Film Festival reViews brought out the Reel Jersey Girl  in me. Often in a whirlwind of activity, I watch and follow indie+art house films, documentaries, series and symposiums, special events, panels and politics that germinate from a woman’s as well as a Reel Jersey Girl’s point of view.

Behind the scenes of this crazy film biz world, I rock on as history repeats itself for better or for worse. Two decades ago, I fell into the rabbit’s hole following the trail that first woman filmmaker Alice Guy Blache blazed over a century ago.

For twelve years, I worked with Fort Lee Film Commission in discovering and educating cinephiles about Alice Guy’s life and incredible contribution to the American film industry.

But, it started in France, Chile, New York, and then on to New Jersey and the Palisades. My screenwriting endeavor, Alice in Movieland,  follows the threads and film strips on what made Alice Guy become the first woman film director, Alice Guy Blache.

Along the way, I met Yuri Turchyn, a musical extraordinaire, who entwined his creative abilities life with mine, and joined me on film festival forays, writing thoughtful critiques, composing music for intros, and teaching me audio editing.

We were together fifteen years. Yuri passed away in 2024 from being immunocompromised by the Pfizer vaccine. He is missed by me and my co producer, Nell, an intrepid calico and certified mouser.

I ask myself, what would Alice do? It’s all about how we live and what we do with the life we have chosen to live.

Then again, sometimes life chooses us. Carpe diem.