It was my second year being a finalist, so I knew not to think about anything ahead of time. I kept down any lifting feeling, kept my gut tight. I was staying midtown at the Hotel Chandler, thanks to a producer and good friend of mine, and I took my time that morning shaving. I drank water from a huge bottle. I had everything I needed in my small bag: my pitch, my production book, and nothing else. I woke up early, around 5AM, knowing it was a big day. It was so early that the kitchen in the hotel wasn't open, so I had the bellhop hold my bags and left to find a diner or something.
I walked through early New York. I had been in town four days and most of the time I just wandered around quietly. This morning was special, and I took in everything I could. As I walked over past Penn Station an old woman in a walker surprised me asking for money. "I don't have any change," I said. "But a dollar --" she said knowingly. I pulled a dollar out and gave it to her, and as I stepped away someone anonymously said "You just got taken." It made me smile to be back in New York like an 18 year old from St Louis, again.
At Penn Station they were selling newspapers. Calling out for The Post and the Times and The Daily News as I descended to the A train. I had remembered where I wanted to go: La Bonboniere. My favorite diner for some reason, over on 7th Ave in the West Village. Inside the waiter remembered me and asked about Lily before getting me coffee and blueberry pancakes. I didn't even have to order and that was fine with me.
After my first cup of coffee it began to rain. I had a nice vantage point and felt comfortable inside, looking out as the umbrellas were unfolded and blown around by the wind. After I finished the paper it was pouring, and it was time to go. I walked along the buildings, getting sprinkled by windblown raindrops till I made it to a deli and bought an umbrella. The rest of the way I was fine -- protected from the downpour. I walked through Washington Square. Everything I did that morning I did with purpose, and without thought or concern for anything except showing up and talking for five minutes to five people in a room on the tenth floor.
I saw Nicholas Georgiou in the lobby. I had last seen him at Sundance, and he still seemed to be carrying that energy, of thin air and travel. He came over to say hello -- it was a relief to talk to somebody after all of that quiet. And I felt comfortable, like maybe I was ready.
Still, I hid in the hallways and stairwells of the giant building until it was five minutes before my pitch. When I showed up I waited five minutes, sitting next to someone who recognized me -- an old RA of mine named Rafael Del Toro, who was also pitching. My slot was at 10:45AM. I pitched them the story, what was going on with the project, and my plan. Pretty short and sweet, but I still was cut off at the 5 minute mark, just as I was about to say "thank you" one too many times. They asked me if I would be doing any rewrites ("yes") and if I could make the movie with the grant ("yes,but"). Then I left.
Three hours roughly till the announcement. Nick and I went to the Corner Bistro, had a burger and two beers (I did anyway). "It's one of us two," we told each other. His project sounded great -- a documentary about Cyprus, and he was planning to go to claim land taken from his father by Turkey. Still an hour and a half left. Wandered aimlessly, bought another cup of coffee. Ended up back in Washington Square and sat down to play chess with an old African-American guy. He killed me the first two times but told me what I was doing wrong, and the third time I nearly won in the first ten moves. He was nervous it would rain again, so I paid him for playing with me (technically he won it, $2/game) and went to the announcement.
Unbelievably, once I got there and once everyone was sitting down -- and after they called us up one by one and said a few words about what a difficult decision it was, they announced that I'D WON THE GRANT. Words fail. For the rest of the day I was Muhammad Ali.
It wouldn't have happened without Matt and Danny, Mark Arywitz, Bryan, Jill, Jared, Zach, Drew and everyone else who suffered through phone-call pitches. And I wouldn't have made it this far without Lily and my mom and dad.
We'll be shooting "How I Got Lost" the feature film in April 2007!
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