind me, I was like....woah, this is kind of weird! :) As soon as the talk was done though we got to meet him. He was such a nice guy and very much so down to earth, just a normal person! :) We've joked that I have this invisible sign around me that says "TEASE ME" because people naturally do it, and even he did. He made some sort of joke that he couldn't talk to me because I wasn't press! At first I was nervous to ask about a picture because I didn't know if he'd like it or not but after a little teasing when I asked he said yes! :) Now getting the picture was tough though, the person taking it didn't really know how to use my camera, so this picture was actually our third try! Kirk said that he was glad we got to redo it though because he was feeling guilty since he did a goofy face! :D
So after meeting him and talking to lots of other people it was time for dinner I think. :) Then on to the night session thing. This time the Von Trapp Children were there to sing...that was REALLY neat! They have amazing voices! These kids are actually the great grandchildren of Captain Von Trapp, I think. They did an amazing job!
After the singing, Stephen Kendrick and Kirk Cameron came out and did a Behind the Scenes type thing on Fireproof, it was very neat! Everyone enjoyed hearing from them I am sure!
After their talk, Mr. Phillips introduced well known actor, Dean Jones. This man has been acting for so many years. He acted in many Disney films including, "The Love Bug, Snowball Express, The Shaggy D.A, Under the Yum Yum Tree, and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo" He also stars in a new series by Crown Financial Ministries. He started in Abraham and Isaac and then we were all So blessed to be able to be at the World Premiere of these short films!!!!
The films were incredible! They showed Abraham and Isaac, The Widow and the Oil, and The Rich Man and Lazarus. Abraham and Isaac actually had me in tears. I kind of felt silly crying over a story I had heard time and time again, but seeing this made it all so real!
Saturday, our last day there was once again a great day!!! I guess everyday was though. By Saturday though my voice was almost gone and I wasn't feeling the greatest! :( Can you tell by the pictures?? I look SOOO tired! :D Anyway Saturday was my day to see quite a few films! "Sound of a Dirt Road", some of "Pendragon", "The Widow's Might" and "Bread Alone"
In between films we had to get some pictures! ;) (Me, Sage, Helena, Mandy and Tera)
Me, Helena, Sage, and Mandy
John and I have a hard time getting pics I think...he is always being goofy and I try to straighten him out! :D
SUCCESSFUL!
Sage and I matched this day...both had tealish colored tops on and then brown skirts/pants :) Lane photoshopped this one, so we look a little umm...different! :D
Mandy and I had a friend living in San Antonio so some of us met up with him at a Starbucks right across the street. We hadn't actually "met" before so it was neat. Mandy kind of organized it all so we had a nice time chatting at Starbucks then walked around the Riverwalk some. He also came in and saw Widow's Might! What a good one to see! :) We had fun getting to know Jehred Clott though (Clott is not REALLY his last name, inside joke I guess) :)
Caleb, Mandy, Jehred, and Me
Andrew trying to hide from me!
Caleb...umm....well yea, that's him! :D
Once again a picture of my beautiful friend Besh!!! :) Enjoying her white chocolate mocha thing...I think! :P
Well, that's all for Part 2. It would have just been WAY too long to do the awards ceremony on here too!!!! Sorry! Maybe tomorrow I"ll post that! :) Hope you enjoyed it!!!!
