Film Festival reViews brought out the Reel Jersey Girl in me. Often caught in a whirlwind of activity, I follow indie and art-house films, documentaries and series, along with symposiums, special events, panels and the conversations—and politics—that shape the film world, all through the eyes of a woman and a Reel Jersey Girl. Behind the scenes of this crazy film-biz world, I keep moving, watching history repeat itself, for better or worse.

Two decades ago, I fell down the rabbit hole following the trail blazed by the first woman filmmaker, Alice Guy-Blaché, more than a century ago. For twelve years, I worked with the Fort Lee Film Commission, discovering and educating cinephiles about Alice Guy’s life and her extraordinary contribution to the American film industry.

But Alice’s story began in France, traveled through Chile and New York, and ultimately led to New Jersey and the Palisades. My screenwriting endeavor, Alice in Movieland, follows those threads and film strips to explore how Alice Guy became Alice —the first woman to direct films.

Along the way, I met Yuri Turchyn, a musical extraordinary in his own right, who entwined his creative life with mine. He joined me on film-festival forays, wrote music for my intros, offered thoughtful critiques, and taught me the finer points of audio editing. We were together for fifteen years. Yuri passed away in 2024. I miss him, and I miss having my creative partner beside me.

I ask myself: What would Alice do?

Maybe that is the thread running through all of this. It is about how we live, what we create, what we leave behind—and what we do with the life we have chosen to live.

Then again, sometimes life chooses us.

Carpe diem.