WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE (AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?)

Your job title is Technical Coordinator - but who are you really?
Just like my job at the festival, I do a lot of things: I skate rollerderby with the LA Derby Dolls, I sing, and I cook. On the nerd side, I'm a Unix Sysadmin and I do a lot of technical work for live theater, mostly stage management and lighting design. I spend a lot of time hanging out with my brother and sister; they both live locally with their partners and we all enjoy each others' company. I'm married to a really awesome guy who helps keep me sane when I take crazy gigs like this!

Job titles aren't very descriptive, and the festival would obviously fall apart without you. What do you really do around here?
I fix everything that's broken: power, lights, computers, phone, whatever! I think a big part of my job is helping everyone else stay calm. It's natural to panic when something's not working right, so I try to make sure people know help is on the way!

Why do you work for AFI Fest?
Graham (my boss) and I have done a couple big event gigs together, and he called me about this one. It sounded like a really interesting experience - getting to spend so much time planning and preparing, and being onsite in a temporary building for so long. Although I thought it would be a challenge; I had no idea!

What's your favorite thing about the fest?
I love the synergy that happens when everyone is here all day, helping each other make it happen. The smallest things make waves that affect everyone - for example, when our sound guy ripped his pants, I had just changed out of mine and it turned out we wear the same size jeans! Gerald gave me a small bag of chocolates one morning, and I clipped them to my toolbelt. Later that day, Dave Rogers announced, "I need chocolate!" I reached into my utility belt, and handed him one... it cracked up everyone in the production tent.

What's one movie are you're really looking forward to?
I work so much I mostly don't get to see the films. There's so many I'd like to see: SPINE TINGLER, PERSEPOLIS, CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO, and BIG RIG are a few. I did get to see PUBLIC ENEMY: WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME with my husband, brother-in-law, brother and a bunch of club promoters I know; that was pretty cool.

Even though I don't get to see movies, my little brother is making up for it! He's been to the festival every day since Wednesday, and I think all told he'll have seen more than 15 films!

After this is all over, what's the first thing you're going to do?
Turn off my phone, sleep in, and spend the day at home eating healthy food! I'm actually right back to work after the festival; I'm doing light design for a show that opens November 29th (Juana, at the Write Act Repertory on Franklin and Gower).

Graham Gaskill

Your job title is Technical Manager - but who are you really?
I am an outcast in a city of outcasts. Born poor on the streets of Jakarta, I made my way via mule train to Europe where I served in the Luxembourg Foreign Legion (you may not have heard of them, we're always overshadowed by the French...damn French). After a while I found myself in Texas working for the rights of gay longhorn bulls (will the Queer Steers ever see justice?). I was then sent to California to "think over" messing with Texas, and ended up here at AFI Fest.

Job titles aren't very descriptive, and the festival would obviously fall apart without you. What do you really do around here?
Essentially I keep the lights on. Oh and the music on, and the videos on the screens. Really what I do is hear there is a problem, and then I have my Tech Coordinator Connie Lynne fix it since she actually knows what she's doing. I've been faking it now for three years, HA HA!!!

Why do you work for AFI Fest?
Oh it's all about the title. My galactic sized ego demands a title bump every year and AFI FEST always accommodates. I figure next year it will be High Priest of Voltage.

What's your favorite thing about the fest?
My co-workers, without a doubt. We are a motley, dysfunctional, strange group, and yet I still manage to come off as the weird one. My loyalty to all of them is unshakable.

What's one movie are you're really looking forward to?
In three AFI FESTs I've never, ever seen a film here. Probably PSYCHO HILLBILLY CABIN MASSACRE, even though I'll probably never see it, it's my favorite title.

After this is all over, what's the first thing you're going to do?
Get ready to move back to Texas to be with my sweetheart Christina. This is my swan song this year not only with AFI Fest but Los Angeles in general.

Ryan Reiter

Your job title is Operations Manager - but who are you really?
Good questions, who am I? Well I'm a lover, not a fighter, enjoy laughter over anger, dinner at the house with friends, over a fancy restaurant, and can enjoy myself in just about any situation. I'm a screenwriter and a filmmaker, who grew up enjoying movies and moved to Los Angeles from Seattle. I love this city and have lived here for five years. I enjoy escaping the madness of LA, still hopeful that there are destinations where you can find yourself alone and void of traffic.

Job titles aren't very descriptive, and the festival would obviously fall apart without you. What do you really do around here?
Just call me, MacGyver. Just give me a stick of bubblegum, guacamole, and a snorkel and I'll give you a film festival. I enjoy it all and enjoy the fact that it's never the same thing. I'm not a big fan of a daily routine and a big believer that there is order, even in chaos.

Why do you work for AFI Fest?
I'm a filmmaker at heart, and I think it's one of the last few great festivals that really embraces the talented filmmakers, large or small. We believe that everyone has a story to tell, which is really the spirit at AFI FEST, we want to share that and to bring emerging talent to the screen and this is a great avenue to do so.

What's your favorite thing about the fest?
The staff camaraderie and doing the impossible. I have been to many film festivals before, but raising a Village on the seventh floor of the Parking lot is amazing, and a lot of work. It's not easy, but there's something to be said about watching it all come together, some how, some way it all seems to happen overnight, the Village is the best office I have worked in with one of the most amazing views of Los Angeles.

What's one movie are you're really looking forward to?
VIVA and 1,000 JOURNALS, both look like great for very different reasons.

After this is all over, what's the first thing you're going to do? Is it ever really over, I work year round for AFI FEST, so that's a hard question.