20 November 2019 / Greet / Comments Off on Dominique Provost-Chalkley on Season of Love and The Curse of Buckout Road
Dominique Provost-Chalkley
on Season of Love and The Curse of Buckout Road
At Wynonna Earp con Shorty’s in Milan, I was able to ask Dominique Provost-Chalkley a few questions. She has two movies coming out soon, Season of Love and The Curse of Buckout Road, so we talked about them. Below, you will also find a video of the interview.
Shorty’s
Me: “Thanks
so much for joining me. How is Shorty’s going?”
Dominique Provost-Chalkley: “It’s going well. I was like, Shorty’s? And then I realized that’s the name of the convention. [Laughs] It’s going really well, thank you.”
Dominique Provost-Chalkley on Season of Love
Me: “I
wanted to talk to you about Season of Love because I’m receiving the press
screener next month.”
Dominique: “Oh
my God!”
Me: “Are
you excited?”
Dominique: “Yeah,
really excited.”
Me: “I’m
really excited to see it. So, what can I expect? Is it an ensemble movie like
Love Actually where the characters’ lives intersect at one point?”
Dominique: “Yes.”
Me: “I love
those movies!”
Dominique: “Yeah, it should be fun. It was really nice to be part of something that’s just like, happy ending in many ways. Like, I always used to love watching romantic movies. It was something that I really enjoyed because sometimes you want to escape from the horrors of the world and just have a bit of fun.
And then on
top of that, being the first-ever queer Christmas movie is really special and really
exciting.”
Me: “Without
giving away any spoilers, what are you excited about most for fans to see?”
Dominique: “Excited/nervous
about, obviously, my song; my music is in there. It’s a big step. It’s exciting.”
Me: “I can
imagine, because you’re obviously, you know, used to such a close cast as Wynonna
Earp. How was it for you to go into a new set with new colleagues?”
Dominique: “It
was good. I had taken a bit of a break previous to that. So, I had just come
back from Brazil for five months. So, it was like first, you know, getting back
into things and finding my feet. But it was such a nice set to be on. All of
the women were so kind and generous. It was a very easy set to come back to you
and have a good time.
But, I mean,
I wasn’t… As is with moviemaking, often you’re not actually there for that long
in comparison to something like Wynonna. We’re there for five months, and we
have such a strong bond by the end of it. It really feels like we’ve been a
huge journey, whereas, with a film, I may have only been there for a couple of
weeks, no more. And only in and out, so it’s different, of course, but it was a
very, very nice set to be a part of.”
Dominique Provost-Chalkley on The Curse of Buckout Road
Me: “So,
you’re in The Curse of Buckout Road too. You often meet with Earper fans, and
we often say that we will support other projects of yours no matter what. I
have noticed that quite a few of the cast members have decided to play in super
scary movies. Has that been a joint decision to test our loyalty?”
Dominique: “Oh,
really? Oh, you mean like…”
Me: “Ready
or Not.”
Dominique: “Yeah,
and also, Michael has a very scary movie coming out. No, absolutely not. And it’s
weird that it’s timed like this. Like it was something that feels like an
eternity ago. You know, I think it was either after season one or season two, I
think it was even after season one that I filmed it.”
Me: “Wow.”
Dominique: “This feels like just such a, such a long time ago. But that’s, I guess, the way it happens sometimes. It comes back around to haunt you!” [Laughs]
10 November 2019 / Greet / Comments Off on Season of Love Gives You All the Queer Holiday Feels
Season of Love Gives You All the Queer Holiday Feels
Season of
Love is the first-ever lesbian/LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com. I was able to watch the
press screener of this ground-breaking Christmas movie, so in this spoiler-free
blog post, I can tell you all about this new movie and why you should watch it.
Below, you can also find a review video, in which Dominique Provost-Chalkley talks
about her role and music in Season of Love. Screenings and purchase/rent options
can be found at the bottom.
Season of Love is a queer holiday movie
In short, Season of Love is a queer holiday movie with an ensemble cast, romantic storylines, and general good feelings. If you are the first queer holiday movie with LGBT+ women, expectations are high. There is much pressure to do things right. What if this movie, the only holiday movie we now have, had sucked? That would have been terrible.
Well, I can
tell you the movie is terrific. It delivers. Season of Love made me very happy.
