Closing night Gala at Show Off Your Shorts with Sally Kirkland and Thea Gill

Last night was the end of the 2nd Annual Show Off Your Shorts festival. This festival, which was held a Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, featured over 100 short films in all categories. The atmosphere at the festival was bright and friendly with filmmakers coming from all over the world to feature their short pieces. I was grateful to screen "The Perfect Dress" along side of, sincerely, some of the best short films I have ever seen.

The closing party was a blast. The festival handed out awards in all categories with a special lifetime achievement award to guest Sally Kirkland. Possibly best known for her performance in "Anna" in 1987, which won her a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination, Kirkland is a dynamic personality with a variety of talents and passions. She is a leader in the entertainment community, acting and producing constantly, as well as an ordained minister in her faith and a health activist working under her own non-profit organization KIISS. The Kirkland Institute for Implant Survival Syndrome works to garner media attention for the thousands of women who are suffering the affects of silicone and gel implants. Ms. Kirkland received the award with poise and graciousness and even led the audience in a small chant in Hebrew and the Sanskrit. I felt like I was back at my yoga center in New York. It was lovely.

Another huge treat was when Thea Gill presented the award to Ms. Kirkland. Ms. Gill, is probably best known for her 5 years as Lindsey Peterson on the Showtime mega hit Queer as Folk. Recently she changed her image quite a bit, appearing on Dante's Cove as the sexy new owner of the Dive Shop, Diana. A mysterious beauty, Diana is striking, commanding and powerful with something always up her sleeve. Seeing Ms. Gill in person you can certianly see the change. Outfitted in a tight black corset top with a puffed skirt and black heels, she stood out as pure Hollywood Glam.

For me, though, the most important part of meeting any person, whether it be an actor, producer, doctor, gardener is their attitude towards life and the way they treat others. Both Kirkland and Gill were bright, friendly and helpful. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Kirland advised "Learn to wear many different hats". This is so important in the entertainment business. We never know where the next job is coming from and what it will require of us. As we age and our lives change, get into relationships, have families, our desires change and what we can physically do changes. If we practice at a young age to be flexible, it will come more naturally as we get older.

Gill was a great reminder about taking risks. She has taken many in her career, always going for the unusual project or character. Now she is adjusting to the environment here in LA, officially having moved her residence from her home in Canada this past September. When heading somewhere new, whether it be a location or a job or a group of friends, it can be easy to want to go with the flow and sacrifice ourselves in order to 'fit in'. But this deprives us of being who the universe meant us to be, and fulfilling the path that we were set on. Gill is exemplifying this mind set and I look forward to watching her as she brings her newest surprise to us.