This festival was made for you, Kateri.
You love film in a way that makes it feel alive, and I love getting to see that.
Tonight is my tribute to your love and passion — the part that notices the details,
cares about stories, and always explains how every scene is ever made.
When you pulled me back into your car and kissed me for the very first time
felt like one of those scenes that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Ever since we met at EOS, you’ve become one of the most important
parts of my life. So tonight, this room becomes a theater, this ticket becomes real,
and this whole thing is really just me trying to say: you are worth celebrating in
the most thoughtful way I know how.