I watched it last night, and I still have good feelings. Sometimes I wondered
if I was the only one loving this movie, but then I looked at my wife. She was
all smiles throughout the entire movie. That confirmed my overall judgment of
the movie: it is simply a good movie!
I even laughed
out loud a few times, especially with some well-timed slow-motion moments. They
are hilarious. The lesbian gaze gets what it wants.
Here’s my review + interview with Dominique about her role and music in Season of Love
Season of Love has picked
the perfect cast
Season of Love has found the ideal cast. I can say that I hardly knew anyone before watching the movie and I loved looking at every single one of the actors. They did a great job. I also loved how diverse the cast was (can we have more deaf characters please?). I loved seeing some familiar faces in the background, and I loved seeing Lily Richards make an appearance or two.
Music
I know that
one thing that people are looking for is the movie’s music. After all, Dom and
Bonnie Ferrar have an original song in it. Look, I don’t know much about music,
but my untrained ears loved it. The songs in this movie are definitely songs
that I would like to listen to more often. Indeed, I’m ready to buy the soundtrack
and can’t wait for an album by Dom. She truly has a fantastic voice.
Small room for improvement
The things that
I think could have been done better are little things. For instance, I didn’t
particularly appreciate how a camera was spinning around the room in an early
scene.
Also, both holiday movies and movies with an ensemble cast often have little time to establish the background story. The filmmakers want to focus on the here and now, to build the holiday spirit. And when you have an ensemble cast, you need to have more than one background story. Season of Love starts with four days before Christmas, counts down, and then moves to New Year’s Eve. It wants to focus on the events happening in those days.
Consequently,
I saw some starts of storylines that were easy. It would have been nicer had
they been fleshed out more and made more believable. Nevertheless, we tend to
forgive holiday movies more quickly because we mostly want something easy to
watch and to feel all the holiday feels. And that is precisely what you get
here.
Where can you watch Season of Love?
So, where can you watch Season of Love? The movie premieres in Los Angeles on November 21. It also has screenings in London, Nashville, New York, Toronto, and Seattle. If you cannot visit the screenings, you can pre-order the movie for $15. The film will be available for rent and purchase in early December. Enjoy!
6 November 2019 / Greet / Comments Off on Shorty’s 2019 Sunday [Wynonna Earp Con]
Shorty’s 2019 Sunday
October 13, it was time for Shorty’s 2019 Sunday. The schedule of the day was the same as the day before, but there were some significant changes for me. You can read all about it below and watch some of my videos with supporting footage.
Same schedule on Shorty’s 2019 Sunday as on the day before
The program was the same as the one on Saturday, except that we did not have an opening ceremony in the morning but a closing ceremony in the evening. As a result, nobody really knew how to start the day. As I was having breakfast, Dom was sitting at the table next to me, so I knew the day was not going to start on the time that was mentioned in the schedule. I guess the party the night before took its toll on both guests and organizers 😉
When I
arrived in the main hall, people were talking to each other, playing some
basketball, and relaxing. Everybody was waiting until someone told them to go
to the photo op room. When the first passes were called, I went upstairs to
that room as well. The photo ops went the same as the day before. You could tell
everybody was even more relaxed (and tired) than the day before, so there was
this lovely vibe in the room.
Shorty’s 2019 Sunday started with an interview with Natalie Krill
Because
Sunday was less busy in terms of extras, I was called for an interview with
Natalie pretty early. I had kind of given my hopes up, so this interview
opportunity took me by surprise. It took me some time to gather my stuff, and
Natalie reassured me that if it were not working out, she would be available at
another time. I did not know what I expected her to be like, but man, that was
amazing. I immediately felt relaxed enough for the interview, and I think it
turned out well. You can be the judge of that very soon! I asked her about
Wynonna Earp and Below Her Mouth, in case you’re interested.
An interview with Tamara Duarte
Quickly after that, Tamara also had some time for an interview with me. I had briefly spoken with her at the ClexaCon 2018 red carpet, so I already knew what her energy was like. That actually helps me much when preparing interviews in my head, so I was more ready for this one. We talked about Rosita (because I REALLY want Rosita back), she answered a fan question, and I asked her about current projects.
