December 29, 2007
We wish all of our friends and supporters a happy and healthy new year, and we hope that 2008 brings us closer to a cure for Duchenne musular dystrophy!
This week, Darius and Logan were named "Newsmakers of the Year" (Arts category) in the Athens Banner-Herald. Check out this link to read the front-page story about them, and be sure to watch the video...it's hilarious!
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/122707/news_20071227031.shtml
Darius and his mom are now happily settled in their awesome new home, and Darius has taken several showers! Thanks to the generosity of Richard Whiteman and Kevin Howe, Big Daddy also has a new monitor and computer!
BIG NEWS: The Ellen DeGeneres Show featuring DGW will air again on Wednesday, January 2! If you missed it the first time, be sure to catch it this time. If you watched it before, please consider watching it again. It is because of YOU that it's running again. Sources at the show tell us that ratings were sky-high, and that while viewership normally slips for the last segment of a show, in our case, it soared!
QUICK FAVOR: Please continue to vote for Darius on the Volvo for Life Contest. Voting ends on January 7, so we're in the homestretch. If Darius makes it to the next level, $25,000 goes to DMD research. You can vote as often as once a minute, you don't have to register, and there are no pop-up windows. Here's the link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Please vote often and tell everyone you know to do the same. With your help, we can win this!!!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A NEW HOUSE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
December 23, 2007
This will be quick because we're all still recuperating from the big move this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, we moved Big Daddy and his mom, Jamie, into their "new" house...just in time for the holidays! It was a long two days, but everything went smoothly, and the house is SO awesome. Check out the new pictures we've posted! Seeing Darius roll from room to room and seeing Jamie's face after her new living room furniture arrived and got all set up...that's what the holidays are all about!
Darius was a big hit at the Georgia Theater on Friday night at Madfest (see our pictures), although most of us didn't get to bed until 4:00 AM...and that was after moving furniture all day...in the rain!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this holiday so special for Darius and his family. This was truly a community effort!
Don't forget to keep voting for Darius in the Volvo for Life Contest. Voting ends January 7, and we really want to win that $25,000 for Charley's Fund! Here's the link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Finally, some quick news: our DGW store is fully opearational now. You can order DVDs, t-shirts, and Lamborghini orange wrist bands online at http://www.dariusgoesweststore.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-8DARIUS. Soon we'll have movie posters and other goodies. Remember, all proceeds from everything we sell go to DMD research, so spread the word!
Warmest wishes to all our supporters for a happy and healthy new year!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
This will be quick because we're all still recuperating from the big move this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, we moved Big Daddy and his mom, Jamie, into their "new" house...just in time for the holidays! It was a long two days, but everything went smoothly, and the house is SO awesome. Check out the new pictures we've posted! Seeing Darius roll from room to room and seeing Jamie's face after her new living room furniture arrived and got all set up...that's what the holidays are all about!
Darius was a big hit at the Georgia Theater on Friday night at Madfest (see our pictures), although most of us didn't get to bed until 4:00 AM...and that was after moving furniture all day...in the rain!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this holiday so special for Darius and his family. This was truly a community effort!
Don't forget to keep voting for Darius in the Volvo for Life Contest. Voting ends January 7, and we really want to win that $25,000 for Charley's Fund! Here's the link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Finally, some quick news: our DGW store is fully opearational now. You can order DVDs, t-shirts, and Lamborghini orange wrist bands online at http://www.dariusgoesweststore.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-8DARIUS. Soon we'll have movie posters and other goodies. Remember, all proceeds from everything we sell go to DMD research, so spread the word!
Warmest wishes to all our supporters for a happy and healthy new year!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
IT'S A (W)RAP!
December 20, 2007
Tis the season to be....busy, busy, busy! Just in time for Christmas, we have (almost) wrapped up the renovations for Darius and Jamie's "new home," and we will be moving them in tomorrow!!! (We've also posted a few new pictures...check out the awesome wheelchair-accessible bathroom!). Thanks to EVERYONE who has worked on the house, fed everyone who worked on the house, and donated funiture or gift cards for Jamie to help put the finishing touches on/in her new abode. She is so excited, and so are we!
A special shoutout goes to electrician extraordinaire John Hardy (and his wife, Rose) of Drive-Tech for all of their assistance. We couldn't have crossed the finish line without their hard work! Also to Wesley's Drywall. Wesley and wife, Bonnie, recruited family members to help them so that we wouldn't be charged for labor. And last but not least, a HUGE thanks to Aaron Edelheit and Caroline Farrell, long-time DGW supporters from Santa Barbara, who sent Jamie a sweet Wal-Mart gift card for Christmas...and to Faith & Ernest Hardaway and family for sending an extremely generous donation for D's house that helped us say, "It's a wrap!"
Other news...
* Tomorrow (Friday, December 21) night, Big D will rap at MadFest, an allstar concert being held at the Georgia Theater that features big names like Love Tractor and Randall Bramblett. Darius will perform at about midnight, but please come earlier. Tickets are $10; call the Georgia Theater for more information. Cameras will be rolling; don't miss it!
* DGW crew member John Harmon was recently in the news in Milledgeville, GA. Check out the article at this link:
http://info.gcsu.edu/tip/archives/2007/GCSUstudentgetsatasteofHo.html
* Congrats to Athenian Jessica Perno, who recently ran a 10K race in Washington, D.C. (where she now lives) where proceeds went to DMD research. Her team helped raise $100,000!!! She was inspired to enter this race after seeing our film. We've posted a picture she sent us that was taken just after the race. Go, Jessica!
* Darius and Logan have been named "Newsmakers of the Year" by the Athens Banner-Herald. Watch for a big story on December 27.
We hope you have an amazing holiday!
Know about it!
Tis the season to be....busy, busy, busy! Just in time for Christmas, we have (almost) wrapped up the renovations for Darius and Jamie's "new home," and we will be moving them in tomorrow!!! (We've also posted a few new pictures...check out the awesome wheelchair-accessible bathroom!). Thanks to EVERYONE who has worked on the house, fed everyone who worked on the house, and donated funiture or gift cards for Jamie to help put the finishing touches on/in her new abode. She is so excited, and so are we!
A special shoutout goes to electrician extraordinaire John Hardy (and his wife, Rose) of Drive-Tech for all of their assistance. We couldn't have crossed the finish line without their hard work! Also to Wesley's Drywall. Wesley and wife, Bonnie, recruited family members to help them so that we wouldn't be charged for labor. And last but not least, a HUGE thanks to Aaron Edelheit and Caroline Farrell, long-time DGW supporters from Santa Barbara, who sent Jamie a sweet Wal-Mart gift card for Christmas...and to Faith & Ernest Hardaway and family for sending an extremely generous donation for D's house that helped us say, "It's a wrap!"
Other news...
* Tomorrow (Friday, December 21) night, Big D will rap at MadFest, an allstar concert being held at the Georgia Theater that features big names like Love Tractor and Randall Bramblett. Darius will perform at about midnight, but please come earlier. Tickets are $10; call the Georgia Theater for more information. Cameras will be rolling; don't miss it!
* DGW crew member John Harmon was recently in the news in Milledgeville, GA. Check out the article at this link:
http://info.gcsu.edu/tip/archives/2007/GCSUstudentgetsatasteofHo.html
* Congrats to Athenian Jessica Perno, who recently ran a 10K race in Washington, D.C. (where she now lives) where proceeds went to DMD research. Her team helped raise $100,000!!! She was inspired to enter this race after seeing our film. We've posted a picture she sent us that was taken just after the race. Go, Jessica!
* Darius and Logan have been named "Newsmakers of the Year" by the Athens Banner-Herald. Watch for a big story on December 27.
We hope you have an amazing holiday!
Know about it!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
WE'VE BEEN ELFED!
December 11, 2007
Looking for some holiday humor? Check out this link:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9532294833
Our good friends, the McDonnell-Sandor family from Fleetwood, PA (Aidan appears in our film) sent us this link, starring Darius (looking mighty thin) and DGW crew members Sam Johnson, Ben Smalley, and Logan Smalley. Hilarious!
We've been busy doing last-minute renovations to Darius and his mom's "new" house and hope to move them in the weekend before Christmas. We've posted a few new pictures that show the awesome work being done by Dream House for Medically Fragile Children. They are widening doors and making the bathroom wheelchair accessible so that Darius can take a shower! Dixie Painting will come in behind them and finish painting the exterior of the addition, as well as the entire interior. Things are looking good!
DVD sales are brisk! If you haven't already ordered yours, go to our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com) and click on the "Order a DVD" button OR call toll-free: 1-888-8DARIUS. DVDs will begin shipping on Saturday, December 14 and will arrive in time for holiday giving if you order NOW. This is the ONLY place you can purchase DVDs for now; we have none in stock in Athens.
In fact, the only way we could get the DVD ready in time for the holidays was to get help from a fulfillment house like Co-Operations in Portland, Oregon. This company is taking care of all the packaging and shipping. It is owned by Fred and Pat Granum, who are related to Athenians Tom and Doris Granum. When DGW screened at the Longbaugh Film Festival in Portland last spring, Fred and Pat saw and loved the movie and took the crew out for an awesome dinner. They offered their company's services then and there, and now we've taken them up on their extremely generous offer.
If you missed Darius as Grand Marshal of the 2007 Athens Holiday Parade of Lights, check out this link:
http://athensclarkecounty.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=185
Finally, today we visited the Athens Volvo dealership to introduce ourselves and Darius to the managers there (see the picture we've posted). Please continue to vote for Darius in the Volvo For Life contest, which ends January 7. Here's the link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Vote often (up to once a minute) and tell your friends and family to do the same. If he makes it to the next round, Charley's Fund gets $25,000!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Looking for some holiday humor? Check out this link:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9532294833
Our good friends, the McDonnell-Sandor family from Fleetwood, PA (Aidan appears in our film) sent us this link, starring Darius (looking mighty thin) and DGW crew members Sam Johnson, Ben Smalley, and Logan Smalley. Hilarious!
We've been busy doing last-minute renovations to Darius and his mom's "new" house and hope to move them in the weekend before Christmas. We've posted a few new pictures that show the awesome work being done by Dream House for Medically Fragile Children. They are widening doors and making the bathroom wheelchair accessible so that Darius can take a shower! Dixie Painting will come in behind them and finish painting the exterior of the addition, as well as the entire interior. Things are looking good!
DVD sales are brisk! If you haven't already ordered yours, go to our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com) and click on the "Order a DVD" button OR call toll-free: 1-888-8DARIUS. DVDs will begin shipping on Saturday, December 14 and will arrive in time for holiday giving if you order NOW. This is the ONLY place you can purchase DVDs for now; we have none in stock in Athens.
In fact, the only way we could get the DVD ready in time for the holidays was to get help from a fulfillment house like Co-Operations in Portland, Oregon. This company is taking care of all the packaging and shipping. It is owned by Fred and Pat Granum, who are related to Athenians Tom and Doris Granum. When DGW screened at the Longbaugh Film Festival in Portland last spring, Fred and Pat saw and loved the movie and took the crew out for an awesome dinner. They offered their company's services then and there, and now we've taken them up on their extremely generous offer.
If you missed Darius as Grand Marshal of the 2007 Athens Holiday Parade of Lights, check out this link:
http://athensclarkecounty.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=185
Finally, today we visited the Athens Volvo dealership to introduce ourselves and Darius to the managers there (see the picture we've posted). Please continue to vote for Darius in the Volvo For Life contest, which ends January 7. Here's the link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Vote often (up to once a minute) and tell your friends and family to do the same. If he makes it to the next round, Charley's Fund gets $25,000!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
FA-LA-LA-LA-LA!
December 5, 2007
The Athens Christmas Parade was magical! (We've posted some pictures...check them out). Darius was the Grand Marshall and rode in the back of Todd Emily's shiny red pickup truck with a few DGW crew members. Daniel and other crew members followed behind in the DGW Dodge Sprinter van, which we had decorated with garlands and bows. We threw tons of candy (and ran out less than halfway through), along with about 20 DGW t-shirts, which the crowd loved.
Speaking of crowds, we never imagined it to be so HUGE. There must have been 10,000 people lining the streets of the Classic City. Everyone was yelling to Darius, "Way to go, man!" and "Hey, saw you on Ellen DeGeneres!" Darius wore a Santa hat and a blinking necklace. He was all smiles from start to finish. Thanks, Athens, for this wonderful opportunity (and to Project START camp director, Leslie Trier for suggesting Darius as Grand Marshall).
The night was memorable and magical for D's mom, Jamie, as well. Thanks to the efforts of our dear friends at Shirtworks (Kathy and Jackie), she and her family got to ride to the parade in style. Did someone say STRETCH LIMO? Yep! Big-time DGW supporter Anita Will, along with Calvin Smith, owner of A Touch of Elegance Limousine Service made all that happen...and champagne was flowing!!! David Hayward escorted all these lovely ladies.
In other news, many crew members spent the weekend in Los Angeles, where we had a private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at CAA on Friday night, followed by a kick-off DGW "Know About It" school screening on Saturday at the New Beverly Cinema for Jordan High School students. Both events rocked, and we raised quite a bit of money Friday night (no final tallies yet). Logan flew on the red eye Saturday night to make it to Lenox, Massachusetts for another school screening, where 500 students turned out. Woo-hoo!
D's house is progressing nicely, thanks to an amazing gift from Dream House for Medically Fragile Children (dreamhouseforkids.org). They have agreed to take care of making the house accessible, which includes widening all doorways and renovating the bathroom (to include a roll-in shower). We are so grateful for this incredibly generous gift! Tim Johnson made this awesome connection for us. If you have a second, please send an e-mail to Linnea Roe at Dream House to say thanks on our behalf. Here's her e-mail: Linnea.Roe@dreamhouseforkids.org
Don't forget that DVDs of Darius Goes West are on sale now at our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com). With $16 of every DVD purchase going directly to DMD research, this is a gift you can feel good about giving.
Also, don't forget to keep voting for Darius in the "Volvo for Life" contest. You can vote once a minute, and it's so easy. Just go to this link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Tell your friends and family to do the same. If he makes it to the next level (voting closes January 7), Charley's Fund gets $25,000!!!
Know about it!
The Athens Christmas Parade was magical! (We've posted some pictures...check them out). Darius was the Grand Marshall and rode in the back of Todd Emily's shiny red pickup truck with a few DGW crew members. Daniel and other crew members followed behind in the DGW Dodge Sprinter van, which we had decorated with garlands and bows. We threw tons of candy (and ran out less than halfway through), along with about 20 DGW t-shirts, which the crowd loved.
Speaking of crowds, we never imagined it to be so HUGE. There must have been 10,000 people lining the streets of the Classic City. Everyone was yelling to Darius, "Way to go, man!" and "Hey, saw you on Ellen DeGeneres!" Darius wore a Santa hat and a blinking necklace. He was all smiles from start to finish. Thanks, Athens, for this wonderful opportunity (and to Project START camp director, Leslie Trier for suggesting Darius as Grand Marshall).
The night was memorable and magical for D's mom, Jamie, as well. Thanks to the efforts of our dear friends at Shirtworks (Kathy and Jackie), she and her family got to ride to the parade in style. Did someone say STRETCH LIMO? Yep! Big-time DGW supporter Anita Will, along with Calvin Smith, owner of A Touch of Elegance Limousine Service made all that happen...and champagne was flowing!!! David Hayward escorted all these lovely ladies.
In other news, many crew members spent the weekend in Los Angeles, where we had a private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at CAA on Friday night, followed by a kick-off DGW "Know About It" school screening on Saturday at the New Beverly Cinema for Jordan High School students. Both events rocked, and we raised quite a bit of money Friday night (no final tallies yet). Logan flew on the red eye Saturday night to make it to Lenox, Massachusetts for another school screening, where 500 students turned out. Woo-hoo!
D's house is progressing nicely, thanks to an amazing gift from Dream House for Medically Fragile Children (dreamhouseforkids.org). They have agreed to take care of making the house accessible, which includes widening all doorways and renovating the bathroom (to include a roll-in shower). We are so grateful for this incredibly generous gift! Tim Johnson made this awesome connection for us. If you have a second, please send an e-mail to Linnea Roe at Dream House to say thanks on our behalf. Here's her e-mail: Linnea.Roe@dreamhouseforkids.org
Don't forget that DVDs of Darius Goes West are on sale now at our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com). With $16 of every DVD purchase going directly to DMD research, this is a gift you can feel good about giving.
Also, don't forget to keep voting for Darius in the "Volvo for Life" contest. You can vote once a minute, and it's so easy. Just go to this link:
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
Tell your friends and family to do the same. If he makes it to the next level (voting closes January 7), Charley's Fund gets $25,000!!!
Know about it!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
TIME TO PRE-ORDER DGW DVDS!
November 25, 2007
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS...DVDs of Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life can be pre-ordered NOW. Just go to our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com) and click on the DVD order button. DVDs are selling for $19.99, and every penny of profit goes to DMD research. Please consider purchasing several for friends and family this holiday season, and thank you for your support! DVDs will be shipping in early- to mid-December.
We have a busy week ahead...
