St. Nick at IFP -or- Where the Hell Have I Been?

I'll answer the question first. My current position is Concord, North Carolina, where I've been diligently working so I can invest more cash money into films! Concord, which is about twenty-five miles north of downtown Charlotte, is home to all things Nascar--something I have absolutely no interest in. That's not to say I don't have interest in speed or racing. I had a ball at the Nascar Speedway, driving aimlessly in go carts at about twenty-five miles per hour, racing my co-workers and friends. Speaking of, with regards to interest in the sport of race car driving, I can't say the same for them. Already, my co-workers have gone to several races (I declined) and one of them even has a Boston Terrier--a girl--named, "Dale E." Either way, I feel a bit out of place here.

Adding fuel to the fire, there's absolutely no vegan restaurants here, and finding decent vegan-friendly fare is next to impossible. Of course, there's always Mexican and there's a few decent Asian restaurants within a few miles, but largely, I'm cooking at home. I did find a really cool place in Charlotte called Zada Jane's. A relatively new establishment, the quaint bar/diner (having a full bar in a diner seems fairly popular around these parts) has visual appeal, with its vibrant colors and interesting dishes. But let me back up. I've only had time to spend one Sunday afternoon in the Queen's City. But what I found wasn't the royal glory I'd hope to find. There are some beautiful historic homes and expansive parks, but the Mint Museum of Art was nothing to brag about (although there is a really great Chuck Close portrait). I found the culture of the city either dying or non-existent. Apparently, the Bohemian flavor of the city is located in an area of town called NoDa. But when I checked it out, all I found was a small concert venue, a cute live music lounge, one or two restaurants and a bar, and a few art galleries. I've seen more life in Dallas' Deep Ellum and Deep Ellum is dead, Fred. A bit irritated, I walked into Solstice Tavern, where I found anything but "artsy" folks. In terms of texture, the bar had a traditional college tavern feel, but the clientèle seemed more the sports bar type. After grilling the bartender about all the Charlotte happenings, I downed my PBR and moved on down the road. Using the bartender's directions, I found another small area of town with a few eclectic shops, a vegan-friendly restaurant, Dish, that was closed and the historic Penguin Drive-In. This is when I moseyed on over to Zada Jane's. I was immediately greeted by Roger, the cafe's owner. Less than a year old, the establishment blends in nicely with the neighborhood. I'd almost given up hope when I asked to see a menu. My mouth was dry and my mind bitter as I read over all the items. My mood quickly changed, however, when, in a last attempt--hunger pains a sorin'--I confessed my distress with Roger. I can't quite remember his exact words, but they were something to the nature of: "Sit the hell down. You're eating here." I complied as he called over a gal from the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later I found a succulent curry dish with soy chicken in front of me. The seasoning was spot on and the price was right at twelve bucks (considering he could have charged me anything, given it wasn't on the menu). Thirty minutes later, I found myself outside with Roger playing real life shuffle board (this ain't the mini push boards either!) and drinking cold beers, well into the evening.

So that's where I've been... except for a brief, glorious stint in New York, the second week of June. When David informed me that St. Nick had been accepted into the prestigious IFP ("Independent Film Project") Narrative Rough Cut Labs, I immediately bought myself an airline ticket, and eagerly anticipated my arrival. Lucky for me, I was graciously welcomed into the home of Marc and Colin Raybin (Marc produced Frownland), located a mere 1.3 miles away from Soho House, the hotel that hosted the IFP Labs. Contrasted with Charlotte, New York has all the vegan food you can eat. My favorite was the comfort food (hot wings, pizza, Philly cheese steak, buffalo chicken, etc.). But enough about food...

I can't think of a more invaluable experience then the IFP Labs for aspiring filmmakers. Being the newbie that I am, I found the week packed with information and real-world knowledge about the independent film industry. The labs consisted of film-specific notes on editing and composition with industry professionals and in-depth discussions of legal concerns, during the filmmaking process. In addition, we discussed the positives and negatives with regards to traditional and alternative distribution models, during the post-production process. But most importantly, we learned what to look out for, and garnered valuable industry knowledge. It was also really cool to catch a sneak peek at what will most-likely be some of the films on the festival circuit next year, and to meet the filmmakers who made them. I really can't wait to review the plethora of notes I took when me, David and James sit down and discuss the future of St. Nick.

MMSW Poster

My Mom Smokes Weed
Poster art by Yen Tan.

In Celebration of Earth Day, I Went Vegan!

Roasted Portabella Mushroom Melt from Cafe Sunflower, Sandy Springs, GA.

I know, I know: it's been several weeks since Earth Day, right? Well, in keeping with tradition (last year, I bought a hybrid), I've made another major change in my life, to better serve the environment. I've purposely waited until now to post this because this evening marks one month since I began a vegan diet. For those of you who are unaware, a vegan diet comprises of eating no animal or animal by-products. I've largely been promoting a vegan lifestyle in all other manner of things, so it really seemed just a matter of time.

Even so, a great many of my friends and family were shocked to hear that I'd suddenly decided, during a privately emotional battle between me and a rare hunk of sirloin, to completely cut out meat and dairy, etc., from my diet--cold turkey, as the saying goes. Several of my vegan friends (it's really great to have some long-term, educated vegan friends to support me!) actually suggested I try out vegetarianism first. But after I'd filled my head with all the harsh, disgusting truth, I felt I needed to cease and desist altogether.

That being said, I am not doing this for dietary reasons--however, I already feel a lot healthier, incidentally. Instead, I've made the leap for ethical reasons. I can no longer support the unnecessary suffering and torture of animals that is so prevalent in the world today. No rational or misguided justification can change my view on this. Our brutal society has done absolutely nothing to safeguard the treatment of innocent creatures (sorry bub: your "organic" and "free-range" meat and eggs are still the product of tortured animals); therefore, the only solution is to cut it out completely.

And me, and my taste buds couldn't be happier. I feel better about myself; I'm much more energetic; and, most importantly, I can sleep at night. I've been pleasantly surprised at most of my family and friends' reactions and support in all this. My parents have expressed some serious interest in cutting down on meat (there have been talks of cutting red meat completely... Mom? Dad? Is that still something being contemplated?) and my dad really loved Spiral Diner, a vegan restaurant, co-owned by my friend and fellow filmmaker, James M. Johnston.

No matter what you're eating, I challenge you to analyze it. Are you really tasting your food? Or do you find yourself loading it with condiments? Dipping your vegetables in your gravy? Or perhaps all of your food is covered in grease and lined with fat? None of this applies to me. I'm truly tasting my food now and I hope to continually rebuild my taste buds in time. In addition, I'm no longer supporting the mutilation, torture and killing of innocent, sentient and feeling animals.