Bio

I inherited my love for cinema from my father, who was a projectionist during the 1950's. I spent every weekend of my childhood in the late 60's/early 70's watching double-features (remember them?) in a spectacular, old Warner Brothers movie palace in San Pedro, California.
When I was 14 years old I discovered a film festival called FILMEX in Los Angeles. I attended the 1976 festival (which was very SIFF-like) and it was an experience a true movie fanatic could never forget. Alfred Hitchcock arrived for the screening of "Family Plot" in a Universal Studios tour tram. The festival featured a 48-hour cowboy movie marathon, which climaxed with a screening of Sam Peckinpah's personal print of "The Wild Bunch." I remember being the only 14 year old running around the festival!
In 1977 I attended Filmex with the highlight being the closing night film "Annie Hall" and a 50-hour movie musical marathon in which "The Wizard of Oz" was introduced by Hollywood giant Mervyn LeRoy.
In 1978 I went to my last Filmex. I attended in-person tributes to Norman Jewison and Olivia de Havilland. Lillian Gish introduced "Broken Blossoms" and to celebrate Oscar's 50th anniversary I went to the 50-hour Oscar winner movie marathon.
My film festival days abruptly ended with the passing of my mother from leukemia. After her death I joined the Air Force and spent 2 years in Germany. After leaving the service I spent 5 years following the Grateful Dead around America. I passed through Seattle a few times and fell in love with the city, the people and the region, settling down here in August of 1991.
I lived here in Seattle for over 10 years, working for Microsoft and then Boeing, completely oblivious to the fact that there was a major film festival here in town. In 2003 I picked up the local newspaper and saw the SIFF 2003 festival schedule and decided to do something that I wanted to do when I was 14 years old but could not afford to do back then.....I decided to do the whole darned festival!!!! I bought a pass and took my vacation at SIFF and had a spectacular time! It was truly a movie fanatic's dream come true.
I attended most of SIFF 2004 and 2005, but missed last year due to family tragedies. I've got my SIFF 2007 pass already and ya know what........I'M READY FOR SIFF 2007!!!!!!!!!! Woooo hooooo!
Anyways, I am not a professional writer (yes I know it shows) but I'm very enthusiastic about the art form of celluloid storytelling and hope to share with you my life-long love and passion for cinema (from the perspective of an ordinary schmo!)