* Don't forget to watch ELLEN DEGENERES on Monday (November 26). Darius and Logan will be on the show (it was taped a couple of weeks ago; we've posted a few pictures), and Ben, Jason, and John Harmon will be in the audience. We're pretty sure DGW is the last segment. Watch for a wonderful surprise at the end. (Check local listings for when ELLEN airs in your area).
* If you live in or near Athens, don't miss the Christmas Parade downtown on Thursday, November 29, at 7:00 PM. Darius will be the Grand Marshall (a huge honor we are so thrilled about) and will ride in the back of a convertible! DGW crew members will follow behind in the DGW van (loaned to us by Dodge).
* On Friday, many of us leave for Los Angeles. That night, we have a private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at Creative Artists Agency in Beverly Hills. Saturday morning, we kick off the Darius Goes West "Know About It" program (that's our educational program) with a screening for 300--plus high school students from the Watts District. Late Saturday, Logan will take the red eye back east for a second "Know About It" kickoff in Lenox, Massachusetts. If you know any middle or high school students or teachers interested in participating in the "Know About It" program, please tell them to e-mail us at knowaboutit@gmail.com.
* Darius's new house is coming along great. Habitat for Humanity built an awesome ramp for it, Dixie Painting will be coming in to finish painting the exterior and paint the entire interior. A foundation called Dream House for Medically Fragile Children will be widening doors and making the bathroom accessible, and thanks to your donations, Jamie (D's mom) will be going furniture shopping! We plan to move Darius and his family in by Christmas and have a housewarming party soon afer that. If you'd like to come to the party, please send an e-mail to dariusgoeswest@gmail.com.
Warmest wishes from our "family" to yours for a happy, healthy, and peaceful holiday season.
Know about it!
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS...DVDs of Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life can be pre-ordered NOW. Just go to our website (www.dariusgoeswest.com) and click on the DVD order button. DVDs are selling for $19.99, and every penny of profit goes to DMD research. Please consider purchasing several for friends and family this holiday season, and thank you for your support! DVDs will be shipping in early- to mid-December.
We have a busy week ahead...
* Don't forget to watch ELLEN DEGENERES on Monday (November 26). Darius and Logan will be on the show (it was taped a couple of weeks ago; we've posted a few pictures), and Ben, Jason, and John Harmon will be in the audience. We're pretty sure DGW is the last segment. Watch for a wonderful surprise at the end. (Check local listings for when ELLEN airs in your area).
* If you live in or near Athens, don't miss the Christmas Parade downtown on Thursday, November 29, at 7:00 PM. Darius will be the Grand Marshall (a huge honor we are so thrilled about) and will ride in the back of a convertible! DGW crew members will follow behind in the DGW van (loaned to us by Dodge).
* On Friday, many of us leave for Los Angeles. That night, we have a private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at Creative Artists Agency in Beverly Hills. Saturday morning, we kick off the Darius Goes West "Know About It" program (that's our educational program) with a screening for 300--plus high school students from the Watts District. Late Saturday, Logan will take the red eye back east for a second "Know About It" kickoff in Lenox, Massachusetts. If you know any middle or high school students or teachers interested in participating in the "Know About It" program, please tell them to e-mail us at knowaboutit@gmail.com.
* Darius's new house is coming along great. Habitat for Humanity built an awesome ramp for it, Dixie Painting will be coming in to finish painting the exterior and paint the entire interior. A foundation called Dream House for Medically Fragile Children will be widening doors and making the bathroom accessible, and thanks to your donations, Jamie (D's mom) will be going furniture shopping! We plan to move Darius and his family in by Christmas and have a housewarming party soon afer that. If you'd like to come to the party, please send an e-mail to dariusgoeswest@gmail.com.
Warmest wishes from our "family" to yours for a happy, healthy, and peaceful holiday season.
Know about it!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
NO OSCAR FOR DGW ):
November 20, 2007
Well, the Oscar short list came out, and DGW wasn't on it. Bummer! Here's the list:
"Autism: The Musical"
"Body of War"
"For the Bible Tells Me So"
"Lake of Fire"
"Nanking"
"No End in Sight"
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"
"Please Vote for Me"
"The Price of Sugar"
"A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman"
"The Rape of Europa"
"Sicko"
"Taxi to the Dark Side"
"War/Dance"
"White Light/Black Rain"
We're not too upset about this, but we are proud to have won (many) more film festival awards than all of these films combined! We figure we are the "People's Choice!"
Here's some good news: The Athens Moose Lodge is raffling off a Collegiate scooter (the mini motorcycles UGA athletes, etc. tool around in on campus) and have decided to donate the proceeds to DGW! You can buy a ticket ($5 each) from any Moose Lodge member OR by calling the Lodge at (706) 310-0190 or Charles Vaughn at (706) 208-0033. Hurry, though, as the winner will be drawn in early December. Thank you for thinking of us!
DON'T FORGET TO WATCH ELLEN DEGENERES on Monday, November 26. Logan and Darius will be on, and you'll also see Ben, Jason, and John Harmon in the audience. Wait till you see the surprise at the end! We've posted a few pictures from the ELLEN show taping. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful turkey day. We at DGW are so thankful for all you've done for us!
Know about it!
Well, the Oscar short list came out, and DGW wasn't on it. Bummer! Here's the list:
"Autism: The Musical"
"Body of War"
"For the Bible Tells Me So"
"Lake of Fire"
"Nanking"
"No End in Sight"
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"
"Please Vote for Me"
"The Price of Sugar"
"A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman"
"The Rape of Europa"
"Sicko"
"Taxi to the Dark Side"
"War/Dance"
"White Light/Black Rain"
We're not too upset about this, but we are proud to have won (many) more film festival awards than all of these films combined! We figure we are the "People's Choice!"
Here's some good news: The Athens Moose Lodge is raffling off a Collegiate scooter (the mini motorcycles UGA athletes, etc. tool around in on campus) and have decided to donate the proceeds to DGW! You can buy a ticket ($5 each) from any Moose Lodge member OR by calling the Lodge at (706) 310-0190 or Charles Vaughn at (706) 208-0033. Hurry, though, as the winner will be drawn in early December. Thank you for thinking of us!
DON'T FORGET TO WATCH ELLEN DEGENERES on Monday, November 26. Logan and Darius will be on, and you'll also see Ben, Jason, and John Harmon in the audience. Wait till you see the surprise at the end! We've posted a few pictures from the ELLEN show taping. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful turkey day. We at DGW are so thankful for all you've done for us!
Know about it!
Monday, November 12, 2007
25th AWARD AND SO MUCH MORE!
November 12, 2007
Collin and Daniel called from the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth, Texas yesterday afternoon with some very good news: we won Best Documentary! That brings our film festival award tally to an amazing 25!!! The guys said the crowd was awesome there, and we've received several e-mails from new DGW fans in Texas.
At the St. Louis International Film Festival, the crowd was equally awesome and HUGE: over 200 people! Sam and Jason represented DGW there and were a bit nervous about hosting a Q&A, especially when the (mostly) hometown crowd saw the scene where Darius and the crew visited the Arch, which turned out to be inaccessible. Turns out, the audience pretty much apologized to the DGW crew, and we've received many e-mails from people saying they intend to start a letter-writing campaign to urge the Arch to make some renovations. How cool is that?
If you followed our trip online, you'll know that when Darius and the crew stopped in St. Louis, they were treated royally, thanks to big time DGW supporter Dave Andersen. Big D stayed in the Presidential Suite at the Drury Plaza Hotel, the local MDA organization arranged for all to meet some local firemen...and D was made honorary fire chief for the day. There were also great meals, and many warm, wonderful and welcoming folks. Unfortunately, a lot of that day's events wound up on the cutting room floor (not by choice), but they will eventually be seen in Part One of DVD extras (hopefully to be released this summer).
MORE GOOD NEWS...
Darius and Logan are in Los Angeles today to tape the Ellen DeGeneres Show! The segment won't air until November 26, so that gives you plenty of time to get ready for it. The producers at Ellen saw D and Logan on The Today Show and called right away. Ben, John Harmon, and Jason Hees also made the trip, and they will be in the studio audience. Sweet!
Darius has been tapped to be the Grand Marshall of Athens holiday parade! He is thrilled with this huge honor and is looking forward to sitting in the back of a convertible on November 29. The crew plans to follow behind in the DGW van so graciously loaned to us by Dodge.
Darius Goes West was shown in Upstate New York earlier this week at a private screening/benefit hosted by the Portnoy family, who have an adorable son/nephew/grandson named Javier who was recently diagnosed with DMD. The event, entitled Hope for Javier, raised an astonishing $158,000, with checks still rolling in. When we hear news like this--of the power our film has in raising money for DMD research--we are thrilled beyond belief.
We've said it many times before, and we'll say it again and again. Making this film has never been about winning awards (although we love them), becoming celebrities (no thanks), or about advancing anyone's careers. It's about helping to find--and fund--a cure for this horrible disease. And we're so proud to report that, to date, DGW has raised a little over $600,000 for Charley's Fund and DMD research.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Collin and Daniel called from the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth, Texas yesterday afternoon with some very good news: we won Best Documentary! That brings our film festival award tally to an amazing 25!!! The guys said the crowd was awesome there, and we've received several e-mails from new DGW fans in Texas.
At the St. Louis International Film Festival, the crowd was equally awesome and HUGE: over 200 people! Sam and Jason represented DGW there and were a bit nervous about hosting a Q&A, especially when the (mostly) hometown crowd saw the scene where Darius and the crew visited the Arch, which turned out to be inaccessible. Turns out, the audience pretty much apologized to the DGW crew, and we've received many e-mails from people saying they intend to start a letter-writing campaign to urge the Arch to make some renovations. How cool is that?
If you followed our trip online, you'll know that when Darius and the crew stopped in St. Louis, they were treated royally, thanks to big time DGW supporter Dave Andersen. Big D stayed in the Presidential Suite at the Drury Plaza Hotel, the local MDA organization arranged for all to meet some local firemen...and D was made honorary fire chief for the day. There were also great meals, and many warm, wonderful and welcoming folks. Unfortunately, a lot of that day's events wound up on the cutting room floor (not by choice), but they will eventually be seen in Part One of DVD extras (hopefully to be released this summer).
MORE GOOD NEWS...
Darius and Logan are in Los Angeles today to tape the Ellen DeGeneres Show! The segment won't air until November 26, so that gives you plenty of time to get ready for it. The producers at Ellen saw D and Logan on The Today Show and called right away. Ben, John Harmon, and Jason Hees also made the trip, and they will be in the studio audience. Sweet!
Darius has been tapped to be the Grand Marshall of Athens holiday parade! He is thrilled with this huge honor and is looking forward to sitting in the back of a convertible on November 29. The crew plans to follow behind in the DGW van so graciously loaned to us by Dodge.
Darius Goes West was shown in Upstate New York earlier this week at a private screening/benefit hosted by the Portnoy family, who have an adorable son/nephew/grandson named Javier who was recently diagnosed with DMD. The event, entitled Hope for Javier, raised an astonishing $158,000, with checks still rolling in. When we hear news like this--of the power our film has in raising money for DMD research--we are thrilled beyond belief.
We've said it many times before, and we'll say it again and again. Making this film has never been about winning awards (although we love them), becoming celebrities (no thanks), or about advancing anyone's careers. It's about helping to find--and fund--a cure for this horrible disease. And we're so proud to report that, to date, DGW has raised a little over $600,000 for Charley's Fund and DMD research.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
VOTE FOR DARIUS!
November 11, 2007
We have some awesome news! Julie Phillips, a reporter with the Athens Banner-Herald, recently nominated Darius for a "Volvo For Life" Award, and we just got word that he is a semi-finalist! Darius and the crew are elated, and as always, we're depending on the ferocious support of our Darius Goes West fans to take us to the next level. This stage of the contest is decided by an ONLINE VOTE, and if Darius gets there, $25,000 will be donated to our film's beneficiary, Charleys Fund (www.charleysfund.org) for DMD research!
Please help us by casting your votes for Darius. It's so easy to do...no registration required, no ads to watch, and almost no limits on voting. Here's what to do:
1.Click on the following link
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
2. Check the box next to Darius Weems (Though in good company, he's the good looking one in the bottom right:))
3. Click Vote!
That's it; you're done!
Rule on Votes: You can vote as many times as you want as long as youdon't so more than once a minute. The vote closes on January 7th.
Tips:
- Consider making the link your homepage as a daily reminder.
- At work or home, you can open the page in a new browser window. Position it so you can see it, and cast votes at your convenience.
- Bookmark it so you don't have to remember the link (It can also be accessed through our website DariusGoesWest.com.
SPREAD THE WORD! To increase our chances of winning, please consider forwarding this email around to friends, family, and co-workers. If they're not familiar with Darius or our project, you may want to include this link to our Youtube trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DFt3_s1WnS4 and/or this link from our recent appearance on The Today Show:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=6f37463a-65ae-4274-b866-0e41532565b8
You all know that it is Darius who makes our story great, but what you may not realize is that because you are spread out across cities, states, and the world, your solidarity and relentless support is what makes our story a success. We really appreciate your continued support.
Know about it!
We have some awesome news! Julie Phillips, a reporter with the Athens Banner-Herald, recently nominated Darius for a "Volvo For Life" Award, and we just got word that he is a semi-finalist! Darius and the crew are elated, and as always, we're depending on the ferocious support of our Darius Goes West fans to take us to the next level. This stage of the contest is decided by an ONLINE VOTE, and if Darius gets there, $25,000 will be donated to our film's beneficiary, Charleys Fund (www.charleysfund.org) for DMD research!
Please help us by casting your votes for Darius. It's so easy to do...no registration required, no ads to watch, and almost no limits on voting. Here's what to do:
1.Click on the following link
http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/vote/quality/index.html
2. Check the box next to Darius Weems (Though in good company, he's the good looking one in the bottom right:))
3. Click Vote!
That's it; you're done!
Rule on Votes: You can vote as many times as you want as long as youdon't so more than once a minute. The vote closes on January 7th.
Tips:
- Consider making the link your homepage as a daily reminder.
- At work or home, you can open the page in a new browser window. Position it so you can see it, and cast votes at your convenience.
- Bookmark it so you don't have to remember the link (It can also be accessed through our website DariusGoesWest.com.
SPREAD THE WORD! To increase our chances of winning, please consider forwarding this email around to friends, family, and co-workers. If they're not familiar with Darius or our project, you may want to include this link to our Youtube trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DFt3_s1WnS4 and/or this link from our recent appearance on The Today Show:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=6f37463a-65ae-4274-b866-0e41532565b8
You all know that it is Darius who makes our story great, but what you may not realize is that because you are spread out across cities, states, and the world, your solidarity and relentless support is what makes our story a success. We really appreciate your continued support.
Know about it!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
November 10, 2007
Our supporters and fans are AMAZING! Last weekend was homecoming at the University of Georgia, but the DGW crew organized a homecoming of a different sort...a homecoming for Darius and his mom, Jamie. We invited the community to come out and help up spruce up the Weems' new digs plus add a new bedroom for Jamie.
Volunteers turned out in droves! They brought food and drinks...they carried bricks...they hammered and sawed...they sent donations and gift cards. Thanks to their efforts, we made incredible progress. Check the photos we've just posted, and we guarantee you'll be impressed! Needless to say, Jamie and Darius are ecstatic about their new home.
This list is by no means complete, but special thanks to these people and organizations for their support: Shirtworks, Habitat for Humanity, Maverick Materials, Athens-Clarke County firemen, Dawn Fowler, Debbie Bell, Tricia Massey, Jim Hamilton, Pat McMackin, the Higginbothams (Lyle and parents), Tim Blackwell, Jeremy Fields, Justin Bell, Melanie Graham, Erin and her mom, Ellen, Kathy Smith, Sherrie Weber, Madeline Van Dyck, Leslie and Dan Trier, Erika Douglas and family, and many, many others (our list is at the Weems' house as this is written; we promise to add more names later).
Thanks to Daniel's tireless efforts, the addition is close to being completed, and it looks awesome. There is still work to be done, so if you can help (anytime), give Daniel a call at (706) 540-6577 and leave a message if necessary.
DGW is on the road again this weekend. Collin and Daniel are in Fort Worth, Texas for the Lone Star Film Festival, and Sam and Jason are representing DGW at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Our fingers (and toes) are crossed that one of them brings home our 25th film festival award!
Know about it!
Our supporters and fans are AMAZING! Last weekend was homecoming at the University of Georgia, but the DGW crew organized a homecoming of a different sort...a homecoming for Darius and his mom, Jamie. We invited the community to come out and help up spruce up the Weems' new digs plus add a new bedroom for Jamie.
Volunteers turned out in droves! They brought food and drinks...they carried bricks...they hammered and sawed...they sent donations and gift cards. Thanks to their efforts, we made incredible progress. Check the photos we've just posted, and we guarantee you'll be impressed! Needless to say, Jamie and Darius are ecstatic about their new home.
