TIFF Diary

Well we're back from TIFF. I feel completely energized. Now that I'm back in Ohio, this place is trying it's damnedest to bring me down. I miss the great conversation with strangers. The well read people. The patrons that surrounded me and chose to read while waiting instead of playing Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds on their IPhones. The TIFF volunteers that took no shit from overly entitled American tourists. I'm sure Canada has it's fair share or dimwits, douche bags and luddites but I was fortunate enough to not meet a single one, which leads me to believe their far better off than America in that respect.

It's the little things up there that restored my faith in my profession. The theaters are amazing and everyone calls them films, not movies.

I miss the chaos of the city. I'm feeling chocked by all the space around me.

I got to speak with one of my heroes Shane Smith, owner of Vice Magazine. I was shaking as he put his enormous hand on my shoulder and encouraged me in what I was doing and thanked me for the compliments I gave.

I could speak about the films we saw for hours. But I'll keep it short saying that they were all amazing and might be the best week of viewing in my entire life.

The live performance of American Beauty starring Christina Hendricks and Bryan Cranston and directed by Jason Reitman, was breathtaking. Janeane from Des Moines was hilarious and heartbreaking. The Master was completely intangible in the best possible way. The Art of Killing was exhausting and bewildering and possibly the best doc I've seen in the past 2 years. And Spring Breakers was the best possible movie I could have ended the weekend on. I'm a long time Harmony Korine fan and this was one of his best. I thought about it that whole way home and cannot wait to see it again. It won't let my mind go.

I'm going to do everything I have in my power to get to the point that we're festival hopping next year. I want to quit my job and work on movies every single day. I don't want to know where I'm going to sleep every night until my head hits the pillow and I want to change the world with my art. Fuck you if you're in my way.

- Jon Nix