My first photo op ever happened on Shorty’s 2019 Sunday
I have
never had a photo op before. I usually run around trying to cover everything,
so I never want to block out time where I can’t respond to things that happen
on the go. But most of all, I already feel so fortunate that I get to spend
time with the people I interview that I do not know what to do during a photo
op. Nevertheless, I always get asked why I never do, so I decided that Shorty’s
might be the place and time for me to lose my photo op virginity. I asked the
organization if I could join the group photo moment, and they told me it was
ok.
So, I was
waiting for the line to come to an end. However, at that very moment, I found
out that I was probably going to interview Dom right after this group photo op.
What?! I had to cut the line (thank you to the person who was totally fine with
that!) and take the photo. I told them I had never had a photo op before, and
Melanie said: “Well, welcome!” For some reason, I did not mess up, and the
photo actually looked nice! Now I get why people want to do the photo op: it’s
super fun!
An interview with Dominique Provost-Chalkley
No time to
process, however! I had to hurry outside to rehearse my questions for Dom in my
head. I heard I had three minutes only because it was time for lunch. I don’t
know what happened, but the moment she walked over I felt relaxed. She seems so
together and warm, and it helped me to get the interview started. I will
receive the press screener for Season of Love soon, so I wanted to ask her a
few questions about that. After I was told it was ok to ask one more question,
I managed to sneak in a little Buckout Road question too.
Autographs and selfies
As on
Saturday, there were three panels after the lunch break. After that, it was
time for the autographs and selfies again. As I just had my first ever photo
op, I also had my very first photo pick-up moment. I was hoping for it to look
decent, and I was so happy when I saw the result. Not bad!
The only
complaint I heard during Shorty’s was that the photo quality was terrible. I
had also seen some proof of that complaint: blurry images and unfortunate
compositions. Mine seemed fine, so you definitely had to be lucky. That is the
only thing I can think of that Shorty’s can improve next year because
everything else was just so nice (in my experience at least.)
When the
lines started to come to an end, I was able to score Tamara’s autograph and a selfie,
and then a selfie with Melanie. I admit it once again, my selfie game sucks.
Shorty’s end
When Dom
signed her final photo, everybody went to the closing ceremony. It was brief
but sweet. I had some dinner afterward and started to wander a bit to see if I
recognized some friendly faces. I hung out a little bit, but my body was slowly
beginning to protest louder and louder. So, it was time for me to go back to my
room.
The next
day, I made sure I had a group to fill the shuttle bus to the train station, so
we could all leave earlier than the shuttle bus was scheduled. It might be
possible my fellow Earpers regretted that decision later. I told them what
train to take, as I had taken that exact same train on Friday. However, after ten
minutes, it became clear that yes, it was the right train but no, it was not
the right direction. Oh my God. I apologize once again! I am usually pretty
good at directions, but the moment a group depends on me, I mess up apparently…
That left
me with little time in Milan, so I went to the airport to buy a gift for my son
and to drink my first coffee in days. And what a nice Italian one it was!
More Shorty’s footage
I have already uploaded quite some footage from Shorty’s, but I have much more. I will upload three interviews, and I still have hours of BTS to sort out. If you want to know what I upload the moment I upload it, I suggest you subscribe to my YouTube channel. Or, you can follow my Shorty’s category.
30 October 2019 / Greet / Comments Off on Shorty’s 2019 Saturday [Wynonna Eap con]
Shorty’s 2019 Saturday
October 11-13, I went to Milan to visit my very first Wynonna Earp con. I usually attend LGBT+ and multi-fandom cons, but I wanted to know why a con focusing solely on Wynonna Earp is so unique and how gay-friendly such a con is. In this blog post, you will read how I experienced Shorty’s 2019 Saturday. I support my text with footage from the con. You will find panel videos, the opening ceremony, and my first vlog, which shows all the moments I describe below.
To Milan for Shorty’s
On Friday, I flew to Milan, where I arrived late in the afternoon. I knew I did not have much time to visit this beautiful city, so I decided to go to the most touristy area. The duomo looked stunning. I walked around the adjacent galleries and enjoyed some cannelloni before heading to the official con hotel. The Klima Hotel Milano Fiero has a shuttlebus and picked me up from the nearest train station, which was a big help! I saw some familiar Earper faces when I arrived, which assured me I had arrived at the proper hotel.
