THANKS TO THE ACADEMY

Editor's Note: On March 4, 2006, at the second annual  Maine International Film Festival's Awards Gala in Waterville, Maine, Wolf Moon's film critic Joel Johnson and his wife Alice received an award for Best Supporting Actor and Actress Never to be Seen on Screen. The following is Joel Johnson's acceptance speech.

It is wonderful to be recognized with an “Oscar” moment because frequently real life doesn’t offer many opportunities for this kind of positive recognition. So even though I recently broke my ankle, and I’m not getting out much these days, this is certainly an event that my wife and I did not want to forgo. Clearly, we thank the Academy for this honor.

This honor is truly shared with my wife Alice. She has been an active participant in our support of film, Railroad Square Cinema, and the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). The appreciation of stories told through film is a passion that we both share. Without her side of that passion, the contributions that I would have made individually would be much less significant—perhaps even paltry. And I am not saying this just because she has the car keys and I want to make sure I have a ride home.

This is, of course, an evening to honor not only individual achievements, but to honor film itself. It is a magical medium for which we have great love and passion. It has the capacity to entertain, inform, provoke, and move us emotionally. It also can fill us with dismay and disappointment. It can trivialize and misrepresent important stories. Those of you who are here this evening share with me a desire to distinguish between the best and the worst in film and to make sure that the best that film can offer is available here in Maine.

We have received this award because of things that we have done to further that. This does not make us noble. Last week, Alan Sanborn was quoted in an article about Railroad Square’s recognition at Sundance by saying that the group who founded the theatre here in Waterville did so not because they foresaw themselves doing any great service for the community, but because they wanted to have a place to see important and unique films. Our reasons for supporting Railroad Square and MIFF have basically followed the same logic. The contributions we have made are selfishly motivated to make sure that I, we—and hopefully, you—can see the important and unique films that entertain, inform, provoke, and move us emotionally.

Thank you, but the pleasure has been all ours.  

 

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