Chain NYC Film Festival

The other night in NYC was such a wonderful experience: My short comedy, “Such A Deal” that I co-wrote with director Dionna McMillian @dionnafilm, screened at the Chain Film Festival @chainfilmfestival. We had a great audience in the “NYC Films” block - high energy and super enthusiastic! The Talkback was fab, with managing director, Rick Hamilton @therickhamilton asking very thoughtful, engaging and insightful questions. I couldn’t have had a better experience. Afterward, many audience members including fellow filmmakers told me how much they enjoyed the film, saying things like: “creative, fun and beautifully shot; a home run,”“wonderful and whimsical,“ “this film was delightful from start to finish.” I feel so honored that our film was chosen to be a part of this stellar film festival.

✍️ Story by: @jcreaturetravel

🎬 Written by: @jcreaturetravel/@dionnafilm

Directed by: @dionnafilm

DP: @barbieleungdp

🎭

Starring: @ebonyobsidian

Co-starring: @damianemcee

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A Glamping Experience in Maine for Couples and Families Alike

Glamping sounds like it’s all about over-the-top luxury for couples while sleeping under the stars. But the French brand, Huttopia, opened a resort in Southern Maine that’s all about good old-fashioned fun in the woodlands for kids and adults while also giving them a respect and love of nature. This is my latest article for Forbes Life on Huttopia Southern Maine.

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New York City’s Governors Island - A Bucolic Getaway

Sitting in New York Harbor, Governors Island is just a short ferry ride from the Manhattan shoreline yet it feels worlds apart. 

And, of course, it’s blanketed with foliage to keep me entranced.

Strolling on the network of flower-laden paths that wend through the Hammock Grove on Governors Island is sheer delight.

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Woods Hole Film Festival

Woods Hole on Cape Cod in Massachusetts recently hosted the 30th Woods Hole Film Festival where my comedy short — SUCH A DEAL that I co-wrote with director Dionna Mcmillian — played. 

I was so honored that our film, which was one of more than 900 submitted, was one of the 150-some selected for the festival.

The screening venue couldn’t have been lovelier. It was the Cotuit Center for the Arts that’s set in a bucolic landscape 10 miles from Woods Hole.

There are so many wonderful things about this film festival, including the camaraderie, the diversity of films and the scenic venue.

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Glamping in Maine

 When staying at Huttopia, a resort in Southern Maine, you’ll be glamping where your cozy, comfortable dwelling is snuggled by soaring Eastern white pine trees.

Everything about Huttopia in Southern Maine is peaceful, especially in the early morning and evening. My tiny house faced Sand Pond where the wee beach and the dock with a pair of Adirondack chairs were perfect places to enjoy the bucolic scenery.

Sand Pond is a nexus for relaxation and recreation at Huttopia in Southern Maine. I never tired of the sunrise - or anything else at this playful and peaceful resort.

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A Bucolic and Historic Accommodation in Delaware

 Just a few miles from Wilmington, the Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa combines a sense of history — it’s connected to the DuPonts and the buildings date to the 18th century — with some whimsical landscaping. Walking from my cottage in the early morning, I found that the gardens instilled a sense of peace.

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A Green Space Atop A New York City Library

 On Fifth Avenue stands a gem of a library. No, not the “one with the lions” that’s diagonally across from this other one, formerly known simply the Mid Manhattan Library, which had been going downhill in terms of its architecture, design and functionality for quite some time. Then it closed for renovations and I pretty much forgot about it. Until a week or so ago when it reopened. The completely resurrected and renovated Mid-Manhattan Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library is dramatic, bold and sun-filled. And, the rooftop terrace and soon-to-open cafe/coffee shop are the icing on the cake.

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Green Spaces Near Tivoli, New York

In the Hudson Valley, the Olana State Historic Site and Blithewood Garden are stunning. These are a few more images from my recent trip.

Nature and art are interwoven at the Olana State Historic Site, just like the fencing and benches dotting the landscape. It shouldn't come as a surprise, given that this scenic property was largely designed by noted Hudson River School painter, Frederic Church who lived and painted there.

On the forested property of the Olana State Historic Site, this is one of several silk banners - Memento Mori Mandalas - created by artist Portia Munson. They each honor a creature that had been felled by climate change.

Blithewood Garden on the bucolic Bard College campus offers myriad sensory delights, from the sweet fragrance of lavender and other blooms to the sweeping sight of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains in the distance

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Another Bucolic Hudson Valley Town - Tivoli

On my recent travels to the picturesque village of Tivoli, I jogged just under two miles every day to the banks of the Hudson River, passing this magical house along the way. 

Numerous carriage roads wind through the scenic Olana State Historic Site that sprawls along the Hudson River. (It's just a short drive from Tivoli.) Among the myriad botanical species growing on this expansive property, the smoke trees with their cloud-like blooms were especially evocative.

The woodsy campus of Bard College is stunning, especially because of its abundance of gardens. (Many Bard students reside in Tivoli.) The walled Blithewood Garden that's set more than 100 feet above the Hudson River is the most spectacular.

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