The start of Shorty’s
At around 8
am, I was ready to pick up my press pass. There was a long line, and they told
me press was handled after that. I went back to my room because they told me I
did not have to wait around. When I returned, the line was much shorter, and
they simply wrote ‘press’ on my card, and that was it. Time for me to go into
the con hall! I found a perfect spot on the floor, where I could stay low with
my camera and still record what was happening on stage.
I noticed
the con was very small, and not every seat was taken. Great, there was an
intimate vibe already! I later learned there would be around 117 people. The
opening ceremony started a little later than planned, and we could already tell
Night Sky Events Italia’s organization was rather relaxed. We welcomed Melanie,
Dom, Tamara, and Natalie with applause, and they told us that small groups were
going to take turns going upstairs for the photo ops.
Shorty’s 2019 Saturday starts with photos
I have never
been allowed into the photo op area, so I was surprised that I could finally
learn what it was all about. I tried blending in with the walls at first, but
later I just walked around to get the best footage. Everybody was super
friendly and easygoing. The photo ops
started a bit slow, but then things started running. First the solos, then the
duos, then the trios, and the group pic was last. It took about three hours to have
everybody take their pics, but there was no rush at all. There was music, so
people were dancing while waiting for their turn.
Shorty’s 2019 Saturday continues with panels
After a lunch break, three panels were scheduled with the guests who did not have a meet and greet at that time. First, there was a panel with Melanie and Dom, which you can watch below.
Then, there
was a panel with Melanie and Tamara, which you can also watch.
It ended
with a panel with Dom and Natalie, which you can find here.
It never
ceases to amaze me that no matter how many panels they have done, you can
always discover something new and laugh about some hilarious story. And you
know that when Melanie starts asking her colleagues questions, they will be
good.
Shorty’s 2019 Saturday ends with autographs and selfies
After the
panels, it was time to go back to the photo op room, which had now turned into
the selfies and autographs room. Four long lines were formed, and people had
the chance to get the guests’ autograph and take a selfie with them. I told you
the morning was very relaxed, but by this time, at the end of the afternoon,
everybody was getting tired as well. This led to an even more laid-back vibe. You
could tell people were getting a little less nervous about meeting the cast (there
are always exceptions 😉) and starting to make friends.
A party was
planned later that night, but I did not buy tickets for it. Instead, I went for
dinner, uploaded one video, and edited another. If the explosion on my phone
tells me anything, it is that you greatly appreciated my late-night activities.
Night Sky Events Italia did a great job
I liked how Night Sky Events Italia organized everything in blocks. That allowed the entire con to be revolved around the same activity, which in turn allowed for shared experiences. At some other cons, I see people running between panels, meet and greets, photo ops, and autographs just to be on time everywhere. The advantage of such a small con is that you can reduce everybody’s stress by keeping things simple. A warm thank you to the volunteers, interpreter, and the people in charge!
You can find all my Shorty’s blog posts here (updated regularly). Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. It really helps me when I organize trips to cons. Also, could you support me on Ko-Fi? This online tip jar helps me buy new vlogging equipment. That means you can help me improve the quality of my videos.
24 May 2019 / Greet / Comments Off on 2019 ClexaCon Friday with Wynonna Earp and many others
2019 ClexaCon Friday with Wynonna
Earp and many others
In this blog post, I talk about the things that I have seen and experienced on the first day of ClexaCon 2019. Last week, I talked about the panels by and on BiPositive Podcast, Nicole Pacent, Queer Representation in Burlesque, One Day At A Time, and Avalance. This week, I discuss some of the other fun things that happened on 2019 ClexaCon Friday. I have added a video that I recommend watching if you want the full experience (don’t forget to subscribe!). I hope you enjoy it!
2019 ClexaCon Friday: pressroom
interview with Jes Macallan
After the Avalance panel, which ended on an emotional note as you may have seen, Jes was scheduled to come to the pressroom for an interview. But we all knew that she needed some time to recover, so we were just waiting there for her to show up when she was ready. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait too long, and she was happy and upbeat when she entered the room. She blew me away on stage during the panel, and she did it again in the pressroom. That woman is truly something special! Fun fact: on her way to the pressroom, she chatted with Katrina Law, who crashed her panel with a ‘Nyssara 4 life’ shirt.
