The DJ Trump circus rolled through town last Friday. Madness ensued.....
Instagram Takeover at Wonderful Machine
I had the pleasure of taking over the Wonderful Machine Instagram account for 3 days last week. I used the opportunity to feature some of my favorite and lesser known San Diego landmarks. I ended up posting about 36 images. Below are several of my favorites. To check out all the images visit the Wonderful Machine Instagram stream. To explore futher follow me on Instagram - @feriiiphoto
The southwestern most point in the continental United States. The western end of the US Mexico border fence. Great surf that day, BTW...
Chicano Park under the iconic Coronado Bay Bridge is one of my favorite under appreciated San Diego locales. This year the city officially recognized it as a skate park too.
Workers prep for the impending Apocalypse - adding mulch to the cliffs at Swami's to reduce erosion. SoCal is in a state of panic as we prepare for the potential of the greatest El Niño in the history of history this winter.
Sitting along the coast at the Northern most point of San Diego County just before the sprawl of The OC is the recently decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. Current negotiations center on who should pay for the shut down and where the spent fuel rods should be stored. It's an icon on the I-5 drive between San Diego and LA.
Progress, always progress. In all my years in San Diego construction cranes have always been a fixture of the downtown skyline. The only exception to that was the first few years of the "Great Recession". All those cranes seemed to disappear one night in early 2009. But as the economy has come roaring back, so has the progress….
Suburbia
Desert Bound - Hwy 78
The Mt Soledad cross sits atop the highest point in the posh San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla. The cross itself has undergone 2 "resurrections" and most recently a restoration. There have been 3 different crosses on the location since the original was built I 1909. The current cross is embroiled in constant litigation as it sits on federal land, formerly city owned. Opponents argue for its removal based on the separation of Church and State. A Korean War Memorial was built directly under the cross as a way of appeasement. But numerous courts have ruled for its removal. At last check, the cross still stands…
The quintessential late night drive-thru fast food in San Diego is Roberto's or one of his "cousin's" joints. First opened in 1964 in San Ysidro Roberto's is a culinary icon in SD. Too many imitators to name have spun off all ending in `bertos. Albertos, Alibertos, Filibertos, Aibertos, Gualbertos, Jilbertos, Hilbertos, Adalbertos, Roybertos, Rambertos, Hambertos, Humbertos, Rubertos, and Rolbertos, and my personal fav, Juan Bertos. Open 24 hours - who amongst us hasn't made the late night stop (read drunken) for a wet bean and cheese burrito or 5 rolled tacos w guacamole at least once. This Robertos is in OB, my favorite little beach community.
Screening Day / Filmmaker Award Show
Saturday afternoon was the first screening of Gone Doggy Gone in San Diego. The turnout was light, but the crowd was warm and enthusiastic. Cinematographer Garrett O'Brien, Shaina Vorspan (who played Jill), Edward Winters (who played Devon), all joined Kasi and Brandon (and of course Laila) at the screening. The film looked great - sound was fantastic. I had only previewed it on my IPad so it was great to see it with a live audience on the big screen. Nothing beats the experience of watching a movie in a theater. It was nice to see it a second time in it's entirety. I picked up on a number of things I hadn't notice the first go around. I was starting to feel like an insider....Kate Conner (who played Kat) joined them after the screening. She was planning to be at the Q&A after the film, but Los Angeles to San Diego traffic is brutal on Saturdays. After a little down time in the VIP lounge and a quick dinner it was off to the Filmmakers Awards Show at the US Grant Hotel. The event is typical with various honors and awards to the best films of the festival. The US Grant's basement ballroom and the scripted format made for a much better show than in years past. There was a nice rhythm to the night that had been missing poolside at the Palomar. Even so, it was a big disappointment for the Gone Doggy Gone group. They were not included in any of the awards or recognitions. I think that ultimately surprised them. I'm sure the fact that they had a photographer following them around for 3 days had set them up for something big. I regret I may have contributed to their higher expectations. I too was disappointment they didn't win, but not surprised. I loved the film and thought it deserved recognition, but there were other filmmakers that seemed to be the darlings of the show. Still, Kasi and Brandon made a number of connections while they were at the festival. And they made a fantastic feature comedy, which is no small task.
The Star
Edward (Devon) and his fiancee in the Gaslamp
Cast & Crew hanging out in the Gaslamp Quarter
Laila making friends
Photo Op - Kasi and Brandon and their biggest fan
Movie Poster - Gone Doggy Gone
Kasi and Brandon beginning the Q & A after the screening
Cast & crew Q & A (L-R) Edward Winters, Kasi Brown, Brandon Walter, Garrett O'Brien, Shaina Vorspan and the moderator
Brandon hikes to the VIP Lounge
Post Screening in the VIP lounge
Cast & Crew strolling down 5th Avenue under the Reading Theater marquee
Shaina and the gang at the Filmmakers Awards
Tired feet
Taking it all in at the Filmmakers Award Show
A Toast....