This list is by no means complete, but special thanks to these people and organizations for their support: Shirtworks, Habitat for Humanity, Maverick Materials, Athens-Clarke County firemen, Dawn Fowler, Debbie Bell, Tricia Massey, Jim Hamilton, Pat McMackin, the Higginbothams (Lyle and parents), Tim Blackwell, Jeremy Fields, Justin Bell, Melanie Graham, Erin and her mom, Ellen, Kathy Smith, Sherrie Weber, Madeline Van Dyck, Leslie and Dan Trier, Erika Douglas and family, and many, many others (our list is at the Weems' house as this is written; we promise to add more names later).
Thanks to Daniel's tireless efforts, the addition is close to being completed, and it looks awesome. There is still work to be done, so if you can help (anytime), give Daniel a call at (706) 540-6577 and leave a message if necessary.
DGW is on the road again this weekend. Collin and Daniel are in Fort Worth, Texas for the Lone Star Film Festival, and Sam and Jason are representing DGW at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Our fingers (and toes) are crossed that one of them brings home our 25th film festival award!
Know about it!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
TODAY ON TODAY!
November 1, 2007
Hope you watched The Today Show this morning. Darius was awesome (as was Logan) and made Athens, Georgia proud! Even Sam and Collin got to get in the picture as the show signed off. Woo-hoo! Great job, producer Mary Elizabeth Laurence!
Special thanks to Chris Spence and John White, Logan's friends from the Harvard TIE program who made the trip from Boston to support DGW on Today and who waved their sign "Harvard Loves Darius Goes West" outside the studio and made it on camera!! The night before, these guys hung out with the DGW crew and had a blast. Now Harvard definitely "knows about it!"
If you watched the show, PLEASE send an e-mail to say how much you liked it. This could lead to more national media appearances! Write to: today@nbc.com
And if you missed it, here's where to go to watch the segment:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=6f37463a-65ae-4274-b866-0e41532565b8
Hope you caught Logan's big announcement on national telvision today: DVDs of Darius Goes West will be available in early December. To get on our list so we can notify you when and how to preorder them, send an e-mail to knowaboutit@gmail.com We expect DVDs to ship by December 1st (just in time for the holidays!) and to sell for about $19.95. Remember, ALL proceeds go to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org) for DMD research.
Logan has returned to Boston, but Sam, Collin, and Darius are still in New York until tomorrow and having a blast. Since their Today Show appearance, they have been recognized on the streets of the Big Apple everywhere they go! One fan who's seen the movie several times even treated the guys to a super-nice dinner tonight. Thanks, Suzanne!
Darius has been rapping again in Times Square. In fact, when he showed up there Wednesday night, many of the same rappers he met in the spring during the Tribeca Film Festival recognized him, and he was getting high fives and "Whazzups?" all over the place.
Today was a red letter day for another reason: Darius's mom, Jamie, closed on the Weems' new home!!! This weekend, we'll be building the addition to the house. If you're in Athens, come by and help us, feed us, or drop off a donation or gift card. Daniel Epting has worked tirelessly to make this happen, and we can't thank him enough! Many, many others have pitched in, and we will acknowledge them in a future blog.
Know about it!
Hope you watched The Today Show this morning. Darius was awesome (as was Logan) and made Athens, Georgia proud! Even Sam and Collin got to get in the picture as the show signed off. Woo-hoo! Great job, producer Mary Elizabeth Laurence!
Special thanks to Chris Spence and John White, Logan's friends from the Harvard TIE program who made the trip from Boston to support DGW on Today and who waved their sign "Harvard Loves Darius Goes West" outside the studio and made it on camera!! The night before, these guys hung out with the DGW crew and had a blast. Now Harvard definitely "knows about it!"
If you watched the show, PLEASE send an e-mail to say how much you liked it. This could lead to more national media appearances! Write to: today@nbc.com
And if you missed it, here's where to go to watch the segment:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=6f37463a-65ae-4274-b866-0e41532565b8
Hope you caught Logan's big announcement on national telvision today: DVDs of Darius Goes West will be available in early December. To get on our list so we can notify you when and how to preorder them, send an e-mail to knowaboutit@gmail.com We expect DVDs to ship by December 1st (just in time for the holidays!) and to sell for about $19.95. Remember, ALL proceeds go to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org) for DMD research.
Logan has returned to Boston, but Sam, Collin, and Darius are still in New York until tomorrow and having a blast. Since their Today Show appearance, they have been recognized on the streets of the Big Apple everywhere they go! One fan who's seen the movie several times even treated the guys to a super-nice dinner tonight. Thanks, Suzanne!
Darius has been rapping again in Times Square. In fact, when he showed up there Wednesday night, many of the same rappers he met in the spring during the Tribeca Film Festival recognized him, and he was getting high fives and "Whazzups?" all over the place.
Today was a red letter day for another reason: Darius's mom, Jamie, closed on the Weems' new home!!! This weekend, we'll be building the addition to the house. If you're in Athens, come by and help us, feed us, or drop off a donation or gift card. Daniel Epting has worked tirelessly to make this happen, and we can't thank him enough! Many, many others have pitched in, and we will acknowledge them in a future blog.
Know about it!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
DARIUS GETS A HOME
October 21, 2007
First, an update on Darius's mom: Jamie is on the mend and should be heading home from the hospital tomorrow. She is trying to get some help in taking care of Darius for a couple of weeks so she won't have to strain herself too much. The crew will be there as much as possible, but since most of them are in college, it's difficult.
Saturday night, several of us took Darius to Atlanta (in his manual wheelchair) to Dave & Buster's (a giant arcade). He won a huge teddy bear for his mom. Tomorrow he gets his electric wheelchair back. Woo-hoo.
NOW...WE HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS TO REPORT! Thanks to an incredibly generous donation from an incredibly enthusiastic Darius Goes West fan, the Weems family is moving into a home of their own!
This amazing turn of events began with an offer to make the bathroom/shower in Darius's home wheelchair accessible. Since the Weems rent their house, however, we felt that this didn't make sense financially. Then, while working with the Athens Land Trust on a separate project, Daniel Epting (the driver in our film) found an entire house that would cost just a little more than bathroom renovations! So, Jamie is about to make the leap from paying astronomical rent to paying an affordable mortgage!
For years, Darius has only been able to access two rooms in his house: the living room and his bedroom. No more! D's new digs will have doors wide enough to wheel everywhere—including the kitchen—and will boast an accessible shower as well! This house is also perfectly located—just a short wheelchair ride from restaurants, parks, and Darius's high school, so he can now go to sporting events on his own.
But the house is also small, and although the rooms are large, it has just one bedroom. Not to worry! Thanks to another incredibly generous donation from long-time DGW supporters Margo and Jeff Barbakow, we will be adding a second bedroom…and WE COULD USE YOUR HELP!
Already, Athens architect Jennifer Bloomer has generously donated consultation and design services for this addition. And Bogart-based Maverick Materials, a subsidiary of GMS, has agreed to donate a huge chunk of the building materials and supplies we'll need to get the job done. Our goal is to have the Weems family in their new home by Thanksgiving, so we've scheduled an old-fashioned "addition raising" for the weekend of November 2 - 4.
How can YOU help with "Darius Goes Home?" Here's a wish list of what we could use…
MANPOWER
If you live in or near Athens (or feel like visiting for the weekend), we need:
• Carpenters and carpenter helpers
• Masons
• Exterior painters
• Roofers
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Sheetrock hangers
• Window installers
• Interior painters
• Siding installers
• Carpet installers
• Door hangers
• Interior Decorator (just one to coordinate fixing up the inside)
• Errand runners
SUPPLIES/MATERIALS WE COULD USE
Let us know if you or someone you know could donate any of the following:
• Interior/exterior paint
• Portable dumpster (while construction is going on)
• Recessed lighting
• Carpet (just for additional room)
• Windows
• Doors (six pre-hung, 36" or wider)
• Exterior siding (for addition)
• Dishwasher
• Blinds, curtains
FOOD
Our volunteer workers will need to be fed all weekend. If you'd like to drop off food and beverages the weekend of November 2-4, we'd be forever grateful!
FURNITURE
In their tight existing quarters, Darius's oversized wheelchair often bangs into the Weems family's furniture and has left most of it severely damaged. They would definitely appreciate these items—either new or gently used:
• Waterproof wheelchair for D's new shower
• Sofa and love seat
• Dresser (for Darius)
• Lawn furniture
• Oversized recliner
• Entertainment center
• King size bed
• Area rugs
GIFT CARDS
If you live out of town, out of state—or even if you live nearby but have prior commitments for the weekend of November 2-4--there's still a way to help with this project. Gift cards to Wal-Mart or Target would make perfect housewarming gifts and would help us add the finishing touches to the Weems' new home. If interested, you can mail these to: Darius Goes West/135 Pine Tops Court/Athens, GA 30606.
QUESTIONS? HERE'S WHO TO CONTACT
If you can help with the addition, please contact Daniel Epting at (706) 540-6577 and LEAVE A MESSAGE. Since he's often busy doing construction or catering, he sometimes can't answer his phone, but he WILL get back to you. If you can help with food or have non-construction-related questions, contact Barbara Smalley at DGW headquarters by calling (706) 613-7237 or sending an e-mail to: knowaboutit@gmail.com
Thank you SO much for your continuing support of a project we're all so passionate about. And thanks for anything you can do to help with "Darius Goes Home." We LOVE our fans!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
First, an update on Darius's mom: Jamie is on the mend and should be heading home from the hospital tomorrow. She is trying to get some help in taking care of Darius for a couple of weeks so she won't have to strain herself too much. The crew will be there as much as possible, but since most of them are in college, it's difficult.
Saturday night, several of us took Darius to Atlanta (in his manual wheelchair) to Dave & Buster's (a giant arcade). He won a huge teddy bear for his mom. Tomorrow he gets his electric wheelchair back. Woo-hoo.
NOW...WE HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS TO REPORT! Thanks to an incredibly generous donation from an incredibly enthusiastic Darius Goes West fan, the Weems family is moving into a home of their own!
This amazing turn of events began with an offer to make the bathroom/shower in Darius's home wheelchair accessible. Since the Weems rent their house, however, we felt that this didn't make sense financially. Then, while working with the Athens Land Trust on a separate project, Daniel Epting (the driver in our film) found an entire house that would cost just a little more than bathroom renovations! So, Jamie is about to make the leap from paying astronomical rent to paying an affordable mortgage!
For years, Darius has only been able to access two rooms in his house: the living room and his bedroom. No more! D's new digs will have doors wide enough to wheel everywhere—including the kitchen—and will boast an accessible shower as well! This house is also perfectly located—just a short wheelchair ride from restaurants, parks, and Darius's high school, so he can now go to sporting events on his own.
But the house is also small, and although the rooms are large, it has just one bedroom. Not to worry! Thanks to another incredibly generous donation from long-time DGW supporters Margo and Jeff Barbakow, we will be adding a second bedroom…and WE COULD USE YOUR HELP!
Already, Athens architect Jennifer Bloomer has generously donated consultation and design services for this addition. And Bogart-based Maverick Materials, a subsidiary of GMS, has agreed to donate a huge chunk of the building materials and supplies we'll need to get the job done. Our goal is to have the Weems family in their new home by Thanksgiving, so we've scheduled an old-fashioned "addition raising" for the weekend of November 2 - 4.
How can YOU help with "Darius Goes Home?" Here's a wish list of what we could use…
MANPOWER
If you live in or near Athens (or feel like visiting for the weekend), we need:
• Carpenters and carpenter helpers
• Masons
• Exterior painters
• Roofers
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Sheetrock hangers
• Window installers
• Interior painters
• Siding installers
• Carpet installers
• Door hangers
• Interior Decorator (just one to coordinate fixing up the inside)
• Errand runners
SUPPLIES/MATERIALS WE COULD USE
Let us know if you or someone you know could donate any of the following:
• Interior/exterior paint
• Portable dumpster (while construction is going on)
• Recessed lighting
• Carpet (just for additional room)
• Windows
• Doors (six pre-hung, 36" or wider)
• Exterior siding (for addition)
• Dishwasher
• Blinds, curtains
FOOD
Our volunteer workers will need to be fed all weekend. If you'd like to drop off food and beverages the weekend of November 2-4, we'd be forever grateful!
FURNITURE
In their tight existing quarters, Darius's oversized wheelchair often bangs into the Weems family's furniture and has left most of it severely damaged. They would definitely appreciate these items—either new or gently used:
• Waterproof wheelchair for D's new shower
• Sofa and love seat
• Dresser (for Darius)
• Lawn furniture
• Oversized recliner
• Entertainment center
• King size bed
• Area rugs
GIFT CARDS
If you live out of town, out of state—or even if you live nearby but have prior commitments for the weekend of November 2-4--there's still a way to help with this project. Gift cards to Wal-Mart or Target would make perfect housewarming gifts and would help us add the finishing touches to the Weems' new home. If interested, you can mail these to: Darius Goes West/135 Pine Tops Court/Athens, GA 30606.
QUESTIONS? HERE'S WHO TO CONTACT
If you can help with the addition, please contact Daniel Epting at (706) 540-6577 and LEAVE A MESSAGE. Since he's often busy doing construction or catering, he sometimes can't answer his phone, but he WILL get back to you. If you can help with food or have non-construction-related questions, contact Barbara Smalley at DGW headquarters by calling (706) 613-7237 or sending an e-mail to: knowaboutit@gmail.com
Thank you SO much for your continuing support of a project we're all so passionate about. And thanks for anything you can do to help with "Darius Goes Home." We LOVE our fans!
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
GET WELL SOON!
October 17, 2007
Yesterday, we had quite a scare...actually, two scares! Late in the afternoon, we got a call from Darius's older sister, Maroneesha, saying that D's mom, Jamie, was at the emergency room with suspected pneumonia. After running several tests, they discovered that she had congestive heart failure, and she was admitted! Maroneesha says she had to drag Jamie to the hospital in the first place because she was worried about who would take care of Darius. Good thing she listened to her daughter! Doctors say had she waited much longer, she probably would have had a major heart attack and be facing triple bypass surgery! For now, she is resting comfortably, getting the medication she needs intravenously, and is expected to be home (hopefully) by Sunday. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. And if you'd like to send her a get well card, mail it to: Jamie Robinson/235 Peach Street/Athens, GA 30606.
While Jamie was in the E.R., Darius was on his way home from school when the bus took a sharp turn. Darius fell out of his chair and ended up in the emergency room as well...in a room right across from his mom! Fortunately, he only suffered a twisted ankle and was released within a couple of hours. Today, he returned to school.
And if you can believe this: Maroneesha is scheduled to have foot surgery on Friday and will be on crutches for at least 8 weeks!
Jamie needn't worry about someone taking care of Darius. Since many DGW crew members live in Athens, they didn't hesitate to step up. Sam picked Darius up from the E.R., took him home to grab some clothes, and (temporarily) moved him into the rental house he shares with his brother, Amble, and DGW 13th crew member, Chris Williams. And this morning, Ben and Collin set their alarms early to get to Sam's and make sure Darius was bathed, fed, and taken to school before heading to their own classes at UGA.
To complicate matters, D's electric wheelchair broke this afternoon (it prefers going in circles), and it was just repaired a week or so ago in Atlanta. What's more, his pimped chair has been in the shop for weeks, but we haven't been able to get it out because the bill is $2,600, it's not covered by Medicaid, and DGW is pretty much broke.
Tim Johnson recently sent out a plea for donations to help us get through our final three film festivals and to cover unexpected expenses, and so many of our fans have generously responded. THANK YOU so much! Hopefully, we will raise enough to get his "spare" chair out of the shop soon! Meanwhile, Daniel spent over an hour tonight checking out the chair D is using now. He was hoping he could tweak it and make it go "straight." No such luck.
Speaking of film festivals, Sam, Collin, Jason, TBarn, and Darius had planned to drive to Indianapolis this weekend for the Heartland Truly Moving Pictures Film Festival. However, given that Jamie is in the hospital and Darius's wheels are not "spinning" at the moment, they have decided to cancel this trip.
We all feel certain that next week will be better!
Know about it!
Yesterday, we had quite a scare...actually, two scares! Late in the afternoon, we got a call from Darius's older sister, Maroneesha, saying that D's mom, Jamie, was at the emergency room with suspected pneumonia. After running several tests, they discovered that she had congestive heart failure, and she was admitted! Maroneesha says she had to drag Jamie to the hospital in the first place because she was worried about who would take care of Darius. Good thing she listened to her daughter! Doctors say had she waited much longer, she probably would have had a major heart attack and be facing triple bypass surgery! For now, she is resting comfortably, getting the medication she needs intravenously, and is expected to be home (hopefully) by Sunday. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. And if you'd like to send her a get well card, mail it to: Jamie Robinson/235 Peach Street/Athens, GA 30606.
While Jamie was in the E.R., Darius was on his way home from school when the bus took a sharp turn. Darius fell out of his chair and ended up in the emergency room as well...in a room right across from his mom! Fortunately, he only suffered a twisted ankle and was released within a couple of hours. Today, he returned to school.
And if you can believe this: Maroneesha is scheduled to have foot surgery on Friday and will be on crutches for at least 8 weeks!
