The IMAGINE staff paid a visit to the Connecticut State House and spent an afternoon with Governor John Rowland and his helpful, hospitable, and entertaining staff. The golden domed State House is a story unto itself. Photographer Jose Garcia wanted to shoot 360's in a number of spots. Small groups enjoying guided tours of this standing archive were scattered all about.

The good Governor thoroughly understands the mission of this publication and its goals for our region. He also fully appreciates what our industry and its potential brings to his state and all of New England. Connecticut's close ties and shared border with New York provides the state unbounded bonuses as industry sprawl, leisurely and lazily stretches into the state. Connecticut responds with more than neighborly tax incentives and other supporting efforts that keep the likes of ESPN and the enterprises of Martha Stewart happily in the state. And, if the recent changes and activities at the state's film office are any indication, it appears that a focus for developing new business has emerged. Read our November Cover Story written by Dan Kimmel on pages 16 and 17.

This time of year our thoughts turn to the regions' hopefuls, meaning submissions to the Sundance Film Festival 2001 held in Park City Utah, January 20 - 28. The Imagine staff counted only five; by December, I'm sure we'll have the full count and be able to report them all. For now, the submissions we see are Rex Dean's feature THE ADVENTURES OF SPACE BABY & MENTAL MAN, (the publisher of this magazine is one of its producers). This is the only feature we know about at this time. The film is edited by Peter White, and shot by John Leuba, who also shot AUTUMN HEART, a film that was accepted at Sundance last year.

And there are four documentaries that we know: George Butler's THE ENDURANCE, based on a book by Carolyn Alexander and given a rave review in Variety by Todd McCarthy, and Jerri Sher and Will Lyman's SOUL OF AN EMPIRE (September's IMAGINE feature spotlight story), "SOUL" has a theatrical run in New York currently and in LA before the end of the year, which places it in the pool for an Academy Award nomination! Also submitted to Sundance are: AN UNFINISHED SYMPHONY, Bestor Cram, Producer, and Ted Reed's BROWNSVILLE: BLACK AND WHITE, (see WWW this issue for coverage of these films).

Right after 20,000 vacuum cleaner sales people left Boston all tidied up, the International Quorum of Film and Video Producers arrived for its 34th Annual Conference. Called Boston 2000 Road to Revolution, this year's gathering held at one of Boston's most prestigious hotels, The Boston Park Plaza, brought independent film and video producers from all over the globe for an exchange of ideas, work, and technology. Members enjoyed the grand tours, including the walking variety, the colorful Duck Tour, visits to Avid, the MIT Media Lab, Harvard Square, and the original House of Blues. Most important though, local business participants and representatives shared the region's best with its visitors. The conference was hosted locally by Northern Lights Productions and its IQ member Bestor Cram. Imagine will have a full report in its December issue. IQ's 2001 Conference is scheduled for Amsterdam.

The youngest writer ever won the Mass Film Offices' Seventh Annual Screenwriting Competition. He is 23 year-old Kris Johnson, a Hopkinton resident and a graduate of Northwestern University, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Radio/TV/Film. Johnson was enrolled in Northwestern's Creative Writing Media Program, a highly competitive two-year program focusing on writing for such media as theater, TV, and film when he wrote his winning script Written in Water. Revised several times, WiW tells the story of an eighteen-year-old son of a funeral home director who struggles with the death of his mother, unrequited love, and his father's expectations.

As the winner of the MFO Screenwriting Competition, Kris Johnson will receive round-trip airfare to Los Angeles, courtesy of American Airlines, a two-night stay at a Beverly Hills Hotel, and assistance from the MFO in scheduling meetings with Los Angeles-based studio executives and production professionals to discuss his script.

Actor Jeff Bridges presented the Massachusetts Film Office's (MFO) Seventh Annual Screenwriting Competition to Kris Johnson recently at a luncheon at the State House.

This year's other finalists included Dana Biscotti Myskowski of Clarksburg, MA for The R-Factor; Kathryn Paulsen of New York for Somewhere Waiting for You; co-writers David Post and Randie Harmon of Newton MA for While the Music Lasts; and Laura Schleebaum of Quincy, California for Work.

This month we need to be in several different places at once. Right after returning from the Renaissance City Film Festival in Providence, we peek in on the IQ Conference, then its off to the Northampton Film Festival in the western part of Massachusetts (see this month's special section by Laura Bernieri). After that it's full throttle toward the December issue, the final edition of Imagine for the memorable year 2000, and our special surprise: The IMAGINE 2001 Calendar Poster! It's pure media memorabilia and another cool collectible! Watch for it!

Thankfulness! We are brimming with it here at IMAGINE! And I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has shared themselves with this publication. Thank you to our advertisers. IMAGINE could never happen if our advertisers didn't sign on the dotted line and send their checks every month. Please let them know you appreciate them by using their goods and services whenever you can. Special thanks to our new and old subscribers (keep those subscriptions coming and get the free gifts), and thank you to our readers, writers, designers, editors, cartoonist, proofers, photographers, printers, mailers, distributors, contributors, well-wishers and cheerleaders. We work everyday for you and appreciate your continued support.

A Warm and Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!