the WATERING hole winner of the Producer’s Choice Award

By Gerald Martin Davenport on October 5, 2011, Updated November 21, 2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes

It came as a huge surprise and I am still dumbfounded that my fellow filmmakers chose “the WATERING hole” as their favorite out of all ten movies for the 2011 Place Called Sacramento film festival.

We are truly honored to receive such accolades, as is the cast & crew since there were many great movies up there that could have easily been the favorite of all.

But on Sunday, October 2, 2011, at the Crest Theater in Sacramento after watching Reluctant, The Chozen, CSI: Sacramento, Stalag Sacramento, The Purse, Borrowed Time, BUDDIES, The Break-Up, the WATERING hole, and Lucky Shot, the audience favorite was The Break-Up, and truly deserving — I enjoyed it.

I was not on stage at this time, as I had my 15 minutes of fame last year for THE GOLdEN TREE, as well as, Treasure Chest of South Sacramento that was written by Guy Pace, and this year I was also a contributor to BUDDIES, I meant no disrespect to the other filmmakers, I am not comfortable in front of a huge crowd — I am not an actor and the reason I am behind the camera.

Anyway, at this time I am saying movie titles to myself that could, should, or might win when Ron Cooper says “The Producer’s Choice Award goes to the collaborative teamwork of Rob Tillitz and Gerald Martin Davenport”

“WHAT!?” I said with confusion, disbelief, and a sense of fear — I knew I would have to go up on stage after that.

I was blindsided by the outcome and being chosen by my peers to receive the Producer's Choice Award for 2011 for “the WATERING hole” — yes three days later it has not registered that it really happened. Something we all do is fantasize that our name or projects win awards and entertain people, or be a superhero and save the day or the world, and when it happens we step back and wonder if it is real.

Granted it is not a major life-changing experience, but it is one nonetheless. And I am very appreciative of everyone for enjoying my work — that was my main goal, to begin with when I started this journey, and lets me know that I am on the right track and I do have the talent and skills — something we all question and second guess ourselves in life.

Congratulations to the cast & crew for winning such a prestigious award, in the Sacramento film community, and for giving me such great performances to work with and mold into an award-winning movie.

Remember: Lights on for safety.