Jamie needn't worry about someone taking care of Darius. Since many DGW crew members live in Athens, they didn't hesitate to step up. Sam picked Darius up from the E.R., took him home to grab some clothes, and (temporarily) moved him into the rental house he shares with his brother, Amble, and DGW 13th crew member, Chris Williams. And this morning, Ben and Collin set their alarms early to get to Sam's and make sure Darius was bathed, fed, and taken to school before heading to their own classes at UGA.
To complicate matters, D's electric wheelchair broke this afternoon (it prefers going in circles), and it was just repaired a week or so ago in Atlanta. What's more, his pimped chair has been in the shop for weeks, but we haven't been able to get it out because the bill is $2,600, it's not covered by Medicaid, and DGW is pretty much broke.
Tim Johnson recently sent out a plea for donations to help us get through our final three film festivals and to cover unexpected expenses, and so many of our fans have generously responded. THANK YOU so much! Hopefully, we will raise enough to get his "spare" chair out of the shop soon! Meanwhile, Daniel spent over an hour tonight checking out the chair D is using now. He was hoping he could tweak it and make it go "straight." No such luck.
Speaking of film festivals, Sam, Collin, Jason, TBarn, and Darius had planned to drive to Indianapolis this weekend for the Heartland Truly Moving Pictures Film Festival. However, given that Jamie is in the hospital and Darius's wheels are not "spinning" at the moment, they have decided to cancel this trip.
We all feel certain that next week will be better!
Know about it!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
WOO-HOO IN OJAI!
October 7 2007
Darius Goes West screened at the Ojai Film Festival in Ojai, California this weekend. We were a last minute addition to the schedule when we were INVITED to submit. We love invitations like that!
Needless to say, Ojai was too far for any of the crew to travel for a weekend, but DGW Producer Greg Schenz and DGW Executive Producer Jeff Schefel made the drive from Los Angeles to represent and to handle the Q&A. They said the audience, while smaller than we like, was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic. And they must have loved the movie, because guess what? We just got word that we won the Audience Choice Award!
That makes 24 awards at 29 festivals!
Know about it!
P.S. We've posted new pictures from the Sidewalk Festival in Birmingham that the festival folks took and sent to us. Check out Darius getting smooched by all the women!
Darius Goes West screened at the Ojai Film Festival in Ojai, California this weekend. We were a last minute addition to the schedule when we were INVITED to submit. We love invitations like that!
Needless to say, Ojai was too far for any of the crew to travel for a weekend, but DGW Producer Greg Schenz and DGW Executive Producer Jeff Schefel made the drive from Los Angeles to represent and to handle the Q&A. They said the audience, while smaller than we like, was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic. And they must have loved the movie, because guess what? We just got word that we won the Audience Choice Award!
That makes 24 awards at 29 festivals!
Know about it!
P.S. We've posted new pictures from the Sidewalk Festival in Birmingham that the festival folks took and sent to us. Check out Darius getting smooched by all the women!
Monday, October 1, 2007
WE HAD A BLAST IN 'BAMA!
October 1, 2007
We have just returned from Birmingham, Alabama, where we had an amazing weekend (we've already posted some pictures) at the Sidewalk Film Festival. The weather was picture-perfect, and the festival provided us with two rooms at an awesome historic hotel downtown called the Redmont, where the people were so friendly, and the staff loved Darius. From the Redmont, Darius could roll (and we could walk) to every venue. We saw lots of films, went to some great parties, and ate some great food.
Daniel Epting's mom, Bobbie, provided "overflow" lodging at her home in Birmingham, and we thank her so much for the hospitality!
Fifteen of us made up D's entourage. DGW crew members included: Ben, John Harmon, TBarn, Kevin, Jason, Daniel, Collin, and Kevin. Barbara Smalley and co-editor Allison Firor also joined the fun as did longtime friends and supporters Matt Phillips, Martin Suiza, Chris Williams, Ashley Epting, and Melanie Graham.
Our screening was Saturday at the Civil Rights Institute theater (how appropriate is that for a venue for our film?). The crowd was standing room only (they had to turn people away!) and so enthusiastic. They laughed at EVERYTHING--even Daniel's line about the "man purse" and Collin talking about his "skin condition". When Darius and the crew came into the theatre for a Q&A, they got a thunderous standing ovation. Darius nailed every question he was asked and cracked a lot of jokes. And when Daniel let it slip that D had turned 18 on Thursday, the entire audience sang happy birthday to him!
While in Birmingham, we met so many other great film folks and want to give a special shout out to our new friends associated with the short, "Heartburn", and the feature film, "Blood Car."
This morning, we found out that DGW was one of four movies chosen for an encore performance! Unfortunately, most of us had to get back to Athens for school or work on Monday, but Daniel volunteered to stay behind and represent us at our second showing and attend the awards ceremony.
He just called and said that the 6:30 encore performance was very well attended, and that the audience was awesome. Not only that, but we won TWO awards: Best Documentary (juried) and Audience Choice Award! We were pleasantly surprised at this news, since the competition there was quite stiff, including two docs that Kim Voyner recently mentioned as likely Oscar contenders in her "What's Up With Docs?" article in Cinematical.
That makes 23 laurel leaves!
Know about it!!!
We have just returned from Birmingham, Alabama, where we had an amazing weekend (we've already posted some pictures) at the Sidewalk Film Festival. The weather was picture-perfect, and the festival provided us with two rooms at an awesome historic hotel downtown called the Redmont, where the people were so friendly, and the staff loved Darius. From the Redmont, Darius could roll (and we could walk) to every venue. We saw lots of films, went to some great parties, and ate some great food.
Daniel Epting's mom, Bobbie, provided "overflow" lodging at her home in Birmingham, and we thank her so much for the hospitality!
Fifteen of us made up D's entourage. DGW crew members included: Ben, John Harmon, TBarn, Kevin, Jason, Daniel, Collin, and Kevin. Barbara Smalley and co-editor Allison Firor also joined the fun as did longtime friends and supporters Matt Phillips, Martin Suiza, Chris Williams, Ashley Epting, and Melanie Graham.
Our screening was Saturday at the Civil Rights Institute theater (how appropriate is that for a venue for our film?). The crowd was standing room only (they had to turn people away!) and so enthusiastic. They laughed at EVERYTHING--even Daniel's line about the "man purse" and Collin talking about his "skin condition". When Darius and the crew came into the theatre for a Q&A, they got a thunderous standing ovation. Darius nailed every question he was asked and cracked a lot of jokes. And when Daniel let it slip that D had turned 18 on Thursday, the entire audience sang happy birthday to him!
While in Birmingham, we met so many other great film folks and want to give a special shout out to our new friends associated with the short, "Heartburn", and the feature film, "Blood Car."
This morning, we found out that DGW was one of four movies chosen for an encore performance! Unfortunately, most of us had to get back to Athens for school or work on Monday, but Daniel volunteered to stay behind and represent us at our second showing and attend the awards ceremony.
He just called and said that the 6:30 encore performance was very well attended, and that the audience was awesome. Not only that, but we won TWO awards: Best Documentary (juried) and Audience Choice Award! We were pleasantly surprised at this news, since the competition there was quite stiff, including two docs that Kim Voyner recently mentioned as likely Oscar contenders in her "What's Up With Docs?" article in Cinematical.
That makes 23 laurel leaves!
Know about it!!!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARIUS!
September 27, 2007
Darius is 18 today! The crew is taking him (and his family) to dinner tonight to celebrate--at Outback Steakhouse (his choice). Today, at Clarke Central High School, he was summoned to the teacher's lounge, where he was surprised with cake and ice cream. Sweet! Someone took pictures, so when we get them, we'll post them.
Other birthdays celebrated this week: DGW assistant editor, Jarrard Cole (on Wednesday) and Shirtworks twin sisters Kathy and Jackie (on Friday). All three are DGW 13th crew members, and we wouldn't be where we are today without their dedication and support.
Tomorrow, 12 of us (7 crew members, Darius, and five friends) head to Birmingham, Alabama for the Sidewalk Film Festival. Cross your fingers for us...we'd love a 21st laurel leave!
D's mom, Jamie, signed papers for her new house this week. We'll be in touch with everyone soon regarding putting on an addition.
Our "run for the Oscars" continues, and in that regard, check THIS awesome article out, written by Kim Voyner at Cinematical.com.
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/09/26/film-clips-whats-up-docs/
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Darius is 18 today! The crew is taking him (and his family) to dinner tonight to celebrate--at Outback Steakhouse (his choice). Today, at Clarke Central High School, he was summoned to the teacher's lounge, where he was surprised with cake and ice cream. Sweet! Someone took pictures, so when we get them, we'll post them.
Other birthdays celebrated this week: DGW assistant editor, Jarrard Cole (on Wednesday) and Shirtworks twin sisters Kathy and Jackie (on Friday). All three are DGW 13th crew members, and we wouldn't be where we are today without their dedication and support.
Tomorrow, 12 of us (7 crew members, Darius, and five friends) head to Birmingham, Alabama for the Sidewalk Film Festival. Cross your fingers for us...we'd love a 21st laurel leave!
D's mom, Jamie, signed papers for her new house this week. We'll be in touch with everyone soon regarding putting on an addition.
Our "run for the Oscars" continues, and in that regard, check THIS awesome article out, written by Kim Voyner at Cinematical.com.
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/09/26/film-clips-whats-up-docs/
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A TRIPLE PLAY OF AWESOME NEWS
September 16, 2007
When it rains, it pours! We have three announcements to make, and all are equally exciting...
* DELTA SPOTLIGHTS DARIUS! Delta Airlines has created a giant poster, entitled "Your Words, Our Image," that will go in every Delta employee break room. Its powerful message reads: "You are in a unique position to shape the public image of people with disabilities. Your words can create a sensitive, negative image or a straightforward, positive view of people with disabilities." The poster then lists 21 "Do say" and "Don't say" tips. And guess who's picture is on the poster? Sitting front and center, and surrounded by a handful of Delta employees, including our favorite, David Martin, is DARIUS WEEMS...in his pimped out chair! We are so proud to be a part of this. Thanks, Delta!
* DARIUS IS A HERO! Darius has just been named a recipient of the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes! Each year, the Barron Prize honors ten outstanding young people nationwide. The winners, ages 8 to 18, are selected for "demonstrating leadership, courage and unselfishness to make the world a better place." You can check out the Barron Prize at www.barronprize.org. Thank you so much to Jenny Manders, who nominated D for this prize last spring, and to Mark Johnson and Martin Bashir, who sent letters of recommendation.
* DARIS GOES HOME! Hope you're sitting down for this one, cause it's BIG! An anonymous donor has given the Darius Goes West project a donation of $30,000 so that we could purchase Darius's family a house! Originally, this donor wanted to pay to have an accessible shower put in for Darius, but we told her that since his mom was renting, this wasn't economically feasible. Meanwhile, Daniel Epting stumbled upon a great house for Jamie, Darius, and Maraneesha (D's sister) while doing some work with the Athens Land Trust, so the donor gave us a sizable downpayment that has enabled the Weems family to be homeowners! Before moving in, Daniel and other local professionals will spend a weekend widening doors and making the bathroom totally wheelchair accessible.
This house is small (just one bedroom), so we have plans to add a second bedroom ASAP. Long-time DGW supporter Margo Barbakow (Santa Barbara) has sent a nice donation to help cover this, and another anonymous donor has provided most of the rest of what we should need to reach this goal. Of course, to keep these expenses to a minimum, we will need some of our "fans" to roll up their sleeves and help us get this addition built. If you have skills you think we can use, if you know someone in the building supply business willing to donate supplies we need, or you want to send a donation to this cause, please send an e-mail to knowaboutit@gmail.com.
Here's to good news, something we never get tired of ...and are ALWAYS grateful for!
Know about it!
When it rains, it pours! We have three announcements to make, and all are equally exciting...
* DELTA SPOTLIGHTS DARIUS! Delta Airlines has created a giant poster, entitled "Your Words, Our Image," that will go in every Delta employee break room. Its powerful message reads: "You are in a unique position to shape the public image of people with disabilities. Your words can create a sensitive, negative image or a straightforward, positive view of people with disabilities." The poster then lists 21 "Do say" and "Don't say" tips. And guess who's picture is on the poster? Sitting front and center, and surrounded by a handful of Delta employees, including our favorite, David Martin, is DARIUS WEEMS...in his pimped out chair! We are so proud to be a part of this. Thanks, Delta!
* DARIUS IS A HERO! Darius has just been named a recipient of the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes! Each year, the Barron Prize honors ten outstanding young people nationwide. The winners, ages 8 to 18, are selected for "demonstrating leadership, courage and unselfishness to make the world a better place." You can check out the Barron Prize at www.barronprize.org. Thank you so much to Jenny Manders, who nominated D for this prize last spring, and to Mark Johnson and Martin Bashir, who sent letters of recommendation.
* DARIS GOES HOME! Hope you're sitting down for this one, cause it's BIG! An anonymous donor has given the Darius Goes West project a donation of $30,000 so that we could purchase Darius's family a house! Originally, this donor wanted to pay to have an accessible shower put in for Darius, but we told her that since his mom was renting, this wasn't economically feasible. Meanwhile, Daniel Epting stumbled upon a great house for Jamie, Darius, and Maraneesha (D's sister) while doing some work with the Athens Land Trust, so the donor gave us a sizable downpayment that has enabled the Weems family to be homeowners! Before moving in, Daniel and other local professionals will spend a weekend widening doors and making the bathroom totally wheelchair accessible.
This house is small (just one bedroom), so we have plans to add a second bedroom ASAP. Long-time DGW supporter Margo Barbakow (Santa Barbara) has sent a nice donation to help cover this, and another anonymous donor has provided most of the rest of what we should need to reach this goal. Of course, to keep these expenses to a minimum, we will need some of our "fans" to roll up their sleeves and help us get this addition built. If you have skills you think we can use, if you know someone in the building supply business willing to donate supplies we need, or you want to send a donation to this cause, please send an e-mail to knowaboutit@gmail.com.
Here's to good news, something we never get tired of ...and are ALWAYS grateful for!
Know about it!
Monday, September 10, 2007
DGW AT A THEATER NEAR YOU?
September 10, 2007
As part of the Oscar nomination qualification process (we know it's a huge long shot, but we're going for it anyway), Darius Goes West must show in 14 cities for three consecutive days, twice a day, before November 15. We have hired a firm to handle this for us (so we were not able to choose the cities), and here's the schedule:
NORTH HAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS
September 28 – 30
Pleasant Street Theatre
Check local newspaper listings to verify dates and get show times.
WATERVILLE, MAINE
October 2 – 4
Railroad Square Cinema
Visit www.railroadsquarecinema.com to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
October 8 – 10
Fine Arts Theatre
Visit www.fineartstheatre.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
.
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
October 9 – 11
Campus Lewisburg
Visit www.campustheatre.org/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT
October 10 – 12
Bantam Cinema
Visit www.bantamcinema.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
October 23 – 25
Moxie Cinema
3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Visit www.moxiecinema.com to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
October 23 – 25
Riverview Theater
Visit www.riverviewtheater.com to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT
October 29 – 31
Palace Burlington
Check local newspaper listings to verify dates and get show times.
GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
October 30 – November 1
Majestic Gettysburg
Visit www.gettysburgmajestic.org/home/index.dot to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
October 30 – November 1
Carolina Durham
1:00 PM and 3:30 PM
Visit http://www.carolinatheatre.org/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
.
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
October 31 – November 2
Lyric Cinema
3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Visit www.lyriccinemacafe.com to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
November 2 – 4
Key Cinemas Indianapolis
Visit http://www.keycinemas.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
November 5 – 7
Nickelodeon Theatre
Noon and 1:30 PM
Visit http://www.nickelodeon.org/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
November 6 – 8
Rag Tag Cinema
2:00 PM and 3:30 PM
Visit http://www.ragtagfilm.com/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information
If you live in or near these cities, please go see the movie, and take lots of friends and family with you! If you have relatives and friends who live in these cities, tell them to go see the movie. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
Other news…
Logan left for Harvard last Friday and is very happy there. Orientation is today; classes start a week from today. Darius and the crew wish him well!
It has come to our attention that when you google "Darius Goes West," there's a nasty and vulgar description of our site that pops up first on the list…AND that links to our legitimate website. We are in the process of trying to contact Google to see what can be done to remove this. Needless to say, we are very upset about this and hope to track down the hacker who did it.
Know about it!
As part of the Oscar nomination qualification process (we know it's a huge long shot, but we're going for it anyway), Darius Goes West must show in 14 cities for three consecutive days, twice a day, before November 15. We have hired a firm to handle this for us (so we were not able to choose the cities), and here's the schedule:
NORTH HAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS
September 28 – 30
Pleasant Street Theatre
Check local newspaper listings to verify dates and get show times.
WATERVILLE, MAINE
October 2 – 4
Railroad Square Cinema
Visit www.railroadsquarecinema.com to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
October 8 – 10
Fine Arts Theatre
Visit www.fineartstheatre.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
.
