Yesterday, I started to get press releases from the Aspen Shortfest. The first one was for Kate Hudson’s directorial debut CUTLASS. Of course it’s great that Aspen helps support a local girl, albeit a famous one. I’ve seen a lot of these shorts that turned into vanity projects, but I am hoping this one avoids that pitfall. Almost all filmmakers, even the rich and famous, have to call in favors to get their film made. The problem is when stars get other stars and crews to work gratis on their pics the story can suffer. I’m not saying this is the case for CUTLASS – I haven’t seen it yet. It’s just that there is an inherent problem, which stars must fight against. It’s not insurmountable. In fact I am rooting for CUTLASS – hey I’m a big fan of Ileanna Douglas’ films.