Melvin van Peebles' Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-Itchyfooted Mutha brought the 2008 Maryland Film festival to a raucous close Sunday evening. The 75-year-old independent film and African-American film pioneer brought the crowd to its feet with a semi-autobiographical, blues-influenced, stream-of-consciousness extravaganza that packed in enough joy and inventiveness to make movie-making seem like the most fun anyone could ever have.

With brio, humor and self-effacing candor, van Peebles' film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last weekend and was getting its second public showing here in Baltimore, celebrated a life of equal parts confusion, obstinance and perseverance. Employing everything from from slow-motion to animation, from rotoscoping to a guy in a gorilla suit, Confessionsofa was the work of a mind that will never grow either old or content.

Thanks, Mr. van Peebles, for reminding us all how much fun creativity and passion can be.

See a clip from the film here: