Shout Out to the PR Whiz Kids

Publicists are a strange bunch. They want to be your friends but they also know they need to keep you at arms length. At the same time, they also have an innate desire to make you happy, and having been one myself in the past I know this is a strange, almost surreal conundrum almost impossible to reconcile.

That said, the SIFF publicity team is the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to deal with. Over the last three years these guys, led by the irrepressible Jessica Toon (pictured, hopefully she won't kill me from lifting it from her Facebook page) have gone out of their way to make me feel valued and special. But I’m not the only one. As far as I can tell they do this with every single press person that comes through their office, whether they work for The Seattle Times, The New York Times or for Moviefreak.com.

I guess what I’m saying is that I owe them a heartfelt thank you. I know it is their job and all, but as far as teams go they tend to go above and beyond to the point I don’t think they quite get the recognition they deserve. While this little post here isn’t going to change that, let it be my simple way of saying thanks. I love these guys, and if SIFF ever decides to go in a different direction I sure as hell hope the one thing they do not change are the people making the decisions inside the press office.

All that said, I do have to admit going to parties with them is slightly hysterical. As groups of people are concerned, especially groups who spend a lot of time working with journalists, watching them trying to hold their liquor is borderline hysterical. Granted, it’s probably a good thing the majority of them aren’t drunks or alcoholics, but watching them imbibe might just be the funniest spectacle I’ve seen this entire festival. I’m just sayin’…

(Second picture is of Ted Fry, the sort of leader of the actual SIFF press office, also stolen from his Facebook page. Sorry Ted. I really am a meanie [and you thought I was kidding when I said that last year]. Again, no offense meant, I just think you guys deserve some recognition. Is it my fault your pictures are sort of embarrassing? I think not.)