by Larry Richman
November 11, 2007 1:38 PM

I attended the East Coast Premiere of Jon Artigo's Still Green at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Wednesday, November 7. I'd actually seen the film already at the New Hampshire Film Festival a few weeks earlier and posted a report and brief review of the film at the time. So this will be more of a report on the event itself.

At the previous screening, only the writer and producers had attended. Florida was another story. It was amazing how many people associated with the film were able to make it. Most of the large ensemble cast came, none of whom had been in New Hampshire, as well as director Jon Artigo, who hadn't been there either. So I met them all for the first time. Lots of family members showed up too and, since so many cast and crew are from Florida, it was a wild and crazy scene. Not to mention that many were seeing each other for the first time since the film was shot two years ago. It felt more like a family reunion than a film premiere. The ones whom I'd already met included producers Doug Lloyd, Georgia Menides (who also wrote the film), Andrea Ajemian, and Paul McKinney, along with several family members. But many other brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins made it to Ft. Lauderdale, turning it into a real party atmosphere.

Some of the actors had seen the film in earlier cuts but most were seeing this version for the first time. To me, that's the most fun of film festivals -- sitting with the cast & crew knowing that they are seeing it for the first time as well, seeing and hearing their reactions. Nothing else compares and it's one of the reasons I regularly encourage readers to try and get to a festival sometime.

All screening attendees, audience members included, were invited afterward to Revolution, a legendary 3000-capacity club in the heart of downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Even those under 21 were welcome at the all-ages venue, which included a number of local high school students who had been visited by cast members over the past few days. The celebration also served as the premiere party for the new CD from American Idol's Vonzell Solomon, who has a cameo in the film. Her performance was breathtaking. A long set by Self Run Will followed, a raw rock band who have a song featured on the Still Green soundtrack. The party lasted until 2 AM. A number of us hardier ones headed to The Pourhouse for an after-afterparty.

On Thursday I headed over to the Doubletree Galleria, the official festival hotel, to sit down with lead actor Noah Segan (Brick). I did have the chance to talk to several of the actors the night before at the screening and party but it was difficult to really have a meaningful conversation with all that was going on, and Noah was one of the few I didn't have the chance to speak with. He plays Sean in the film, and is one of the characters with whom I really had a personal connection. Producers Doug Lloyd, Georgia Menides, and Paul McKinney were present as well. We sat outside by the water and chatted for about an hour and a half about his blossoming career as well as the experience of working on Still Green. The producers and I basically picked up where we left off in New Hampshire.

Thursday afternoon at 5 PM was the second screening of Still Green at the festival. All cast and crew who'd attended the night before were there for this one as well, minus the horde of family members and friends. A few returned and some new guests arrived, but it was a much more intimate group.

Cast and filmmakers went onstage to introduce the film, as they had done the night before. Even though this was my third time seeing the film I still saw and heard and noticed things I hadn't before. Still Green is definitely a movie that one will appreciate even more with each successive viewing.