Since St. Louis is the last film festival on the MacArthur Park circuit we are so happy so many fans chose to attend. Opening night was an evening screening and it was great to see a good size crowd attending the first screening. Along with many fans and St. Louis film goers, Chris Clark, Film Program Manager and the Administrative Coordinator Andrea Sporcic and members of the festival staff.

Chris Clark had been very helpful in getting tickets and updates over the month and made the festival a real easy experience. He and Andrea have been running the programing for the festival for the past 4 years and seem very happy in their jobs. On the day the festival ends it is time to get back to work and start planning for next year. We will be having some photos of these great people later in the week.

This years festival featured 88 programs, including 35 international films, 20 documentaries, and 56 shorts. Turner Classics were featured and a special tribute to Ken Burns with Bob Costas really rounded out a full experience for film festival members.

Since it was an evening screening we all took time for a great dinner and conversations and a getting to know each other better. By nine it was time to head out, we were staying at a great English Hotel five minutes from the theater so it was a great stroll.

About 9:10 Billy arrived with his escorts for the screening, after taking care of a little festival business, he came over and said hello. It is always great to see Billy again, there is nothing like a Billy hug and kiss to warm you up.

We caught up on how he was and briefly discussed his flight and what was going on. He had gotten in earlier in the day and had gotten to catch the film Vengo before the screening, he was also glad to be in St. Louis to visit family and have a mini reunion.

We had spoken on Monday regarding two new projects he was promoting to studios looking for some backing. He had more meetings that week in this regard. We also had some fan club business to get out of the way. He had wanted to do a note for the fans and buyers of the shirts and hadn't mailed it yet.

I told him Penny, Beth and I were having a 6 month reunion in St. Louis and wanted to catch the last screening. I told him we had put out the festival information to fans and was sure others would be showing up. He decided to bring the note with him to save time. He mentioned he was penciled in for attending but with the two new projects it was still iffy, he was certainly planning on it and would look for us. Needless to say we were pleased when we saw he had made it.

I turned and introduced all the girls and they were so excited. They had traveled from many states and various modes of transportation to support the film and Billy.

He was pleased to see Penny and Beth back again and we discussed the last time the 4 of us had met and what a great time we had had in Taos. We told him we felt it necessary to be at the last screening when we had managed to catch the 2nd one. He smiled at Penny and asked if she was taping again, and she said yes. He had given the fan club permission to tape any screening and after me getting some snaps we send the tapes off to him. So we will be able to share all the Q&A's from Taos to St. Louis with fans this time, along with all of Billy's new projects.

The entire Q&A from a few Taos sessions and both screenings in St. Louis will be coming up over the week. We are screening out the doubles. I think fans will find the answers very informative. From casting, to dailies, to budgets, to time frame to how he found the great cast he did. Where they shot and the attitude of the cast and MacArthur Park residents.

Everyone went looking for a good seat. Beth and Cal went for the middle of the theater and since Penny was taping, Barb, Mary Jo and I sat more to the front near the Q&A setup.

After a great introduction by Chris Clark, (Chris had told me and he repeated it again that night that MacArthur Park really moved him and it was his favorite film of the 88 screening this year) Billy did a brief introduction to the film and gave a little background and than it was showtime.

After the screening Billy came back for the Q&A, he chose to go without a mike, and being the man he is and knowing Penny was taping he stood one row in front of her and only 5 seats away so she could catch all the dialogue.

Will not go into the Q&A right now since everyone will be able to read it here later. Mary Jo had a question from an actress friend of hers but didn't get to it the first night, Billy informed her to try Saturday. So the house cleared out and outside we all went. Billy came over and did some talking to the girls and let them take a few photos. He was as always very generous with his time and smiles.

This is why we always tell fans to go, Billy always has time for his fans and is always glad to see anyone who really cares about his projects and is there to support him.

With six of us he had his hands full and for three of the fans who had never met him it was very exciting and something they will never forget. Well, that ended screening one. Needless to say we sat up for sometime and talked about the film, and of course Billy. Everyone was very impressed on how natural he is, so polite and kind to everyone he meets. I think we all agreed that it is not in Billy's nature to be rude to anyone, and that all they had read about him from other fans was true.

Turn off the lights and off to bed, I will not even go into what others were dreaming or thinking that night. Another day of exploring St. Louis and off to another screening.

Max..... to be continued