After this
interview, I meant to go to the Earper meetup. As I was on my way, I met some
lovely people who follow me. They actually just came from the meetup and told
me it was over. Oh well, that happens with these busy schedules. I guess we
turned it into a micro meetup?
2019 ClexaCon Friday:
pressroom interview with Amber Benson
Last week,
I said that Jes was one of the two biggest surprises for me this con. The other
one was Amber Benson. She has humor, and she is opinionated. She understands
how everyone felt about Tara’s death in Buffy and how that death falls within
the ‘bury your gays’ trope. Also, she explains how the team behind BTVS has
learned from it.
Usually, we
have to wait, and the interview starts in a rather rushed way. Amber came in
five minutes early, and so I walked over her to talk to her after setting up. I
found out her boyfriend really likes stroopwafels and so I gave her one to give
it to him. I later heard she ate half of it too and loved it, ghehe.
2019 ClexaCon Friday:
pressroom interview with Wynonna Earp
The
interview with Wynonna Earp was rescheduled to a later moment. All of a sudden,
the room was PACKED. I mean, there hadn’t been that many people all day.
Because I had just interviewed Amber, I still had my front row seat. How very
lucky I was!
I expected
it to be crazy with questions since it was so crowded all of a sudden, but when
the interview started, I indicated I had a question and immediately was granted
permission to ask it! I said this on Instagram too, but it felt like a moment
of growth for me. Last year, I was in the back, observing more than joining.
This year, I opened the busiest interview of them all!
I asked Kat
about Pooched, and her response was so lovely. I don’t know what I was
expecting but not that she thanked me for asking about it.
2019 ClexaCon Friday: film festival
After the
interview with Wynonna Earp, I had to run to the film festival part of the con.
Friday evening, there was a social event with the filmmakers. The filmmakers
were showing their films or the first episodes of their upcoming web series,
such as Passage and BIFL. Also, there was a sneak preview of Good Kisser.
As you may have seen, I reviewed Good Kisser a few weeks ago, and at ClexaCon, I was able to interview the cast. At the mixer, I introduced myself to the cast so that we already knew each other before the interview on Saturday. That makes things slightly more comfortable!
TWENTY The Web Series
TWENTY The Web Series was also present. Last year at ClexaCon, I saw Lily Richards a few times, but it was at the uncomfortable moments such as the restrooms, so I ended up not talking to her. That was my one big regret from ClexaCon 2018, so when I had the opportunity again, I made sure to tell her how much I loved the show.
I ended up talking to Lily and Caitlin for a while, and they agreed to do an interview with me. So, the next morning at 9 am, we were already working together. That was special! I can’t tell you precisely when you will see this interview, but I promise you within the next few weeks.
The event had a little red carpet event, so I have some BTS videos and photos for you in the video. The first one is actually Lily and Caitlin, and the red carpet still had to be sorted out😉
The Date
Emma, who wrote and directed the short film The Date, was also at ClexaCon. A few weeks before ClexaCon, she and her co-writer Hansof stayed at our house because The Date was showing at the Amsterdam LGBTQ film festival. So, I wanted to catch up with her on camera to find out what the screening was like. Because of the One Day At A Time panel, not a lot of visitors came to the film festival but the ones who did show up gave a great response to the movie. I loved hearing that others enjoy this short film as much as I did!
More ClexaCon 2019 Friday coming
up
On
Saturday, I had two exclusive interviews and a cool pressroom interview with
ODAAT, visited some fun panels, recorded at the red carpet event, and visited
the Ascension party. I will tell you all about it in my next blog posts!
In the
meantime, you can read these ClexaCon blog posts (with videos!):
3 August 2018 / Greet / Comments Off on Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday: Interviews and Closing Ceremony
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday: Interviews and Closing Ceremony
I spent Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday up in the relax room of the guests, interviewing them on the gorgeous balcony. As a result, I missed most of the panels but I had a blast just chatting casually with everyone. I have to confess that I did ask myself a few times: “Is this my job?!” At the same time, I experienced so many feelings that I got really emotional, so Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday was definitely a rollercoaster ride for me. Oh, and how cool was that closing ceremony?
