The Final Party Pictures of the PIGLFF and an I’m Off For Vacation til 8/7/07

HughE Dillon

19 years ago

What an amazing 12 days I had, hmm like the 12 days of Christmas but in July. OK I am delirious, first I want to apologize to the people who didn’t make it on the blog. I always have good intentions and then time runs out, space runs out and I just have to put up the shots that I didn’t screw up where I need to photo shop them so they are a bit more suitable. AH cursing, well it is 2AM, sure this post will look like its on Thursday as I started it this morning, but didn’t have time to complete it til now. A little confession on my part, Mike and I are heading out to Yellowstone National Park, the Tetons and Glacier National Park on Saturday, so between the festival, visiting my cute nephew Michael (my family calls him my mini-me. Do you think he looks like me?), (here he is with my mom, his nana, tonight) i hope Mike is packed. Anyway, it was an awesome experience, the film festival.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I don’t know who the folks do it, but I really do. It is a well operated team spirited run organization that runs the Philadelphia Film Festival. I covered both this year, and I did not see any hiccups, glitches, arguments or disruptions. Now that is an amazing feat. They have my respect and admiration (read in between the lines – Please, Please, Please invite me back next year!!) Having eaten lunch in the courtyard of the Commerce Building, I couldn’t imagine what the Closing Party would be like, I was completely surprised that it was transformed into a little bustling paradise in the middle of the business corridor of Philadelphia.

Manning the gates was the ever present, and might I say, adorable Tim Ferretti of The Philadelphia Film Society’s (become a member today http://www.phillyfests.com/about.cfm) and Operations Manager of the Film Festival, Claire Brown Kohler

Thom Cardwell and friends from sponsor restaurant, MIXTO. Guillermo Vega, GM, Jeff Liebreich, Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corp and Jorge Mosquera, Owner

Fun guests who I should have asked for their names, but cute as a button

MS Nueva Gabor (i don’t think she has sleves on, she’s been inked; I heard those Gabor sisters are thick skinned) and Amanda Playwythme

OK I do have my favorites, and Laura Burkhardt is one of them. I don’t think I have spent more than 10 minutes really talking with her, but if I had the times, if she had the time, if we had some time she would be a lot of fun (I would love to have dinner with Laura, Rosemary Connors and Robert Drake some day, that would be a hoot – call me!!) With her is host Bryan Hoffman. What a terrific party he had for the Starbooty crowd. Hmm I am a party behind I, I forgot to write about last Friday’s party at the Metro Club. Well its just gonna have to wait til after August 7.

My friend in print, er type as we do internet writing, Padraic Maroney http://www.edgephiladelphia.com/. I like Padraic, I like his writing style, but I’m gonna have to recommend http://phillygaycalendar.com/ as an alternative to the Edge. Now I am going to burn my bridges, I like the Metro, you think its a philly newspaper, but its really published in NY, and they get most of their photos off the wire services instead of a staff or freelancers. So I am will pick up the Inquirer or the Daily News before the Metro. I am all about original content at least 75% of the time. It’s like this book review signing I went to last night “A Walk Up Broad Street”. Well sure Bruce Buschel walked up Broad Street, but it wasn’t to discover Philly’s past, just his own. It was very misleading, and then the guy just took potshots at philly all night. Furthermore, he only took two days to walk up broad street, and then he returned to NYC to write the book, I mean how did he really learn about people and the changes on Broad Street if he only spent two days walking up it (and he said he never ventured from it, especially since our murder rate is so high) – a dead on review can be found here Liz Spikol on Walking Broad, that new book about walking down Broad Street. You will have to wait for that review when I return too.

A few lucky souls enjoying their smokes before the price is raised to $10 a pack

The girls from http://www.myspace.com/phillyfuse

oh to be better organized on the last night would have been nice, but I know these are two sweet bartenders from Twenty-21

In Bed With Butch Cordova and his cameraman. Look for a lot less of them, clothing wise, in the 2008/9 Calendar -In Bed With Butch –

Some dashing guy with a bevy of girls, who in a far off dream wanted to be the Gay James Bond, ok maybe just Philly’s Andy Warhol

Did you know that some girls that go to Bryn Mawr College are called LUG, which stands for Lesbian’s Until Graduation. Well These two were joking about it all night. I think a lot of people, present company excluded, would pay to see that move. These two girls could put a smile on anyone’s face with their infectious humor. Susan and Mary

OK Gail, now it is time to say good-bye. Thanks for all your mentoring and friendship. I’m gonna miss you. Hi to Bill. You guys look great.

Ya’ll come back now…I left so late there was no gift bag for me, so there is no photo or description for you

One last thing…tomorrow (hmm today later) I will post some of the fun pictures I just didn’t get a chance to post. Here is QUEERtimes and BUCKmonkey’s James Duggan thanking Steve McCann of http://www.phillygaycalendar.com/ for all his excellent coverage of the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. You have got to check out their video interviews.

Shout out to Mike LaMonaca, in the center, also of PhillyGayCalendar and of Equality Forum, who I had the pleasure of meeting during the festival.

Who am I kidding, I am not going to have time later today to do a blog, I think. I gotta pack. Thanks for indulging me as I went a bit wild and wordy tonight. If I took a photo of you at the Film Festival, there’s a good chance you can find it here: http://buckmonkey.smugmug.com/

The 13th Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival would not be possible without the support of our many terrific sponsors, who we would like to take this moment to thank.

Presenting Sponsors: City of Philadelphia, TLA Entertainment Group, Pennsylvania Film Office, Hyatt Regency, Avis, here! Networks

Official Sponsors: Bud Light, The Sundance Channel, Eventions, Tylenol PM, Twenty21, Scion, Triumph Brewing Company, Penn’s Landing Corporation, Parrot Bay, Park Hyatt Philadelphia, Cashman &amp;amp; Associates, University of the Arts

Partner Sponsors: Plumer & Associates Realtors, GPTMC, Modern Eye, Fest in Philly Organization, Crowne Plaza, Sofitel Hotel, B-Side, Mixto, Hoffman Design Group, Haru, Hangar Vodka, Pennslyvania, Experience Africa

Patron Sponsors: The Restaurant Collection, Caviar Assouline, Smart Water, Lucky Strike, P.I.N.K., Philadelphia Trolley Works, Neff Associates Inc, Live Arts, Vesuvio, Philly Car Share, Antoinette Westphai, McCormick & Schmick’s, Allied Advertising, Sisters, Marathon Grill, Campus Philly, The National, Whole Foods, 12th Street Gym, FunTastic Foods, Prince Music Theater, Bluecoat, American Apparel, Philly Aids Thrift

Media Sponsors: Gaydar Magazine, Where, Metro Newspapers, Philadelphia City Paper, Philly Gay Calendar, HX Philadelphia and Queer Times

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