Chasing Mel screened at the Newtown Film Festival to a majority unbiased crowd (i.e. minority friends and family). I was a nervous wreck before hand, but the crowd reaction was brilliant! They laughed in the right places and in a few I didn't expect.
I didn't win the 'audience favourite' award for my session, but I was not overly bothered given the crowd was STACKED with the people who featured in a particular documentary. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that, during the voting, one of my friends overheard the following conversation:
Person 1: "Finished your vote form?"
Person 2: "Not yet. I know I am supposed to vote for our one, but I really liked that Mel Gibson one"
I am sure that person would have eventually voted for the other film. The moral is, if I made one person second-guess their guaranteed vote for a friend, I must be doing something right.
Thanks to my friends and family who came along, it was very special with you there.