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
October 9 – 11
Campus Lewisburg
Visit www.campustheatre.org/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT
October 10 – 12
Bantam Cinema
Visit www.bantamcinema.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
October 23 – 25
Moxie Cinema
3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Visit www.moxiecinema.com to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
October 23 – 25
Riverview Theater
Visit www.riverviewtheater.com to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT
October 29 – 31
Palace Burlington
Check local newspaper listings to verify dates and get show times.
GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
October 30 – November 1
Majestic Gettysburg
Visit www.gettysburgmajestic.org/home/index.dot to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
October 30 – November 1
Carolina Durham
1:00 PM and 3:30 PM
Visit http://www.carolinatheatre.org/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
.
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
October 31 – November 2
Lyric Cinema
3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Visit www.lyriccinemacafe.com to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
November 2 – 4
Key Cinemas Indianapolis
Visit http://www.keycinemas.com/ to verify dates, get show times, and for more information.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
November 5 – 7
Nickelodeon Theatre
Noon and 1:30 PM
Visit http://www.nickelodeon.org/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information.
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
November 6 – 8
Rag Tag Cinema
2:00 PM and 3:30 PM
Visit http://www.ragtagfilm.com/ to verify dates, show times, and for more information
If you live in or near these cities, please go see the movie, and take lots of friends and family with you! If you have relatives and friends who live in these cities, tell them to go see the movie. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
Other news…
Logan left for Harvard last Friday and is very happy there. Orientation is today; classes start a week from today. Darius and the crew wish him well!
It has come to our attention that when you google "Darius Goes West," there's a nasty and vulgar description of our site that pops up first on the list…AND that links to our legitimate website. We are in the process of trying to contact Google to see what can be done to remove this. Needless to say, we are very upset about this and hope to track down the hacker who did it.
Know about it!
Friday, August 31, 2007
A GRAND FINALE IN HOLLYWOOD
August 31, 2007
Well, we're leaving Hollywood with a big bang! Last night, for our final screening in Beverly Hills, the house was packed! Tom Shadyac, who in addition to directing and producing, teaches film classes, and he brought all of his students (about 30). Cathy and Scott Jones (adorable Cooper's parents) were also in the house. This crowd was SO enthusiastic...laughed really loud, cried just as loud. PLUS we got a standing ovation that lasted almost five minutes!!! Sweet!
After the film showed, Shadyac decided to purchase 15 MORE DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts. We can't thank him enough for all of his support.
On Wednesday night, the theater was filled with students from South Central High School in Los Angeles. They also loved the movie and were pumped to hear about our new DGW "Learn About It" program (to launch in late September/early October).
This amazing showing last night, coupled with the incredible L.A. Times article that appeared on Wednesday, are giving us the feeling that things are about to pop. As Julia Eisenman (DGW producer and our agent's liaison) says, "Things are cooking...with grease."
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Well, we're leaving Hollywood with a big bang! Last night, for our final screening in Beverly Hills, the house was packed! Tom Shadyac, who in addition to directing and producing, teaches film classes, and he brought all of his students (about 30). Cathy and Scott Jones (adorable Cooper's parents) were also in the house. This crowd was SO enthusiastic...laughed really loud, cried just as loud. PLUS we got a standing ovation that lasted almost five minutes!!! Sweet!
After the film showed, Shadyac decided to purchase 15 MORE DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts. We can't thank him enough for all of his support.
On Wednesday night, the theater was filled with students from South Central High School in Los Angeles. They also loved the movie and were pumped to hear about our new DGW "Learn About It" program (to launch in late September/early October).
This amazing showing last night, coupled with the incredible L.A. Times article that appeared on Wednesday, are giving us the feeling that things are about to pop. As Julia Eisenman (DGW producer and our agent's liaison) says, "Things are cooking...with grease."
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
DGW IN THE L.A. TIMES
August 29, 2007
We have arrived! Check out this amazing Los Angeles Times article about Darius Goes West. You can't BUY publicity like this! Woo-hoo! Thank you, Karen Day, for an incredible job!
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-darius29aug29,1,714178.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Filmmakers of "Darius Goes West" set a goal of pimping his wheelchair, but
accomplish so much more.
By Karen Day, Special to The Times
August 29, 2007
TOWARD the end of "Darius Goes West," the young man who is the subject of
the documentary states matter-of-factly, "People want to be me." Unless you
are Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt or blind drunk, few of us could make this
claim, but Darius is proved right by the cheering crowds waving at the
wheelchair-bound teenager in this unexpected documentary.
Equal parts "Animal House," and "Stand by Me," this buddy flick tells the
story of 12 college-age students who contrive with great expectations and
minuscule budget to take their friend from Georgia to Los Angeles to get
his wheelchair customized on MTV's "Pimp My Ride." It's a comical and
poignant tale.
In the movie, playing at Laemmle Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills at 8
and 10 p.m. through Thursday as part of an Oscar bid, Darius rolls across
the screen like a sonic boom with a smile, shattering the stereotype of
disabled kids and embodying a genuine American idol with Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, a disease with a 100% mortality rate. To date the movie has won
20 "audience choice" awards at 25 film festivals.
The film is a classic hero's tale stuffed into an RV with a dozen guys and
their dirty socks. Granted, the Golden Fleece in this movie has been
updated and equipped with "spinners" on the wheels and PlayStation 2, but
Ulysses and Luke Skywalker have nothing on 15-year-old Darius Weems. Along
with his older brother, Mario, Darius was born with the most common and
severe form of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is the No. 1 genetic killer of
children, with all eventually losing control of their muscles and most
dying in their late teens and early 20s. Indeed, Mario, who died at 19, is
eulogized best by the indomitable spirit of his younger brother in this
film.
"The strong one died," Darius recalls about Mario. "So I had to be the
strong one." Approximately 1 in 3,500 boys is born with the disease, with
two-thirds of the occurrences attributed to genetics, as was the Weems
brothers' affliction. One-third of the time, however, the disease strikes
randomly.
This is a film about the transforming power of teamwork and the inherent
joys and madness of reaching any seemingly impossible goal. Traversing
7,000 miles of highway from Athens, Ga., with a disturbing lack of handicap
access proves a large enough challenge to Darius and his crew. A cameo on
"Pimp My Ride," however, is completely do-able and way cool, according to
fans of MTV's mechanical-makeover hit. The show targets an audience between
the ages of 12 and 25, and "Darius Goes West" aims to entertain and inform
that same age range, according to Logan Smalley, 25, the film's director.
His reasons for cultivating these viewers, however, echo far beyond his
age.
It is a movie of pain, both physical and emotional, with a message of hope
and deep affection for the raw and sweet parts of human nature.
Documentaries have a bad habit of working too hard at jerking tears and
preaching for change. More often that not, this broad "nonfiction" genre
teeters on the edge of tedious.
Thanks to Smalley's editing and Darius' star quality, the documentary and
its back story through development and disease make "Darius Goes West" play
more like a hip indie film. Smalley, who also composed and plays the piano
soundtrack, and his gang bankrolled the $70,000 film by selling on-screen
credits for $10 each and having a hometown barbecue fundraiser.
The on-screen goal was to reach Los Angeles and convince "Pimp My Ride"
that Darius' wheelchair should be tricked out just like the cars on their
favorite show. The tension? The show won't consider entrants unless they
are from California. Hence, the road trip is conspired and completed with a
rented, wheelchair-accessible RV, with MTV cast in the role of the villain.
But the ultimate purpose for everyone involved in the project is to further
awareness and fund research to find a cure for DMD (Duchenne muscular
dystrophy). Even the audience contributes, because 100% of box-office
profit goes directly to the cause.
"We refer to this as the orphan's disease because it's less known than
cancer, ALS and leukemia," Smalley says. "But the cure is right round the
corner. It's close."
In the film, hard facts and predictable mortality statistics are woven in
by Dr. Benjamin Seckler, who specializes in treating children with
Duchenne, between Darius' adventures and scenes of Seckler's 5-year-old
son, Charley, as he sleds through the snow with early signs of the
debilitating disease hovering closer every day.
"The gene culprit of this disease has been discovered," says Seckler, with
steady resolve. Facing heartbreak on a daily basis, however, has softened
his dark gaze. "Human clinical trials are going on now to produce
dystrophin (the protein that connects muscle tissue), but what we need is
more funding. More research."
All donations and box-office profit after promotional costs from "Darius
Goes West" go to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org), a nonprofit founded
by Seckler and his wife, Tracy, who also makes a heart-tugging appearance
in the film. Film clips of their young boy playing normally, but facing the
same short future as Darius, makes the Secklers' sense of urgency palpable.
As the doctor said in a recent interview, "We could be a day away from
finding a cure, but every day that passes is another day gone for our son."
Despite the certainty of bad news, "Darius Goes West" avoids falling into
"the pit of despair." The Secklers' dedication combined with the crew's
addiction to cheap jokes and Darius' gangsta-with-a-golden-heart-rapping on
the soundtrack prevent the movie from being the bearer of only bad news.
The idea for "Darius Goes West" originated with Smalley, who served as a
counselor at Project Reach, a public camp for disabled kids in his
hometown. He first met Darius' brother, Mario, at the camp.
"Before he died," Smalley explains in the film, "Mario asked me to take
care of Darius. I was too young [16] to know what I was committing to. But
Mario knew Darius [9] was old enough to understand.
"I was there the day Darius got his wheelchair," he remembers. "I could see
he felt nervous, so I said something about putting chains on the wheels
like they were rims. . . of course, he accepted the wheelchair long before
I got around to thinking about taking him to 'Pimp My Ride.' "
The film's quiet success, meanwhile, has made Darius a star in his hometown
and at film festivals. Delta Airlines has been providing the entire crew
free passage, including a trip to a festival in London. Last Friday,
opening night on the corner of Wilshire and Doheny, Felicity Huffman and
William H. Macy, who clown with Darius and crew in the movie, came to the
premiere and the full house erupted in applause when their scenes appeared.
The right people are beginning to talk. The buzz has begun.
Meanwhile, Smalley heads to Harvard in September to begin graduate studies
in, not filmmaking, but special education. Back home in Athens, Darius has
started his senior year of high school. He and his legally blind mother,
Jamie, live on welfare in the first projects built in the United States --
the same projects where he and Mario were raised. Before the making of
"Darius Goes West," the young rapper had never left Athens.
"It's the trip of lifetime," Darius says, looking out over the Grand Canyon
with tears in his eyes.
And how does the young hero of DMD feel about the possibility of going to
the Oscars? Smalley says, "Darius wants to be a rap star more than a movie
star. But if the film gets nominated, he'd really like to take his mom as
his date."
"Darius Goes West," 8 and 10 p.m. today and Thursday, Laemmle Music Hall
Theatre, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. More info:
http://www.dariusgoeswest.com
We have arrived! Check out this amazing Los Angeles Times article about Darius Goes West. You can't BUY publicity like this! Woo-hoo! Thank you, Karen Day, for an incredible job!
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-darius29aug29,1,714178.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Filmmakers of "Darius Goes West" set a goal of pimping his wheelchair, but
accomplish so much more.
By Karen Day, Special to The Times
August 29, 2007
TOWARD the end of "Darius Goes West," the young man who is the subject of
the documentary states matter-of-factly, "People want to be me." Unless you
are Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt or blind drunk, few of us could make this
claim, but Darius is proved right by the cheering crowds waving at the
wheelchair-bound teenager in this unexpected documentary.
Equal parts "Animal House," and "Stand by Me," this buddy flick tells the
story of 12 college-age students who contrive with great expectations and
minuscule budget to take their friend from Georgia to Los Angeles to get
his wheelchair customized on MTV's "Pimp My Ride." It's a comical and
poignant tale.
In the movie, playing at Laemmle Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills at 8
and 10 p.m. through Thursday as part of an Oscar bid, Darius rolls across
the screen like a sonic boom with a smile, shattering the stereotype of
disabled kids and embodying a genuine American idol with Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, a disease with a 100% mortality rate. To date the movie has won
20 "audience choice" awards at 25 film festivals.
The film is a classic hero's tale stuffed into an RV with a dozen guys and
their dirty socks. Granted, the Golden Fleece in this movie has been
updated and equipped with "spinners" on the wheels and PlayStation 2, but
Ulysses and Luke Skywalker have nothing on 15-year-old Darius Weems. Along
with his older brother, Mario, Darius was born with the most common and
severe form of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is the No. 1 genetic killer of
children, with all eventually losing control of their muscles and most
dying in their late teens and early 20s. Indeed, Mario, who died at 19, is
eulogized best by the indomitable spirit of his younger brother in this
film.
"The strong one died," Darius recalls about Mario. "So I had to be the
strong one." Approximately 1 in 3,500 boys is born with the disease, with
two-thirds of the occurrences attributed to genetics, as was the Weems
brothers' affliction. One-third of the time, however, the disease strikes
randomly.
This is a film about the transforming power of teamwork and the inherent
joys and madness of reaching any seemingly impossible goal. Traversing
7,000 miles of highway from Athens, Ga., with a disturbing lack of handicap
access proves a large enough challenge to Darius and his crew. A cameo on
"Pimp My Ride," however, is completely do-able and way cool, according to
fans of MTV's mechanical-makeover hit. The show targets an audience between
the ages of 12 and 25, and "Darius Goes West" aims to entertain and inform
that same age range, according to Logan Smalley, 25, the film's director.
His reasons for cultivating these viewers, however, echo far beyond his
age.
It is a movie of pain, both physical and emotional, with a message of hope
and deep affection for the raw and sweet parts of human nature.
Documentaries have a bad habit of working too hard at jerking tears and
preaching for change. More often that not, this broad "nonfiction" genre
teeters on the edge of tedious.
Thanks to Smalley's editing and Darius' star quality, the documentary and
its back story through development and disease make "Darius Goes West" play
more like a hip indie film. Smalley, who also composed and plays the piano
soundtrack, and his gang bankrolled the $70,000 film by selling on-screen
credits for $10 each and having a hometown barbecue fundraiser.
The on-screen goal was to reach Los Angeles and convince "Pimp My Ride"
that Darius' wheelchair should be tricked out just like the cars on their
favorite show. The tension? The show won't consider entrants unless they
are from California. Hence, the road trip is conspired and completed with a
rented, wheelchair-accessible RV, with MTV cast in the role of the villain.
But the ultimate purpose for everyone involved in the project is to further
awareness and fund research to find a cure for DMD (Duchenne muscular
dystrophy). Even the audience contributes, because 100% of box-office
profit goes directly to the cause.
"We refer to this as the orphan's disease because it's less known than
cancer, ALS and leukemia," Smalley says. "But the cure is right round the
corner. It's close."
In the film, hard facts and predictable mortality statistics are woven in
by Dr. Benjamin Seckler, who specializes in treating children with
Duchenne, between Darius' adventures and scenes of Seckler's 5-year-old
son, Charley, as he sleds through the snow with early signs of the
debilitating disease hovering closer every day.
"The gene culprit of this disease has been discovered," says Seckler, with
steady resolve. Facing heartbreak on a daily basis, however, has softened
his dark gaze. "Human clinical trials are going on now to produce
dystrophin (the protein that connects muscle tissue), but what we need is
more funding. More research."
All donations and box-office profit after promotional costs from "Darius
Goes West" go to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org), a nonprofit founded
by Seckler and his wife, Tracy, who also makes a heart-tugging appearance
in the film. Film clips of their young boy playing normally, but facing the
same short future as Darius, makes the Secklers' sense of urgency palpable.
As the doctor said in a recent interview, "We could be a day away from
finding a cure, but every day that passes is another day gone for our son."
Despite the certainty of bad news, "Darius Goes West" avoids falling into
"the pit of despair." The Secklers' dedication combined with the crew's
addiction to cheap jokes and Darius' gangsta-with-a-golden-heart-rapping on
the soundtrack prevent the movie from being the bearer of only bad news.
The idea for "Darius Goes West" originated with Smalley, who served as a
counselor at Project Reach, a public camp for disabled kids in his
hometown. He first met Darius' brother, Mario, at the camp.
"Before he died," Smalley explains in the film, "Mario asked me to take
care of Darius. I was too young [16] to know what I was committing to. But
Mario knew Darius [9] was old enough to understand.
"I was there the day Darius got his wheelchair," he remembers. "I could see
he felt nervous, so I said something about putting chains on the wheels
like they were rims. . . of course, he accepted the wheelchair long before
I got around to thinking about taking him to 'Pimp My Ride.' "
The film's quiet success, meanwhile, has made Darius a star in his hometown
and at film festivals. Delta Airlines has been providing the entire crew
free passage, including a trip to a festival in London. Last Friday,
opening night on the corner of Wilshire and Doheny, Felicity Huffman and
William H. Macy, who clown with Darius and crew in the movie, came to the
premiere and the full house erupted in applause when their scenes appeared.
The right people are beginning to talk. The buzz has begun.
Meanwhile, Smalley heads to Harvard in September to begin graduate studies
in, not filmmaking, but special education. Back home in Athens, Darius has
started his senior year of high school. He and his legally blind mother,
Jamie, live on welfare in the first projects built in the United States --
the same projects where he and Mario were raised. Before the making of
"Darius Goes West," the young rapper had never left Athens.
"It's the trip of lifetime," Darius says, looking out over the Grand Canyon
with tears in his eyes.
