Mr. and Mrs. Stranger headed out West for a jam-packed weekend, attending the Independent Spirit Awards and other festivities around the Oscars.  Here are some souvenirs.

image Me with the one and only Werner Herzog.  He remembered meeting my father a few years back and insisted that I take this photo for Jack.

.

image Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment sharing a laugh with Diane Weyerman of Participant Media at the Independent Spirit Awards.

image Filmmaker Laura Poitras (MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY) with Cara Mertes of the Sundance Institute at the Independent Spirit Awards.

 

image Film producer Chiemi Karasawa (THE BETRAYAL – nominated for both an Independent Spirit Award and Oscar) with boyfriend Jared Gibson at the IFC party that followed the Spirit Awards.
image Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN) and Matt Dentler of Cinetic Media at the IFC party.
image L to R: Yung Chang (director of UP THE YANGTZE, nominated for a Spirit Award), producer John Christou (UP THE YANGTZE), James Marsh (director of MAN ON WIRE – nominated for a Spirit Award and an Oscar – went on to win the Oscar!) and filmmaker Laura Poitras (MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY – nominated for a Spirit and Oscar in 2007).
image L to R: Doug Jones (senior programmer of the Los Angeles Film Festival), Rachel Rosen (Director of Programming for LAFF), filmmaker and blogger AJ Schnack (All These Wonderful Things), Thom Powers, Laura Poitras, and producer Shirley Moyers (KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON)
image L to R: Tia Lessin (director of Oscar nominee TROUBLE THE WATER), Marina Zenovich (director of ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED), Carl Deal (director of TROUBLE THE WATER), and Aneetha Rajan (who worked with Carl and Tia on BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE) at the HBO pre-Oscars party. 
image Thom Powers and Margaret Brown, director of ORDER OF MYTHS which won the Truer Than Fiction Award (presented at the Film Independent’s Spirit Awards)
image Lucy Walker (director of DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND and BLINDSIGHT) with producer Eddie Schmidt (THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED) at the HBO party the night before the Oscars.
image On Oscars night, Thom Powers and director Amir Bar-Lev (MY KID COULD PAINT THAT) looking very dapper in their tuxes at the Four Seasons hotel after-party.
image After a long day of Oscar excitement, a very elegant Carl Deal and Tia Lessin.