Heartfelt oogah-moogah to Santa Barbara Film Festival honcho Roger Durling for once again inviting me to his annual La Marmotte birthday dinner.

As per custom a splendid, flush time was had by all — Deadline’s Pete Hammond and enterprising, job-whispering wife Madelyn Hammond, IndieWire’s Anne Thompson, hotshot Hollywood Reporter columnist Scott Feinberg (a late arrival), Netflix award-season maestro Lisa Taback (an end-of-the-night joiner), Netflix talent relations and award season strategist Kelly Dalton, Miramax vp publicity Julie Fontaine, and Daniel Launspach.

These photos feature Roger + myself, and Roger and Lisa.

HE to Durling: “Thanks once again, o my brutha, for your profound generosity & kindness. You’ve always invited me to your Telluride birthday gatherings because we’re palsie-walsies but also because a seat at your table is a roundabout statement of support or at least respect for who I am industry-wise, my column and my opinions. And in fraught, turbulent times, this means a lot.”

I’m always been reluctant to pose for any photo hence my initial squeamishness when Madelyn suggested a shot, but it turned out okay or good enough. The Lisa-Roger photo is perfect.