And how does the young hero of DMD feel about the possibility of going to
the Oscars? Smalley says, "Darius wants to be a rap star more than a movie
star. But if the film gets nominated, he'd really like to take his mom as
his date."
"Darius Goes West," 8 and 10 p.m. today and Thursday, Laemmle Music Hall
Theatre, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. More info:
http://www.dariusgoeswest.com
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
TEARING IT UP IN TINSELTOWN!
August 28, 2007
Darius Goes West opened at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills on Friday, and there were nearly 200 tickets sold. William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman were in the house for the 8:00 show. In fact, the crowd cheered duirng Bill and Felicity's section of the film, which made us really proud! They LOVED the movie, and after the screening, Bill waited almost 20 minutes to congratulate Logan.
It was an awesome crowd all around, and another good-sized crowd showed up for the 10:00 PM show. The movie will play there through Thursday, and small (and incredibly enthusiastic) audiences continue to show up every night. Logan will be there for Q&As the entire run. Send your friends and family!
At the last minute, Barbara (Logan's mom) decided to make the trip to L.A. While there, DGW supporter and 13th crew member Margo Barbakow and her husband, Jeff (from Santa Barbara) put her up in their luxurious condo in West Hollywood. From the balcony, you could see the L.A. skyline and the house where "Entourage" is filmed! The Barbakows also treated everyone to dinner on Friday night before the premiere.
While in Los Angeles, Logan and Barbara had the chance to meet with "Team Darius/Hollywood": Julia Eisenman (our agent's assistant), Greg Schenz (our attorney), and Andy Behrman (our publicist). They are all amazing and are doing an awesome job representing DGW. Logan has been staying with Julia and Andy (who are also husband and wife) and their two beautiful daughters, Emma and Kate.
No Los Angeles Times article yet, but the piece is finished. We're just not sure when it will run, but we'll let you know as soon as we know something. On Friday night, the local ABC news channel in L.A. did show up and interview Logan outside the theater.
While in L.A., we also met long-time DGW supporter (and 13th crew member) Jeff Scheftel; DMDFund.org president Kyle Kyllan and his wife, Andy; and Lex Sidon, who has some amazing ideas for our new "Learn About It" program AND Darius's rap career. Details to come later.
We've posted some pictures from Hollywood. Be sure to check them out.
Also, the fundraising total in Sun Valley has now surpassed $40,000.
Know about it!
Darius Goes West opened at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills on Friday, and there were nearly 200 tickets sold. William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman were in the house for the 8:00 show. In fact, the crowd cheered duirng Bill and Felicity's section of the film, which made us really proud! They LOVED the movie, and after the screening, Bill waited almost 20 minutes to congratulate Logan.
It was an awesome crowd all around, and another good-sized crowd showed up for the 10:00 PM show. The movie will play there through Thursday, and small (and incredibly enthusiastic) audiences continue to show up every night. Logan will be there for Q&As the entire run. Send your friends and family!
At the last minute, Barbara (Logan's mom) decided to make the trip to L.A. While there, DGW supporter and 13th crew member Margo Barbakow and her husband, Jeff (from Santa Barbara) put her up in their luxurious condo in West Hollywood. From the balcony, you could see the L.A. skyline and the house where "Entourage" is filmed! The Barbakows also treated everyone to dinner on Friday night before the premiere.
While in Los Angeles, Logan and Barbara had the chance to meet with "Team Darius/Hollywood": Julia Eisenman (our agent's assistant), Greg Schenz (our attorney), and Andy Behrman (our publicist). They are all amazing and are doing an awesome job representing DGW. Logan has been staying with Julia and Andy (who are also husband and wife) and their two beautiful daughters, Emma and Kate.
No Los Angeles Times article yet, but the piece is finished. We're just not sure when it will run, but we'll let you know as soon as we know something. On Friday night, the local ABC news channel in L.A. did show up and interview Logan outside the theater.
While in L.A., we also met long-time DGW supporter (and 13th crew member) Jeff Scheftel; DMDFund.org president Kyle Kyllan and his wife, Andy; and Lex Sidon, who has some amazing ideas for our new "Learn About It" program AND Darius's rap career. Details to come later.
We've posted some pictures from Hollywood. Be sure to check them out.
Also, the fundraising total in Sun Valley has now surpassed $40,000.
Know about it!
Friday, August 24, 2007
HOLLYWOOD BOUND!
August 24, 2007
Tonight is the big night! Darius Goes West makes its theatrical premiere at the Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills. And the race for a coveted Oscar nomination begins!
Logan has left Sun Valley and arrived in Los Angeles today for this week of screenings. His mom, Barbara, will also be there to cheer him on--and to make sure someone takes pictures! This weekend will be like a reunion, with many longtime DGW supporters expected to be there--like Loreen Arbus, Jayme Brown, Jeff Schefftel, Margo and Jeff Barbakow, to name a few. Even William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are expected to attend a screening!
We have finally escaped from "movie hell." A perfect High Definition tape of DGW is "in the can" and was overnighted to L.A. just in the nick of time. Thank you, Nathan Lewis and the incredibly talented and knowledgeable staff at VTA.com for pulling off a miracle!
Sun Valley was amazing (we've posted new pictures). The fundraising count to date is $23,000 and climbing. A record FOUR DGW "I am the thirteenth crew member" t-shirts were sold! Also, Charley Seckler learned how to ice skate! Woo-hoo! Thanks again to Theo and Carmen for rolling out the red carpet BIG TIME for Logan, Sam, Jason, and Daniel.
Other news: Two weekends ago, three of our friends from the Cleveland International Film Festival (Bill Guentzler, Debby Samples, and Sean Torkish) came to Athens to hang with the crew (they have been such huge supporters of DGW that they are truly part of the crew!). We had a blast with them and hope they'll come back soon.
Stacey Zimmerman (U.S. Navy, stationed in Japan) sent Darius two more packages. One was a big, beautiful collage of his trip west; the other was stuffed with CDs, magazines, and bubblegum. Stacey is quickly becoming one of our biggest fans, and she hasn't even seen the movie yet!
Also, we've received news that when Athenian Emma Clarke recently celebrated her ninth birthday, she asked for donations instead of presents and sent everything she collected to Charley's Fund! Now there's a 13th crew member in the making!
Finally, while in Sun Valley, a reporter from the prestigious Los Angeles Times saw our movie and fell in love with it. She subsequently spent three hours interviewing Logan for a piece that is scheduled to appear in this Sunday's "Entertainment" section.
Hollywood, here we come!
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Tonight is the big night! Darius Goes West makes its theatrical premiere at the Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills. And the race for a coveted Oscar nomination begins!
Logan has left Sun Valley and arrived in Los Angeles today for this week of screenings. His mom, Barbara, will also be there to cheer him on--and to make sure someone takes pictures! This weekend will be like a reunion, with many longtime DGW supporters expected to be there--like Loreen Arbus, Jayme Brown, Jeff Schefftel, Margo and Jeff Barbakow, to name a few. Even William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are expected to attend a screening!
We have finally escaped from "movie hell." A perfect High Definition tape of DGW is "in the can" and was overnighted to L.A. just in the nick of time. Thank you, Nathan Lewis and the incredibly talented and knowledgeable staff at VTA.com for pulling off a miracle!
Sun Valley was amazing (we've posted new pictures). The fundraising count to date is $23,000 and climbing. A record FOUR DGW "I am the thirteenth crew member" t-shirts were sold! Also, Charley Seckler learned how to ice skate! Woo-hoo! Thanks again to Theo and Carmen for rolling out the red carpet BIG TIME for Logan, Sam, Jason, and Daniel.
Other news: Two weekends ago, three of our friends from the Cleveland International Film Festival (Bill Guentzler, Debby Samples, and Sean Torkish) came to Athens to hang with the crew (they have been such huge supporters of DGW that they are truly part of the crew!). We had a blast with them and hope they'll come back soon.
Stacey Zimmerman (U.S. Navy, stationed in Japan) sent Darius two more packages. One was a big, beautiful collage of his trip west; the other was stuffed with CDs, magazines, and bubblegum. Stacey is quickly becoming one of our biggest fans, and she hasn't even seen the movie yet!
Also, we've received news that when Athenian Emma Clarke recently celebrated her ninth birthday, she asked for donations instead of presents and sent everything she collected to Charley's Fund! Now there's a 13th crew member in the making!
Finally, while in Sun Valley, a reporter from the prestigious Los Angeles Times saw our movie and fell in love with it. She subsequently spent three hours interviewing Logan for a piece that is scheduled to appear in this Sunday's "Entertainment" section.
Hollywood, here we come!
KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
THINGS ARE HOPPING
August 19, 2007
There are so many exciting things going on with DGW, it's hard to know where to begin, but here goes...
First, at the urging of several Academy Award voters, we have decided to "four-wall" our movie, which means make it eligible for an Oscar nomination!! Among other requirements, this entails having the movie shown for seven consecutive days, twice a day, at a commercial theater in Los Angeles or New York before August 31, then having it shown in theaters at 14 other cities for three consecutive days, twice a day by mid November. There are firms that handle all these screenings for small indie films like ours, but it costs thousands of dollars for their services. Fortunately, an executive at Worldwide Pants (David Letterman's production company) watched the movie with six teenagers and loved it so much that Worldwide Pants put up the money for us to do this! Producer Tom Shadyac also donated to the cause!
As a result, Darius Goes West will play at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills, Califonia, the week of August 24-30, and we have a team of professionals helping us to create a buzz. We realize that getting an Oscar nomination is a huge long shot, but we figure that if we can at least make it on a "short list," our chances of finding a distributor for the movie will soar. So, wish us luck, and if you know anyone in the Los Angeles area, tell them to go see the movie!
Unfortunately, playing the film in Beverly Hills and other theaters across the country has required trasnferring the movie to a new format, which has sent "Team Darius" into "movie hell." There have been numerous technical difficulties associated with this process, but DGW coeditor Allison Firor and assistant editor Jarrard Cole have spent the last week virtually working round the clock to make it happen. We cannot even begin to thank them for their dedication to this project...they are truly 13th crew members!
Other great stuff happening: Logan, Daniel, Sam, and Jason are in Sun Valley, Idaho, where Theo Gund (the wonderful woman who gave us the grant to launch our DGW "Learn About It" program) has organized two private screenings/Charley's Fund benefits at the Sun Valley Opera House. Last night's gala was a smashing success with one of the most enthusiastic crowds we've ever witnessed. The Q&A lasted well over an hour! Theo has been the most incredible host. She rented a two-bedroom condo for us, gave us a car to use for the long weekend, hosted two dinners in our honor, gave us each spending money, and so much more. We don't want to come home!
Breaking news: We have just learned that Darius has won the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes! UGA faculty member Jenny Manders nominated him for this award last spring, and Martin Bashir (ABC Nightline) wrote a letter of recommendation. You can check this award out at www.barronprize.org. PLEASE KEEP THIS QUIET FOR NOW, THOUGH. Recipients (there are 10 nationwide) have not been officially announced yet, but we couldn't wait for you to...
KNOW ABOUT IT!
There are so many exciting things going on with DGW, it's hard to know where to begin, but here goes...
First, at the urging of several Academy Award voters, we have decided to "four-wall" our movie, which means make it eligible for an Oscar nomination!! Among other requirements, this entails having the movie shown for seven consecutive days, twice a day, at a commercial theater in Los Angeles or New York before August 31, then having it shown in theaters at 14 other cities for three consecutive days, twice a day by mid November. There are firms that handle all these screenings for small indie films like ours, but it costs thousands of dollars for their services. Fortunately, an executive at Worldwide Pants (David Letterman's production company) watched the movie with six teenagers and loved it so much that Worldwide Pants put up the money for us to do this! Producer Tom Shadyac also donated to the cause!
As a result, Darius Goes West will play at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills, Califonia, the week of August 24-30, and we have a team of professionals helping us to create a buzz. We realize that getting an Oscar nomination is a huge long shot, but we figure that if we can at least make it on a "short list," our chances of finding a distributor for the movie will soar. So, wish us luck, and if you know anyone in the Los Angeles area, tell them to go see the movie!
Unfortunately, playing the film in Beverly Hills and other theaters across the country has required trasnferring the movie to a new format, which has sent "Team Darius" into "movie hell." There have been numerous technical difficulties associated with this process, but DGW coeditor Allison Firor and assistant editor Jarrard Cole have spent the last week virtually working round the clock to make it happen. We cannot even begin to thank them for their dedication to this project...they are truly 13th crew members!
Other great stuff happening: Logan, Daniel, Sam, and Jason are in Sun Valley, Idaho, where Theo Gund (the wonderful woman who gave us the grant to launch our DGW "Learn About It" program) has organized two private screenings/Charley's Fund benefits at the Sun Valley Opera House. Last night's gala was a smashing success with one of the most enthusiastic crowds we've ever witnessed. The Q&A lasted well over an hour! Theo has been the most incredible host. She rented a two-bedroom condo for us, gave us a car to use for the long weekend, hosted two dinners in our honor, gave us each spending money, and so much more. We don't want to come home!
Breaking news: We have just learned that Darius has won the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes! UGA faculty member Jenny Manders nominated him for this award last spring, and Martin Bashir (ABC Nightline) wrote a letter of recommendation. You can check this award out at www.barronprize.org. PLEASE KEEP THIS QUIET FOR NOW, THOUGH. Recipients (there are 10 nationwide) have not been officially announced yet, but we couldn't wait for you to...
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
DGW AT ROCK THE BELLS
August 4, 2007
n Thursday, August 2, several DGW crew members--plus others--took Darius to Atlanta's Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre for the "Rock the Bells" concert. Everyone had a blast!!! (Check out our pictures).
Gates opened at 2:30, and the show went on until 10:30. Several of D's favorite rap artists performed, including Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and a surprise appearance by Ludacris (his mom appears briefly in our film). We had planned to sit on the lawn, but the crowd was small enough that we all got real seats. Every act was awesome.
It was late when we finally got back to Athens, so most of us spent the night at the Smalley's house...including Darius, who slept in his chair (fortunately, it tilts).
THANK YOU SO MUCH LTJG STACEY E. ZIMMERMAN for making all of this possible! When Stacey, who is in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Japan, watched the Nightline segment featuring Darius Goes West, she was so moved by Darius and our story, that she e-mailed Logan offering to send "fun" money for Darius and the crew to do something special. Attending "Rock the Bells" was tops on D's wish list, and Stacey's generous donation allowed for nine of us to take him to Atlanta. (Check out the pictures!)
While at the concert, we had at least a half a dozen "fans" come up to us and say they had either seen or heard about our movie...including a policeman.
Know about it!
n Thursday, August 2, several DGW crew members--plus others--took Darius to Atlanta's Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre for the "Rock the Bells" concert. Everyone had a blast!!! (Check out our pictures).
Gates opened at 2:30, and the show went on until 10:30. Several of D's favorite rap artists performed, including Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and a surprise appearance by Ludacris (his mom appears briefly in our film). We had planned to sit on the lawn, but the crowd was small enough that we all got real seats. Every act was awesome.
It was late when we finally got back to Athens, so most of us spent the night at the Smalley's house...including Darius, who slept in his chair (fortunately, it tilts).
THANK YOU SO MUCH LTJG STACEY E. ZIMMERMAN for making all of this possible! When Stacey, who is in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Japan, watched the Nightline segment featuring Darius Goes West, she was so moved by Darius and our story, that she e-mailed Logan offering to send "fun" money for Darius and the crew to do something special. Attending "Rock the Bells" was tops on D's wish list, and Stacey's generous donation allowed for nine of us to take him to Atlanta. (Check out the pictures!)
While at the concert, we had at least a half a dozen "fans" come up to us and say they had either seen or heard about our movie...including a policeman.
Know about it!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
FUN, FUN, FUN IN FLEETWOOD!
August 2, 2007
We have just returned from four glorious days in Fleetwood/Reading, Pennsylvania, where Maria McDonell, her husband Tom Sandor, and their three boys, Ethan, Owen, and Aidan were the most awesome hosts ever! Not only did they find places for seven of us to sleep, but they fed us and kept us entertained. We had a blast (see our pictures for proof). Their extended families were also amazing, bringing food by every time we turned around, hanging out with us, and attending our screenings in nearby Reading.
The McDonnell/Sandor family is featured in our film, and all were on hand to answer questions at our Q&As at the Goggleworks in Reading, where the movie was booked to play for a week. Aidan did a great job of introducing the crew, and Ethan even tried to pass himself off as Andrew Carson! We had some wonderful audiences--especially our last night there when a film discussion group attended--and some amazing Q&As. Special thanks to Dennis for doing such a great job running the show(s)!
In between screenings (there were two each day over the weekend), we played a lot of sports...soccer, whiffleball, basketball. Thanks to the McDonnell/Sandor's neighbors for letting us cool off in their pool after working up a sweat! Fleetwood is Mennonite country, and while playing soccer, we saw several horse and buggies go by. At night, we enjoyed a full moon while sitting on the porch. One night, Tbarn entertained us by performing some of his original songs with Collin accompanying him on the guitar. Another night, we went to dinner at The Works, a restaurant with a huge arcade.