Brianna Hildebrand
I have seen the first and second movie of Deadpool but other than that, I did not really know much about Brianna. That is another thing that is so great about these cons. By listening to someone’s panel, you can figure out what kind of a person one is (on a certain level of course) and what one’s work means to others. I thought it was a really relaxed panel to get the day started. Some of her stories even gave me inspiration for questions for our chat later that day. You will see this interview appear on my YouTube Channel in a few weeks so make sure you subscribe!
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday meant many, many interviews
After Brianna’s panel, I was brought to the relax room of the guests again, like the evening before when I talked to Shannon Beveridge. This time, we were brought to the gorgeous balcony with a nice green view and a lot of sun. While I was checking my camera and mics, Dom sat down one table down for a quick tanning session. At a moment like that, I just think: “How great is my life right now?”
Gaby Christian
I was waiting for my chat with Brianna but Gaby Christian was standing right by my table. I had not been able to talk to her yet and I really wanted to. So, I asked if she wanted to talk to me for a bit. She did not have any plans until noon so she agreed, which made me really happy and nervous at the same time. Impromptu interview happening in 3,2,1, go!
I simply focused on some of the things that came to mind when I watched South of Nowhere again. I knew that she had been in Spain for a while already and walked the Camino de Santiago, so I asked her about that. Surprisingly, she had visited the city in which I live, The Hague, too! So, we talked a bit about that. All in all, it was simply a fun conversation. We had to stop suddenly so the ending was slightly abrupt but I was simply very happy that I was able to talk to her for a few minutes.
Again, this video will come out in the next few weeks, so make sure to subscribe to my channel!
Chatting with Brianna Hildebrand
When I was waiting for my interview with Brianna, right before Gaby agreed to talk to me, I was having a great time with Brianna’s girlfriend, whose mother is Dutch. We ended up discussing hagelslag, which is chocolate sprinkles we put on sandwiches. I may have scared Brianna a bit when I started the interview with “So, I have some inside information from your girlfriend.” I quickly told her it was about her hagelslag habits though😉
Interviewing Kat and Dom
At noon, we (LGBT Fans Deserve Better, WayHaughties, and I) were scheduled to talk to Kat and Dom. A big table in the middle of the balcony was arranged for us. We made sure the cameras, microphones, and voice recorders were ready. I started to feel nervous again but when they arrived, they were so chill that I quickly felt relaxed again. After all, the first thing they said was that on the second day of a con, they always feel more relaxed. Well, then I should be relaxed too 😊
I wanted to know how they experienced LFF. After all, they have visited so many cons in very different places and the questions asked on the panels were asked by fans instead of a moderator. They were both truly in love with LFF, I noticed. That made me happy because I felt some questions asked were not always that respectful. The language barrier may have been the problem, though. It was good to see how enthusiastic they were, which was confirmed at the end of Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday when they were announced as the first confirmed guests for LFF 2019.
Another interesting thing I noticed was that when Dom started talking about a conversation she had had with her agent about the specific projects she would like to take on, Kat was in awe. I wanted to know whether they learn from each other in that respect, so I asked Kat whether she felt she could have a conversation like that too. She indicated that it felt scary to her so I just wanted her to know that I think she can. I mean, her fan base is not going to go anywhere anytime soon…
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday: interview with Kat and Dom
Interviewing Natasha and Elise
At 1 pm, we were able to talk to Natasha and Elise. They had a little less time to talk to us than Kat and Dom did, so we quickly started. It was pretty amazing because they were asked one question about queer representation and they just started talking and talking. It was beautiful to watch and they made some valid points about opening up the pool for actors who are interested in playing queer characters as opposed to always asking the same people and about roles representing non-binary and trans people.
I noticed we only had a little bit of time left so I wanted to ask at least one question before they had to go. Ever since they had won a CSA Fan Choice Award, I was wondering what kind of influence that award had on their career. I remember Natasha introducing herself in her acceptance speech because most actors present in the audience were on TV or in films rather than on the web. As I am not from Canada, I was wondering how that might have influenced their networking opportunities or opportunities regarding projects.
I was surprised when they told me they had noticed zero effect on their career. It made me feel sad for them at first. Then, Natasha explained a part of Canadian culture to me and how the award meant much to her personally and that it gave her inspiration to continue doing what she does.
