The Florence Film School

Florence is coming to life after the long summer break where this year just about everyone left the city in a mad exodus, except me. I was here holding up th decaying walls and keeping alive the energy to the best of my ability although it did get rather dead at times. But she's still here in all her glory. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. I feel sorry for the person who was positioned in Venice and had to keep that fair city afloat.

The students are coming back all excited about their semester abroad in Firenze! They are pretending to be Itlain shouting words like " ciao. bongiorno and some of the guys are getting up the courage to say bella!" to all the women. It's quite fun.

The bars are picking up and we have had an onslught of Irish Wedding parties and do I mean parties. At my local Fiddler's elbow they were singing Irish songs into the wee hours of the night. I run into old firends every three or four steps. Every one is rested and yes ready to get back to work. It is amazing how this city flows in cycles and after three years of swimming up stream I am ready to go with the flow.

Yesterday I visited two art galleries and chatted with several artists, its just amazing that in the tiny town you can't walk five feet without running into an artist, muscian, painter, sculpture, writer, film maker. It's so stimulating!

This year we are preparing for our first Florence International Film Festival! I have recieved some amazing film shorts from both students and professionals from all over the world. The theme is new media that gives a positive vision for humanity. This is our first film festival but it looks like its going to be a real winner! So now I am working on getting a big name to visit our beautiful little town and talk about the future of film with the new generation of film makers and multi media artists.
I know George Clooney has a place right down the road and I happen to be from Kentucky myself so I was going to extend an inventation! Who knows, it could happen!