Notes from Filmmaker Sam B. about Movies

Yadacity welcomes filmmaker Sam B. see below.....


Filmmaker SAM B reporting from Film Columbia, where my film, THE MANDALA MAKER screened on Friday, October 23, at 6 p.m. at the Morris Memorial Center in Chatham, New York and received tons of love from the diverse crowd on hand that night.

As many of you know we recently qualified MANDALA for the 2010 Academy Awards and we have won no fewer than three film festivals - to date - and will be playing in some large festivals in early 2010! However, Film Columbia was littered with many award-winning films, and much Academy fare. Two of my favorites were the very fun 'THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS' starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor, and THE WHITE RIBBON which won the prestigious Palm d'Or at Cannes this past year.

However, one film that EVERYONE was talking about was the moving closing-night film, PRESCIOUS, Produced and Directed by Lee Daniels (MONSTER'S BALL, SHADOWBOXER). The film was a hard-edged piece of drama, to say the least, and what an amazing performance turned in by Gaboury "Gabby," Sidibe in the title role. She really made you feel for this girl, and there is one moment where she has a teary-eyed close-up and speaks of the love she wishes to give to someone. A heart-wrenching glimpse of cinema.

PRESCIOUS, by the way, won both the Audience Award and Jury Prizes at Sundance this year. Humbled me to think of THE MANDALA MAKER, the little film that could, sharing space with this amazing double-winner from Sundance.

One of the people I got to meet was Geoffrey Fletcher, the screenwriter for PRESCIOUS, a very talented and soft-spoken man. A huge shout-out to Fletcher, who did a remarkable job on the adaptation of the novel PUSH, by Sapphire, for which the film is based. He has a great chance to win an Oscar for BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY at the 2010 Oscars. It is my dream that myself and Gregory Nissen will be there to join him as the winners of the BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT that night.

Hey, this is Hollywood, and you know what they say - everybody's got a dream ... what's your yadacity dream?