Monday, I put up a post from guest blogger Gail Sachson about what she is thankful for in the arts, and today I’ve got more thanks to pass around. Besides just the general thankfulness of this time of year, we’re also calling attention to a two-hour program airing Thursday on KERA (90.1 FM) called Giving Thanks 2008: A Celebration of Fall, Food and Gratitude. The show, hosted by John Birge, serves as a contemporary reflection on the meaning of the holiday and includes writers and musical guests riffing on the subject.

Bart Weiss, artistic director of the Dallas Video Festival, writes:
“I am very thankful.
Thankful for the film and video makers who make work that inspires me and my audiences.
Thankful for the audiences who come out to experience these mediated experiences and allow themselves to be moved by them.
Thankful for the many makers who have come to our festival and feel like family to us.
Thankful for the many people who have given us technology, space, sponsorships, design and heart.
Thankful for our Managing director AC Abbot, who makes these dreams happen and for the many years Laura Neitzel guided and led us.
Thankful for the Dallas Fort worth environment that had great film festivals and people who support them.
Thankful for my board.
Thankful for the many friends and family the festival has had.
Thankful for regime change coming in December.
Thankful that DVDs take up less shelf space than VHS or 3/4 inch tape.
Thankful that the iTunes really did work.
Thankful that we live in a city where you can see good films in good theaters.
Thankful that I have had many opportunities.
Thankful for Susan’s love and support.
I am thankful.”

And keeping on the film beat, Julie Hwang, our film guest blogger for November from the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, writes:
“As we go into this holiday weekend, I’m really thankful for Danny Boyle. If you haven’t yet seen Slumdog Millionaire, what are you waiting for? I heard a description of the film recently, calling it the “first global masterpiece.” The film combines so many multicultural ideas, music, story elements, languages, visuals, so effortlessly, it’s miraculous that it all works together so well. I’ve asked one of the managers at the Magnolia what the audience has been like so far, and he’s been extremely happy, not only with the size, but with the diversity of the turn out. It definitely warms my heart that one piece of work can have so much appeal to so many different types of people. It reminds us all that we can find some common ground.
I’m also thankful, as always, for everyone who works on the Asian Film Festival. We’re a wonderfully mixed group as well – Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Caucasian, African-American, to name a few. We don’t get paid. We work long hours for the festival and for our regular jobs. We struggle and figure out how to do more with less. We’re brought together by our love of film. We get along great and have tons of fun, and we love sharing our films with the community. Again, it’s that sharing of different cultures that drives and excites us, and makes us feel proud when everyone comes together.”