Greetings!
I have returned from my adventure up north and had a wonderful time at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). My peepers caught thirty motion pictures and there was, of course, some standouts for me (which I have shared with you below). All the flicks I managed to catch were worthy of my precious movie minutes and I can honestly say that I did not feel at any point that my time was wasted. In fact, the only time I managed to squander was having the ridiculous thought that I was an imposter.
For those unaware with the term IMPOSTER SYNDROME, it is essentially a behavior in which someone feels self-doubt in terms of their intellect, skills or accomplishments. It is cause for someone to believe they are not as talented as others and that one day they will be found out as a fraud! A grifter!
I have been overcome with these feelings before, especially when I am surrounded by professional writers within the media industry. It is like a ticker tape running through my brain spitting out all these negative thoughts: I am not good enough, I should not be here, I do not deserve to be here, I am not a writer and so on. In the past, I have become so overwhelmed by these thoughts that it stunts me. Fortunately, I had lunch with a recently acquired film pal, Maureen Lenker.
Maureen is a journalist for Entertainment Weekly, an author (preorder her new book here) and my friend. We met through the wonderful pal of mine, Liz Locke - who is also an amazing writer (buy her book here) and staff writer for MovieJawn (you must read her latest article here, it is wonderful). The three of us bonded over our love of classic cinema at the Turner Classic Film Festival in 2022.
The best way to describe Maureen is to think of Hildy Johnson from the 1940 hit film, His Girl Friday played by Rosalind Russell. Much like Hildy, Maureen is a fast talking, no nonsense, gal about town. Maureen ripped up my one way ticket to Gloomtown. She reminded me that I did not only have the right to be at TIFF but that I earned it. I may not work for some fancy pants publisher, I am my own damn publisher. Not only this but I assist others with realizing their potential as writers. Her pep talk helped me stop the unfavorable sentiments in their tracks. I simply could not allow these pessimistic (and untrue) quips to derail me… not only did I have movies to watch, but I had writing to do.
If you’re someone feeling like an imposter, remember this… you’re not alone. Talk to one of your pals about it. In situations like this it is always best to lean on those who matter most. Which reminds me: shout out to Benjamin, Katie, Ashley Jane, Jaime and Alicia Malone. The five of you also helped me with my most recent stint of impostor syndrome and reminded me that I truly am not only capable of being a writer, but most importantly that I am one and that I deserve to be at the table.
As I mentioned above, I managed to watch thirty films at TIFF. I will be slowly sharing my coverage of the fest over at MovieJawn.com. In the meantime, you find the list of films I caught here on my Letterboxd.
I have attempted to rank them… which I must say is quite the feat. Given that I watched thirty films in a matter of a week, stories start to blend together and, often, the longer I sit with a film I find my initial opinion morphs. With that said, the standouts for me were: Nightbitch, The Last Showgirl, The Shrouds, Anora, The End and Mr. K. I’d be remiss if I did not shout out Crocodile Tears as well. All in all, this was a great fest and there were so many titles that I enjoyed. Nightbitch truly surprised me as it I did not expect it to resonate with me as much as it did given that I do not have children. I can’t wait to share more on this picture.
Stay tuned for more of my ramblings and insights on TIFF flicks coming to MovieJawn.com.
This week I am proud of… While at TIFF Benjamin and I shared the miniature MovieJawns with fellow film fans and they were a real hit. We ended up handing out over fifty of them!
If you would like a miniature MovieJawn, shoot me your mailing address here and I will drop one in the post box for you. Each mini issue features (4) film reviews that are focused on movie miniatures as well as advertisements.
In other news… Our Fall 2024 print issue featuring Cinematic Slashers gets picked up from the printer tomorrow! I am so excited to see how it turned out. If you have not preordered your copy, please consider doing so here.
This week I recommend… Terror Thon 2 at The Hiway Theater in Jenkintown.
Fortunately, I have a few days to recover from TIFF before I have to pack my bags once again. As you may recall from my previous dispatch here, this week I will be headed to Austin, Texas for my first ever Fantastic Film Festival. Upon my return from the world’s largest genre festival, I will have one day of rest before heading to Terror Thon 2 on September 28th! This two day event will showcase a variety of classic horror sequels from demonic possession to slashers to creature features and cult hits. MovieJawn is fortunate enough to be on location for Saturday’s festivities to sling zines and chat all things horror. If you’re around town or looking for a road trip, stop by.
Tickets are available for each of the screenings or buy a pass here for the entire event to receive a special enamel pin! Hope to see you there goblins and ghouls… mention this post, and we will have a treat (we promise no tricks) waiting for you at the table.
Find more details here in the write-up I did over at MovieJawn about the event, including a list of the motion pictures that will grace the silver screen at this frightful affair at the Hiway.
Happy you are here.
xx.
goodbye.
I feel like Nightbitch works on a few levels, speaking probably the deepest to mothers, then to women in general (especially those with creative ambitions), and then maybe men???