Plot Summary for The Screening

THE SCREENING

Story 1 - Notes of a 10,000 Year Old Alien Traveler

Story 2 - Reid Gershbein Visits New York City to Show Two Movies

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In The Screening two stories are told - one about San Francisco based filmmaker Reid Gershbein's visit to New York City in August 2009 to show two movies, and the other about the thoughts & observations of a 10,000 year old alien who visited New York City recently.

Through a mysterious process filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake (director of The Screening) recently came into possession notes recorded in spacetime by the alien visitor. Since Gershbein's story is also about travel, New York City, & new adventures, and since an ultra-low budget 2 Week Film is a good device through which to transmit the valuable secrets hidden in the alien's thoughts to those who are ready to hear & understand those secrets, it was decided that a narration set to exciting images of New York City will be Story 1 of The Screening.

In Story 2 Gershbein visits New York City, interacts with other filmmakers & his audience members, voices his concerns about the state of independent filmmaking in general & his own filmmaking career, and deals with the challenges posed by co-producing & managing a film screening at an art gallery in a busy, far away city.

The Screening celebrates the diversity of life in our universe, the past, present & the possible futures of our species/human life on Earth, the energy & beauty of New York City, & the highs & lows of the independent filmmaker lifestyle.