On Monday, we took a day trip to Greeley, PA, to visit Pine Forest Camp. This was a walk down memory lane for Barbara, who had worked at PFC while a freshman at UGA. When we arrived at camp, there were "Welcome Darius Goes West" signs everywhere. After a Q&A with counselors, who had seen DGW the night before, we spent the day climbing a rock wall, touring the grounds in a golf cart, playing pool basketball, relaxing in a cabin designated specifically for DGW, and eating some great food. Thank you, Mickey Black, camp director, and his wife Barbara Black for making us feel so at home. And an even bigger thanks for making a $1,000 donation to Charley's Fund in honor of our visit!
Speaking of generous donations, Tom Shadyac (director of Evan Almighty and many other cool films) has purchased 15 (yes, 15) DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts for himself and his staff. If you recall, Tom saw the film in Telluride and stood up during the Q&A to say how much he liked it and wanted to help. His $15,000 donation to Charley's Fund will help a LOT!
Know about it!
We have just returned from four glorious days in Fleetwood/Reading, Pennsylvania, where Maria McDonell, her husband Tom Sandor, and their three boys, Ethan, Owen, and Aidan were the most awesome hosts ever! Not only did they find places for seven of us to sleep, but they fed us and kept us entertained. We had a blast (see our pictures for proof). Their extended families were also amazing, bringing food by every time we turned around, hanging out with us, and attending our screenings in nearby Reading.
The McDonnell/Sandor family is featured in our film, and all were on hand to answer questions at our Q&As at the Goggleworks in Reading, where the movie was booked to play for a week. Aidan did a great job of introducing the crew, and Ethan even tried to pass himself off as Andrew Carson! We had some wonderful audiences--especially our last night there when a film discussion group attended--and some amazing Q&As. Special thanks to Dennis for doing such a great job running the show(s)!
In between screenings (there were two each day over the weekend), we played a lot of sports...soccer, whiffleball, basketball. Thanks to the McDonnell/Sandor's neighbors for letting us cool off in their pool after working up a sweat! Fleetwood is Mennonite country, and while playing soccer, we saw several horse and buggies go by. At night, we enjoyed a full moon while sitting on the porch. One night, Tbarn entertained us by performing some of his original songs with Collin accompanying him on the guitar. Another night, we went to dinner at The Works, a restaurant with a huge arcade.
On Monday, we took a day trip to Greeley, PA, to visit Pine Forest Camp. This was a walk down memory lane for Barbara, who had worked at PFC while a freshman at UGA. When we arrived at camp, there were "Welcome Darius Goes West" signs everywhere. After a Q&A with counselors, who had seen DGW the night before, we spent the day climbing a rock wall, touring the grounds in a golf cart, playing pool basketball, relaxing in a cabin designated specifically for DGW, and eating some great food. Thank you, Mickey Black, camp director, and his wife Barbara Black for making us feel so at home. And an even bigger thanks for making a $1,000 donation to Charley's Fund in honor of our visit!
Speaking of generous donations, Tom Shadyac (director of Evan Almighty and many other cool films) has purchased 15 (yes, 15) DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts for himself and his staff. If you recall, Tom saw the film in Telluride and stood up during the Q&A to say how much he liked it and wanted to help. His $15,000 donation to Charley's Fund will help a LOT!
Know about it!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
ROCKIN AND ROLLIN WITH DGW
July 26, 2007
Recently, when Nightline aired the story about our film (for the second time), we received tons of e-mails. In that batch of fan mail was the nicest note from Stacey Zimmerman, who is stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy. She wrote...
"I saw a small part of your show last night, and I really want to know what I can do to help Darius. I want to help the organization as a whole but in particular I was especially moved by Darius and his passion for life and his courage in the face of his seriouis illness."
Stacey went on to say that she was interested in organizing a walk--a-thon or some other fundraiser on the base, but she mostly wanted to send us some "fun" money to enable Darius to do something special.
For months, Darius had been saying he wished he could go to the "Rock the Bells" concert at Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre in early August, so that's what we told Stacey we'd like to do. She loved the idea and sent a donation to cover the costs of tickets for Darius and 9 crew members to attend this rap event. HE IS SO PUMPED!
Stacey also sent Darius a goodie package filled with bubblegum, a stuffed bear, video game magazines, and much more. He is in heaven! Thank you, Stacey, for giving Big D and the crew something awesome to look forward to! We'll take plenty of pictures and post them on this site.
Other news...Logan, Ben and Sam, have spent three nights in Martha's Vineyard, where last night's screening at the Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival's Summer Film Series was a huge success. In their spare time, the guys have been tooling around the island on mopeds, eating some great seafood, and even went surfing! Special thanks to Thomas Bena, festival director, for rolling out the red carpet for DGW!
Tomorrow, Collin, Tbarn, John Harmon, and Barbara (Logan/Ben's mom) fly to Reading, PA, where they will meet up with Logan, Ben, and Sam. The Goggleworks Theater in Reading will be showing DGW for a solid week; the crew will be there for screenings all weekend. Proceeds will benefit Charley's Fund. While in Reading, the crew will be hosted by Maria McDonnell and Tom Sandor, who appear in our film, along with their sons Ethan, Owen, and Aidan (aka "the caboose"). Then, on Monday, we'll take a day trip to Pine Forest Camp in the Pocono Mountains, where counselors will have watched DGW the night before, and we'll mix and mingle and do a Q&A. Barbara Smalley worked at Pine Forest Camp during the summer of her freshman year at UGA and became good friends with the director's son, Mickey Black...who is now the camp's director. Over the years, the two had lost touch, but a few months ago, he sent an e-mail to Logan (not realizing that he was Barbara's son) rsaying he had heard wonderful things about our film and begged to show it. Small world!
Know about it!
Recently, when Nightline aired the story about our film (for the second time), we received tons of e-mails. In that batch of fan mail was the nicest note from Stacey Zimmerman, who is stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy. She wrote...
"I saw a small part of your show last night, and I really want to know what I can do to help Darius. I want to help the organization as a whole but in particular I was especially moved by Darius and his passion for life and his courage in the face of his seriouis illness."
Stacey went on to say that she was interested in organizing a walk--a-thon or some other fundraiser on the base, but she mostly wanted to send us some "fun" money to enable Darius to do something special.
For months, Darius had been saying he wished he could go to the "Rock the Bells" concert at Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre in early August, so that's what we told Stacey we'd like to do. She loved the idea and sent a donation to cover the costs of tickets for Darius and 9 crew members to attend this rap event. HE IS SO PUMPED!
Stacey also sent Darius a goodie package filled with bubblegum, a stuffed bear, video game magazines, and much more. He is in heaven! Thank you, Stacey, for giving Big D and the crew something awesome to look forward to! We'll take plenty of pictures and post them on this site.
Other news...Logan, Ben and Sam, have spent three nights in Martha's Vineyard, where last night's screening at the Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival's Summer Film Series was a huge success. In their spare time, the guys have been tooling around the island on mopeds, eating some great seafood, and even went surfing! Special thanks to Thomas Bena, festival director, for rolling out the red carpet for DGW!
Tomorrow, Collin, Tbarn, John Harmon, and Barbara (Logan/Ben's mom) fly to Reading, PA, where they will meet up with Logan, Ben, and Sam. The Goggleworks Theater in Reading will be showing DGW for a solid week; the crew will be there for screenings all weekend. Proceeds will benefit Charley's Fund. While in Reading, the crew will be hosted by Maria McDonnell and Tom Sandor, who appear in our film, along with their sons Ethan, Owen, and Aidan (aka "the caboose"). Then, on Monday, we'll take a day trip to Pine Forest Camp in the Pocono Mountains, where counselors will have watched DGW the night before, and we'll mix and mingle and do a Q&A. Barbara Smalley worked at Pine Forest Camp during the summer of her freshman year at UGA and became good friends with the director's son, Mickey Black...who is now the camp's director. Over the years, the two had lost touch, but a few months ago, he sent an e-mail to Logan (not realizing that he was Barbara's son) rsaying he had heard wonderful things about our film and begged to show it. Small world!
Know about it!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
THANK YOU, ATHENS!
July 25, 2007
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY 2007 WAS AMAZING!!!
As many of you know, all four screenings of our movie sold out well before the big day, and we turned away hundreds of people. We hated that, and next year, we promise to have twice the space! It was truly the hottest ticket in town, with people lining the streets in hopes of getting tickets from no-shows.Many others with tickets who had seen the movie in January gave up their seats to people who hadn't yet seen the film and didn't have tickets. We love Athens!
The audiences were amazing...nothing like a hometown crowd! Most were people who had purchased credits in the movie; bought hot dogs, barbecue and snow cones from us; and filled all the piggy banks we'd placed throughout Athens prior to the trip. Their standing ovations seemed to last forever. We loved every minute of it!
Those who waited up for the 10:00 PM screening got a special treat. Instead of a Q&A after this show, Darius did some freestyle rapping, then challenged the audience to battle him. There were a few takers, and they were quite entertaining, but they were no match for "Big Daddy!"
Here's a link to a Athens Banner-Herald reporter Julie Phillips' blog that has an mp3 of one of D's raps that night:
http://blogs.onlineathens.com/node/597
The best news of the day: we raised almost $3,000 for DMD research! Much of this came from the sale of TWO "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts, which sell for $1,000. HUGE thanks to Juliet Easton and Kathleen Walker for their generosity and support...and to everyone else who put donations in our Charley's Fund buckets and purchased DGW t-shirts, posters, and wrist bands!
Next year's DGW Day will definitely be bigger and better. We hope to have music (a couple of bands), at least one celebrity, and twice the screenings. So, save the date (Saturday, July 20, 2008) and plan to celebrate with us!
This special day would never have been possible without the many volunteers who helped us or our wonderful sponsors: The Athens Banner-Herald, Athens Cine, ABC Printing, Delta Airlines, Dodge, The Globe, and Shirtworks.
Know about it!
P.S. Check out our new pictures from Victory Junction Camp and from DGW Day 2007!
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY 2007 WAS AMAZING!!!
As many of you know, all four screenings of our movie sold out well before the big day, and we turned away hundreds of people. We hated that, and next year, we promise to have twice the space! It was truly the hottest ticket in town, with people lining the streets in hopes of getting tickets from no-shows.Many others with tickets who had seen the movie in January gave up their seats to people who hadn't yet seen the film and didn't have tickets. We love Athens!
The audiences were amazing...nothing like a hometown crowd! Most were people who had purchased credits in the movie; bought hot dogs, barbecue and snow cones from us; and filled all the piggy banks we'd placed throughout Athens prior to the trip. Their standing ovations seemed to last forever. We loved every minute of it!
Those who waited up for the 10:00 PM screening got a special treat. Instead of a Q&A after this show, Darius did some freestyle rapping, then challenged the audience to battle him. There were a few takers, and they were quite entertaining, but they were no match for "Big Daddy!"
Here's a link to a Athens Banner-Herald reporter Julie Phillips' blog that has an mp3 of one of D's raps that night:
http://blogs.onlineathens.com/node/597
The best news of the day: we raised almost $3,000 for DMD research! Much of this came from the sale of TWO "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts, which sell for $1,000. HUGE thanks to Juliet Easton and Kathleen Walker for their generosity and support...and to everyone else who put donations in our Charley's Fund buckets and purchased DGW t-shirts, posters, and wrist bands!
Next year's DGW Day will definitely be bigger and better. We hope to have music (a couple of bands), at least one celebrity, and twice the screenings. So, save the date (Saturday, July 20, 2008) and plan to celebrate with us!
This special day would never have been possible without the many volunteers who helped us or our wonderful sponsors: The Athens Banner-Herald, Athens Cine, ABC Printing, Delta Airlines, Dodge, The Globe, and Shirtworks.
Know about it!
P.S. Check out our new pictures from Victory Junction Camp and from DGW Day 2007!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
COUNTDOWN TO DGW DAY!
July 18, 2007
Just four days until July 22, Darius Goes West Day, and already, we have sold out three screenings of our film, with the fourth screening very close to selling out. Thank you, Athens! We wish we had space to accommodate more people. Next year!
If you have tickets, please be sure to arrive 30 minutes early so we can make sure each show starts on time. Also, join us at The Globe after the 7:00 PM show and at Athens Cine Theatre after the 10:00 PM show to celebrate this special day.
In case you missed it, there's a wonderful two-page spread about DGW Day in the latest issue of The Flagpole. Check out Darius and part of the crew on the cover at www.flagpole.com.
Logan, Ben, Sam, Tbarn, and Darius have been on the road since yesterday, visiting Victory Junction Camp in North Carolina. Last night, camp personnel put D and his entourage up at a hotel and treated everyone to dinner at a Japanese steak house, which Darius loved. Today, Kyle Petty's Celebrity Charity bike ride rolled through camp, where D got to meet Herschel Walker, Richard Petty, and model Niki Taylor, among other celebrities. We will post pictures soon. Thank you, Meredith Shrimanker for this awesome invitation! And thanks, too, to Denise Berecz, our contact at Dodge, for coming down for this event.
From Victory Junction, the guys headed to the Real to Reel Film Festival in Kings Mountain, NC for a Q&A following a screening of DGW. There was a nice crowd there, and everyone loved the film. Plus, we won Best Documentary! That's our 21st award!
Know about it!
Just four days until July 22, Darius Goes West Day, and already, we have sold out three screenings of our film, with the fourth screening very close to selling out. Thank you, Athens! We wish we had space to accommodate more people. Next year!
If you have tickets, please be sure to arrive 30 minutes early so we can make sure each show starts on time. Also, join us at The Globe after the 7:00 PM show and at Athens Cine Theatre after the 10:00 PM show to celebrate this special day.
In case you missed it, there's a wonderful two-page spread about DGW Day in the latest issue of The Flagpole. Check out Darius and part of the crew on the cover at www.flagpole.com.
Logan, Ben, Sam, Tbarn, and Darius have been on the road since yesterday, visiting Victory Junction Camp in North Carolina. Last night, camp personnel put D and his entourage up at a hotel and treated everyone to dinner at a Japanese steak house, which Darius loved. Today, Kyle Petty's Celebrity Charity bike ride rolled through camp, where D got to meet Herschel Walker, Richard Petty, and model Niki Taylor, among other celebrities. We will post pictures soon. Thank you, Meredith Shrimanker for this awesome invitation! And thanks, too, to Denise Berecz, our contact at Dodge, for coming down for this event.
From Victory Junction, the guys headed to the Real to Reel Film Festival in Kings Mountain, NC for a Q&A following a screening of DGW. There was a nice crowd there, and everyone loved the film. Plus, we won Best Documentary! That's our 21st award!
Know about it!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
ODDS AND ENDS
July 10, 2007
There is lots going on at DGW. Here's an update...
First, check out this website:
http://www.aidanleffler.info/
This is a Aidan Leffler's web page. He is the adorable almost-four-year-old who stole the show in Seattle. At this link, you'll find photos and descriptions of our smashingly successful screenings there, plus a TV interview that Logan and Mindy Leffler (Aidan's mom) did to promote one of these events.
We have new "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts to award. We are proud to bestow these upon: Justin Bell (Logan's longtime friend and fomer soccer teammate from Atlanta who tirelessly promotes DGW and even accompanied the crew to Minnesota for a film festival last month)...Aaron Eidelhart (a UGA alumnus who hosted half the crew--and fed everyone--in his Santa Barbara, CA home in January for DGW's official world premiere)...Max and Shelly Ruston (who provided awesome housing and warm hospitality for Logan, TBarn and others while D and crew were in Santa Barbara)...Margo Barbakow (another Santa Barbara fan who sent DGW a check for travel funds a couple of months ago when we were flat broke)...Judy and John Schneider (hostess and host with the most, who recently rolled out the red carpet for the crew in Seattle and organized two benefits for Charley's Fund that raised $150,000-plus)....and Mindy and Mitch Leffler (who also organized/hosted the Seattle benefits and who are proud parents of the adorable Aidan we've told you so much about).
We're about to hit the road again, briefly, next week. We'll be taking Darius up to Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, NC, where he will meet Richard, Kyle, and Patti Petty again. This camp run by the Petty family, is for children with special needs, and the day we'll be visiting, Kyle Petty's celebrity motorcycle ride will be rolling through camp. We expect it to be very exciting and very loud! You can read all about it at http://www.kylepettycharityride.com/.
From there, we'll drive to Kings Mountain, NC, where DGW is showing at the Real to Reel Film Festival. After our Q&A, we'll head back to Athens to get ready for July 22, which is
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY!!! We hope to see you there!
Know about it!
There is lots going on at DGW. Here's an update...
First, check out this website:
http://www.aidanleffler.info/
This is a Aidan Leffler's web page. He is the adorable almost-four-year-old who stole the show in Seattle. At this link, you'll find photos and descriptions of our smashingly successful screenings there, plus a TV interview that Logan and Mindy Leffler (Aidan's mom) did to promote one of these events.
