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“Dear IFC colleagues and friends,
Along with Johanna’s announcement about my departure from Third Coast, I want to send along a few thoughts – thanks to Willem for the space to do so.
Though I’m excited to forge ahead toward new adventures and challenges, this decision has brought into focus just how much the radio community means to me, including all of you. I first learned of IFC back in 2000, when Third Coast had just come to life and somehow I managed to contact Edwin Brys who said “come to Sydney!”
We all know better than to ignore Edwin’s sage advice, right? So I showed up for the 2001 IFC, completely unaware of this “feature” form and entirely in the dark about where American radio fit (or didn’t) in the international radio landscape. That experience was personally momentous – I heard programs that changed the way I conceived and listened to radio, I met amazing people who have become lifelong friends, and I returned to Chicago with an inkling of how the “International” in Third Coast International Audio Festival might take on a very real dimension.
Since then Third Coast has collaborated with more of you than I can count, via our annual Competition, Conference sessions, ShortDocs Challenges, website features and live events. I’ve been fortunate to attend so many IFC gatherings, and listened, learned, debated, feasted and raised many, many beers with you all over the years, and I can tell you without hesitation: Third Coast is a stronger organization for all of the cross-pollination that’s come directly from the IFC community worldwide.
I’ll miss you from my perch at the Festival, but hope to keep in touch no matter where I end up, and of course to find my way to many future IFCs, by hook or crook. Thank you for all of the support and interest and deep friendships over the years. I know Third Coast will continue to grow and stretch across the oceans, benefiting greatly from interacting with so many of you, and I look forward to listening to all of it from some other place in life.
Please keep in touch, and should you ever find yourself in Chicago, don’t hesitate to look me up! After November you can find me at jatomic@gmail.com, or @jatomic on Twitter. In the meantime, hope you’re planning to come over for our FilmLESS Festival in October – “a two-day celebration of sound, story, and the art of listening”. http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/happenings/filmless-festival ”
My best,
Julie
IFC AudioDocs 