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday: interview with Natasha and Elise
Melanie’s panel
We were scheduled for an interview with Melanie at 3 pm, right after her panel. So, I had some time to visit her panel. It was pretty touching when she came on stage because she thought that nobody would come. She figured there would only be ten people because she had already had a panel the day before. Seeing everybody present made her emotional, to which everybody responded with a big applause. Are you kidding me? Of course, everybody is going to be there!
It is not even her humor that I like about her so much; it is the way she talks with her hands and pays so much attention to every detail in her stories. One moment I particularly liked was when a mother came to the microphone with her little daughter. She had a big, important question: who is Melanie’s favorite Disney princess? I love how children put things in perspective for you, lol. In the end, what truly matters?
Melanie’s revelations
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday also marked the day Melanie used her panel to reveal a few things about Kat and Dom. I am pretty sure Kat and Dom did not necessarily want those things to be revealed. You could tell she knew she was digging a hole for herself on stage and she just kept digging and digging. It made me cry-laugh. At the same time, I just wish I was present at the moment the three of them saw each other again after finding out what Melanie had told on stage.
Ten minutes after her panel, we sat down for our interview. It started with another hilarious anecdote by Melanie, so we were already laughing when the interview started. I just had to ask her about what had just happened on stage but I started laughing before I could ask the question. I finally managed to ask whether she had talked to Kat or Dom right in between the panel and now. “What did you do?!” she replied. To clarify, I did not do anything but I guessed Twitter had already brought the news to Kat and Dom. She dreaded that conversation for sure!
You can find the interview here:
Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday: interview with Melanie
Closing ceremony
After the interview with Melanie, I was having all kinds of feelings so I decided to chill for a bit. There were no more panels, just people in line waiting for their autographs. I met a few new people while sitting in the shade and walking around for about two hours. I love how easy it is to talk to people at cons!
My press buddies and I discussed whether we should go out for dinner or stay for the closing ceremony. We were not exactly sure what the closing ceremony would entail. We decided to stay. Boy, were we glad! What an amazing (unplanned) party that was!
The audience had to wait as the guests were coming a bit later than planned. People started taking photos on stage with all their friends. Then, the DJ decided he did not care what music he was playing, so all the requests were being granted. Hence, music from Wynonna Earp and Carmilla started playing loudly and more and more people started dancing on stage and in front of the stage. I felt the floors go up and down with all the jumping around. What a spontaneous party!
#LFF2019
At the end of Love Fan Fest 2018 Sunday, it was announced that LFF will be held again next year. In addition, they announced that the first confirmed guests are Kat and Dom. The crowd obviously went wild. They then entered the room with Rhiannon and Gaby, which only led to more noise.
Together, we watched the first part of the Love Fan Fest aftermovie, which led to a few tears being shed. The four of them said a few words of appreciation and there was a very intense group feeling. It was truly special. You see, you do not have to be a big con to have a big impact; at this smaller con, you could almost touch the sense of community. Rhiannon, Dom, Kat, and Gaby were right when they said they will always carry this feeling with them and it is exactly how every audience member felt too.
Post-con blues
That marked the beginning of my post-con blues. Wow, they are real. Until ClexaCon, I had never heard of them but man, they do exist. They were enhanced by a certain situation that occurred right after LFF. With some of my new friends, we went out for dinner in the only place close to the hotel. Our starving stomachs did not want to take us any further.
The seats outside were taken so we went inside. A soccer match was playing loudly on the TV. It was a small and shabby restaurant with about four or five tables. I entered the place first and all eyes went to the door because everybody was facing our direction as that was close to where the TV was hanging. Nobody said anything and they just stared at us. We sensed we were not welcome at all but we just had to eat.
So what?
The only table available was right under the TV. They just kept staring at us in silence until we sat down. The waiter threw a menu at us and barely helped us at all. It was pretty intense. Nothing happened but the sensation of being watched that closely already made me think: “I have just met these people but I would not want to be here with anybody else. If this means a fight will start, I would be happy to defend each and every one of them.” I do not think I have ever experienced this before. It just blew my mind. So what if some of us have short hair? Geez…
It actually had the opposite effect. I feel we bonded even more at that table. Thanks, buddies! I did make me sad though. It also reminded me of why we continue to need these cons and pride and other LGBTQIA events. We need to show our diversity over and over again until we no longer stand out. So, see you at Love Fan Fest 2019?
