Thom Fitzgerald, the director of 3 Needles, shares his film fest experience in a series of diary entries. Here's his second, "September 9, 2005."

Tonight is the big premiere. I woke up too early... must be nerves. I don't want to read reviews because, basically, I love my movie and I don't give a hoot what anybody else thinks. But lo, and behold, the hotel has shoved The Globe and Mail under my door and there it is, right in my face. Should I not look? I figure if I shut my eyes to this newspaper, then perhaps I'm reacting out of fear.

So what the heck, the paper is between me and the bathroom anyway. There's a nice picture of Chloe dressed as the nun on the cover of a big pull-out. It says the film is on The Globe's list of the "Best of the Crop" of the festival. That's all I need to know. But I do flip through and am pleasantly surprised to see that eight or nine of the hyped "best" films are Canadian. So I guess I should shut my fat mouth about Canadian critics' "cultural cringe." But a diary is all about temporary feelings, as Marcia Brady once explained to nosy Greg.

Today was my day to meet with uber-agents from Hollywood. I have turned a new leaf regarding uber-agents. Formerly, I believed their press, imagining all sharks devouring hapless talent, like you see on Entourage or The Player. Ultimately, I choose to work with a very nice chap named Shaun from ICM, which is International Creative Management. He will take over fielding calls from buyers. Before I even leave the building I get a call from a deep voice wanting to buy the Brazilian rights. I can now pass on the info to Shaun to sort the offers, and I feel a big weight lift.

My first real festival celebrity sighting happens to be the star of my own movie. X-Men star Shawn Ashmore has arrived, is booked all day promoting our film. He has seen it and loves it. I'm happy about that too. He looks great, and has lost the 15 pounds he had put on to play Terry Fox this Sunday night on TV.

I am hanging with the director Clement Virgo when I get the call every director dreads-- another actor, a solid, working actor from the film looking for tickets ... and I have to explain that his role has been cut out completely. It happens all the time, and somehow making the personal calls to inform actors before this premiere has just gotten past me. There will be more of these calls, and worse, sometimes they actually have tickets and find out they've been cut from the film while they're watching it. There weren't any bad actors in this movie, but the rough cut was almost four hours and I did have to trim a lot of story. Every actor has hit the cutting room floor in their career, but it's always disappointing. So, for every happy moment, a sad one. But this guy I will cast again in the future.

There are some emergency calls because 3 Needles is the Opening Night Gala at the Atlantic Film Festival on Thursday the 15th. It's such a big event there in Halifax that they are simultaneously projecting the film in THREE cinemas! We need more prints. Another flurry of calls. That's all pretty exciting and I look forward to it.

Chloe arrives from New York. She looks beautiful and I'm so happy to see her. I get two minutes to hug and fawn and then she is whisked away by a publicist to go do press. We all plan to meet for a drink before the screening.

I have my last interview of the day and pose for some goofy photos by a roof-top pool. I'm going to go hide out for a couple hours before the screening. My boyfriend Doogie is flying in and will meet me at the hotel. He didn't want to miss it.

Olympia and Lucy both email me again, almost tearfully this time. It almost feels like we ALL have to send the film off with a wave and some tears, full of hopes and wishes for it.

Gee. Another world premiere of a film. I have poured my heart and soul into this one. I may even shave for this.

Thom Fitzgerald's credits include writer, director, and producer on "The Hanging Garden", "Beefcake", "The Wild Dogs", "The Event". In 1997 "The Hanging Garden" won four Genie Awards and was the first English-Canadian film to win the most popular film award at the Toronto International Film Festival.