Barry will also be called upon when things are getting too serious between our production team and the Sumo Association who are notoriously unfunny. Meanwhile, Barry is great on a road trip. He is a bit more of a hindrance at a television festival, however. One morning he weaseled his way into a press conference featuring this year's pick for the Festival's Life Achievement Award, Martin Short. Not a great rep when you're trying to pitch a project.
Accommodation is very difficult to find in Banff during the festival.
The French Canadians, making an exodus from Quebec in huge numbers, dominate the low-rent housing and YWCA dorms. The regular hotels are way beyond some documentary filmmaker's budget and camping is forbidden within the town's limits. There is a campground a few kilometers out of town but the drive out there is a huge hassle, especially after a day's consumption of free booze. Barry and I were fortunate enough to meet up with a delegate with huge corporate backing who was willing to put us up in his very large hotel room. Sadly, he was only in town for three days and after that we were forced to sleep in the getaway van.