We have new "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts to award. We are proud to bestow these upon: Justin Bell (Logan's longtime friend and fomer soccer teammate from Atlanta who tirelessly promotes DGW and even accompanied the crew to Minnesota for a film festival last month)...Aaron Eidelhart (a UGA alumnus who hosted half the crew--and fed everyone--in his Santa Barbara, CA home in January for DGW's official world premiere)...Max and Shelly Ruston (who provided awesome housing and warm hospitality for Logan, TBarn and others while D and crew were in Santa Barbara)...Margo Barbakow (another Santa Barbara fan who sent DGW a check for travel funds a couple of months ago when we were flat broke)...Judy and John Schneider (hostess and host with the most, who recently rolled out the red carpet for the crew in Seattle and organized two benefits for Charley's Fund that raised $150,000-plus)....and Mindy and Mitch Leffler (who also organized/hosted the Seattle benefits and who are proud parents of the adorable Aidan we've told you so much about).
We're about to hit the road again, briefly, next week. We'll be taking Darius up to Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, NC, where he will meet Richard, Kyle, and Patti Petty again. This camp run by the Petty family, is for children with special needs, and the day we'll be visiting, Kyle Petty's celebrity motorcycle ride will be rolling through camp. We expect it to be very exciting and very loud! You can read all about it at http://www.kylepettycharityride.com/.
From there, we'll drive to Kings Mountain, NC, where DGW is showing at the Real to Reel Film Festival. After our Q&A, we'll head back to Athens to get ready for July 22, which is
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY!!! We hope to see you there!
Know about it!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
DARIUS GOES WEST DAY IS JULY 22
July 8, 2007
PLEASE JOIN US IN CELEBRATING DARIUS GOES WEST DAY ON JULY 22, 2007! This year, we mark the second anniversary of the 3-week, 7,000-mile road trip we took from Athens to Los Angeles and back. Our special passenger was Clarke Central High School student Darius Weems, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the number one genetic killer of children worldwide. As you know, we filmed our trip and created a documentary, designed to, among other things, raise awareness of DMD and solicit funds for helping to find a cure for this disease. Since January of 2007, Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, has been screened at 24 film festivals worldwide and has won 20 awards.
To us, Darius Goes West (DGW) Day has always been about "giving back" to the Athens community, who played such a huge role in making this trip and subsequent documentary possible. At last year's first anniversary of DGW Day, we showed a 10-minute preview of the movie. This year, we plan to show the entire movie for FREE four times (twice during the day and twice at night) at Cine Theatre in downtown Athens. (Donations for Charley's Fund, our beneficiary will be accepted after each screening. DGW t-shirts, wristbands, and movie posters will also be available with proceeds of these sales also going to DMD research). We will have giveaways, too, and we're working on raffling off an awesome prize…stay tuned for details on that.
Screenings will be held at 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM on July 22, 2007. All but the late show will be followed by a Q&A session with Darius and the DGW crew. Cine Theatre is located at 234 W. Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens. For directions, visit www.athenscine.com.
SEATING IS LIMITED, so if you plan to see the movie, we recommend you reserve a seat. You can do so either by sending an e-mail to Barbara Smalley at bssmalley@aol.com (please be sure to use "Darius Goes West" as the subject line) or by calling DGW Headquarters at (706) 613-7237.
After the 7:00 PM screening, we invite you to continue celebrating with us at The Globe (199 N. Lumpkin St.).
We are so grateful to our sponsors of this event:
Athens Cine Theatre
Athens Banner-Herald
ABC Printing
Delta Airlines
Dodge
The Globe
Shirtworks of Athens
Hope to see you on July 22.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
PLEASE JOIN US IN CELEBRATING DARIUS GOES WEST DAY ON JULY 22, 2007! This year, we mark the second anniversary of the 3-week, 7,000-mile road trip we took from Athens to Los Angeles and back. Our special passenger was Clarke Central High School student Darius Weems, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the number one genetic killer of children worldwide. As you know, we filmed our trip and created a documentary, designed to, among other things, raise awareness of DMD and solicit funds for helping to find a cure for this disease. Since January of 2007, Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, has been screened at 24 film festivals worldwide and has won 20 awards.
To us, Darius Goes West (DGW) Day has always been about "giving back" to the Athens community, who played such a huge role in making this trip and subsequent documentary possible. At last year's first anniversary of DGW Day, we showed a 10-minute preview of the movie. This year, we plan to show the entire movie for FREE four times (twice during the day and twice at night) at Cine Theatre in downtown Athens. (Donations for Charley's Fund, our beneficiary will be accepted after each screening. DGW t-shirts, wristbands, and movie posters will also be available with proceeds of these sales also going to DMD research). We will have giveaways, too, and we're working on raffling off an awesome prize…stay tuned for details on that.
Screenings will be held at 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM on July 22, 2007. All but the late show will be followed by a Q&A session with Darius and the DGW crew. Cine Theatre is located at 234 W. Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens. For directions, visit www.athenscine.com.
SEATING IS LIMITED, so if you plan to see the movie, we recommend you reserve a seat. You can do so either by sending an e-mail to Barbara Smalley at bssmalley@aol.com (please be sure to use "Darius Goes West" as the subject line) or by calling DGW Headquarters at (706) 613-7237.
After the 7:00 PM screening, we invite you to continue celebrating with us at The Globe (199 N. Lumpkin St.).
We are so grateful to our sponsors of this event:
Athens Cine Theatre
Athens Banner-Herald
ABC Printing
Delta Airlines
Dodge
The Globe
Shirtworks of Athens
Hope to see you on July 22.
KNOW ABOUT IT!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
13th CREW MEMBER T-SHIRT ALERT
July 7, 2007
We are proud to award three more DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts.
Theo Gund, who recently provided seed money to help us launch our DGW-in-the-Schools Program, has earned a wardrobe of these limited edition shirts! She is also organizing two private screenings of Darius Goes West in her hometown of Sun Valley Idaho on August 18 and 19 at the Sun Valley Opera House. Even Oprah, who has a home in Sun Valley, has been invited! All proceeds will go to Charley's Fund to help find a cure for DMD. Check out the picture we've added to this site of Theo proudly displaying her new shirt (which we had framed for her).
Bill Guentzler, artistic director of the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) has also earned a shirt. Bill was not only responsible for selecting Darius Goes West to screen at this prestigious festival, he also listed it as one of his top three picks at CIFF. As a result, our film drew near sell-out crowds at all three screenings there. Bill also created The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, a prestigious audience choice award at CIFF, which DGW won this year. In turn, that coveted honor led us to connect with Theo Gund (Greg's mother), and the rest is history!
Debby Samples, marketing and membership director of CIFF, has earned a shirt as well. When DGW played in Cleveland, Debby's role was crucial in attracting crowds to see our film both at the regular festival and at FilmSlam, a special sideline festival designed for Cleveland area high school students. Darius Goes West was a huge hit at FilmSlam this year...one Q&A session with these students lasted nearly three hours! Both Debby and Bill have agreed to serve on the DGW-in-the-Schools Advisory Committee, and we can't wait to tap into their expertise and extensive talents.
We will be awarding more "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts in the near future. Don't forget that these shirts can be purchased by making a $1,000.00 donation to Charley's Fund OR they can be earned by organizing a fundraiser that raises $1,000.00 for Charley's Fund OR they can be earned by doing something wonderful for DGW.
Know about it!
We are proud to award three more DGW "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts.
Theo Gund, who recently provided seed money to help us launch our DGW-in-the-Schools Program, has earned a wardrobe of these limited edition shirts! She is also organizing two private screenings of Darius Goes West in her hometown of Sun Valley Idaho on August 18 and 19 at the Sun Valley Opera House. Even Oprah, who has a home in Sun Valley, has been invited! All proceeds will go to Charley's Fund to help find a cure for DMD. Check out the picture we've added to this site of Theo proudly displaying her new shirt (which we had framed for her).
Bill Guentzler, artistic director of the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) has also earned a shirt. Bill was not only responsible for selecting Darius Goes West to screen at this prestigious festival, he also listed it as one of his top three picks at CIFF. As a result, our film drew near sell-out crowds at all three screenings there. Bill also created The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, a prestigious audience choice award at CIFF, which DGW won this year. In turn, that coveted honor led us to connect with Theo Gund (Greg's mother), and the rest is history!
Debby Samples, marketing and membership director of CIFF, has earned a shirt as well. When DGW played in Cleveland, Debby's role was crucial in attracting crowds to see our film both at the regular festival and at FilmSlam, a special sideline festival designed for Cleveland area high school students. Darius Goes West was a huge hit at FilmSlam this year...one Q&A session with these students lasted nearly three hours! Both Debby and Bill have agreed to serve on the DGW-in-the-Schools Advisory Committee, and we can't wait to tap into their expertise and extensive talents.
We will be awarding more "I am the 13th crew member" t-shirts in the near future. Don't forget that these shirts can be purchased by making a $1,000.00 donation to Charley's Fund OR they can be earned by organizing a fundraiser that raises $1,000.00 for Charley's Fund OR they can be earned by doing something wonderful for DGW.
Know about it!
Friday, June 29, 2007
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
June 29, 2007
We have just returned from a three-day visit to Seattle, where we didn't get a lot of sleep but had the BEST time, thanks to our amazing hosts Judy and John Schneider and Mindy and Mitch Leflfer. Mindy and Mitch are parents(and Judy and John are grandparents) to Aidan Leffler, the smartest and most adorable almost-four-year old we know. You'll hear more about him later.
On Monday, we arrived in Seattle from Minneapolis/St. Paul. Our flight was way too early in the morning, and we got there feeling exhausted and famished. Mindy met us at the airport and whisked us off to her parents' house where there was a huge spread of cold cuts waiting for us (free lunch!). After getting settled in--the Schneiders also gave all six of us a place to sleep (although, again, we didn't do too much of that)--and really made us feel at home. Before we knew it, it was dinner time, and Judy and John were cooking clams and shrimp kabobs on the girll. Not only that, we also had Copper River Salmon, which is a HUGE deal in the Pacific Northwest..."like fine wine," everybody said. We agree!!!
Tuesday morning, we woke up to a full breakfast and--get this--a $50 bill at each of our plates to go spend at Seattle's famous Pike Place Market! Mindy handed us the keys to her and Mitch's van, and we spent the day having a blast exploring the city. Tuesday evening, we had our first DGW private screening/Charley's Fund benefit. This event took place at the Sammmamish High School Performing Arts Theater in Bellevue Washington. What a lively crowd and a great Q&A!
After a night of celebrating the success of our first screening, we had more fun in store for us on Wednesday. The Schneiders took us out on their boat for a private cruise of Puget Sound. The weather was perfect, and it was awesome!
Throughout our stay, we had been hanging out--and bonding big time--with Aidan, who has DMD. He was such a trip...one night, he begged Jason to sleep in his room with him. Anyway, Wednesday night was the big private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. Tickets were $75 per person, and it began with a reception that featured incredible hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and desserts, followed by the movie, followed by a Q&A. We were hoping to raise a lot of money at this event, and the good news was, an anonymous donor had agreed to match any donations we received up to $100,000!
The crowd was huge (almost 200 people), and they were laughing so loud during the movie (we love it when that happens). But the Q&A afterwards may have been our most memorable one to date, and that's because Aidan stole the show!
After the film ended, Mindy began to talk about donations to Charley's Fund before introducing the guys. While she was talking, the audience members began to chuckle. She was puzzled as she wasn't being particularly funny at that time. When she looked behind her, she noticed that Aidan was on the stage, had just pulled the mic off the stand and was putting it into his shirt pocket. (Sam had suggested to Aidan's Uncle David that Aidan should be the one to introduce the guys.)
She asked him what he was doing and he replied, "I want to talk in the mic." Aidan then stood beside Mindy and as each DGW crew member came up, he said their name loudly into the mic. It took some coaxing to get him off the stage so the guys could talk. Playing with legos in the foyer finally did the trick.
From the comments of people as they left the theater, this spontaneous moment made a wonderful finale to the celebratory evening.
Final tallies are not in yet, but we're almost positive that we raised at least $150,000 for Charley's Fund and DMD research!!!
And we think Aidan deserves all the credit!
Know about it!
P.S. We have posted new pictures from Minnesota and hope to have shots from Seattle up soon.
We have just returned from a three-day visit to Seattle, where we didn't get a lot of sleep but had the BEST time, thanks to our amazing hosts Judy and John Schneider and Mindy and Mitch Leflfer. Mindy and Mitch are parents(and Judy and John are grandparents) to Aidan Leffler, the smartest and most adorable almost-four-year old we know. You'll hear more about him later.
On Monday, we arrived in Seattle from Minneapolis/St. Paul. Our flight was way too early in the morning, and we got there feeling exhausted and famished. Mindy met us at the airport and whisked us off to her parents' house where there was a huge spread of cold cuts waiting for us (free lunch!). After getting settled in--the Schneiders also gave all six of us a place to sleep (although, again, we didn't do too much of that)--and really made us feel at home. Before we knew it, it was dinner time, and Judy and John were cooking clams and shrimp kabobs on the girll. Not only that, we also had Copper River Salmon, which is a HUGE deal in the Pacific Northwest..."like fine wine," everybody said. We agree!!!
Tuesday morning, we woke up to a full breakfast and--get this--a $50 bill at each of our plates to go spend at Seattle's famous Pike Place Market! Mindy handed us the keys to her and Mitch's van, and we spent the day having a blast exploring the city. Tuesday evening, we had our first DGW private screening/Charley's Fund benefit. This event took place at the Sammmamish High School Performing Arts Theater in Bellevue Washington. What a lively crowd and a great Q&A!
After a night of celebrating the success of our first screening, we had more fun in store for us on Wednesday. The Schneiders took us out on their boat for a private cruise of Puget Sound. The weather was perfect, and it was awesome!
Throughout our stay, we had been hanging out--and bonding big time--with Aidan, who has DMD. He was such a trip...one night, he begged Jason to sleep in his room with him. Anyway, Wednesday night was the big private screening/Charley's Fund benefit at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. Tickets were $75 per person, and it began with a reception that featured incredible hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and desserts, followed by the movie, followed by a Q&A. We were hoping to raise a lot of money at this event, and the good news was, an anonymous donor had agreed to match any donations we received up to $100,000!
The crowd was huge (almost 200 people), and they were laughing so loud during the movie (we love it when that happens). But the Q&A afterwards may have been our most memorable one to date, and that's because Aidan stole the show!
After the film ended, Mindy began to talk about donations to Charley's Fund before introducing the guys. While she was talking, the audience members began to chuckle. She was puzzled as she wasn't being particularly funny at that time. When she looked behind her, she noticed that Aidan was on the stage, had just pulled the mic off the stand and was putting it into his shirt pocket. (Sam had suggested to Aidan's Uncle David that Aidan should be the one to introduce the guys.)
She asked him what he was doing and he replied, "I want to talk in the mic." Aidan then stood beside Mindy and as each DGW crew member came up, he said their name loudly into the mic. It took some coaxing to get him off the stage so the guys could talk. Playing with legos in the foyer finally did the trick.
From the comments of people as they left the theater, this spontaneous moment made a wonderful finale to the celebratory evening.
Final tallies are not in yet, but we're almost positive that we raised at least $150,000 for Charley's Fund and DMD research!!!
And we think Aidan deserves all the credit!
Know about it!
P.S. We have posted new pictures from Minnesota and hope to have shots from Seattle up soon.
Monday, June 25, 2007
OUR 20TH LAUREL LEAF!
June 25, 2007
On the road again...that's where we are. At least six of us are: Logan, Ben, Daniel, Sam, Tbarn, and Jason.
We've just spent an amazing weekend in Minneapolis/St. Paul at the Solstice Film Festival. DGW was the closing film (a huge honor) and didn't screen until Sunday, so we spent most of Saturday exploring the city. HUGE DGW fan Justin Bell (a former soccer teammate of Logan's from Atlanta), who has been talking about joining us at a festival since our screening in Atlanta, flew up to be our "13th crew member!" An architect, he was a great tour guide as we explored buildings and museums in the area. We also took a boat ride and had the best ice cream ever at The Grand Ole Creamery (owned by Tbarn's friend, Heather Hoffman). If you're ever in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you gotta go..and be sure to get the Cinnamon Toast ice cream. We did...twice! Yum!
On Friday night, filmmaker Ali Selim and his family hosted an awesome cookout in our honor. He invited a lot of local filmmakers, and we had the best time. Logan even played the piano! Check out Ali's incredible movie, Sweet Land, which many of us saw (and loved!) in London. It will be available on DVD and on NetFlix in early July.
While in Minneapolis/St. Paul, we were treated to top-of-the-line lodging, compliments of Jane Minton of IFP and the Radisson. For the first time ever, we each had our own bed!!!
Our screening last night went extremely well. We had a great audience, and it was one of our best Q&As ever. Also, we won the Best Documentary award---that makes 20 laurel leaves!!!
Other news: our webmaster, Kelly Rodgers married Pat Douglas last weekend. We send her and her awesome daughters (Ashley and Madison) huge congrats!
Finally, SAVE THE DATE! July 22, is our second annual Darius Goes West Day in Athens, and we are making lots of plans. For starters, we will be showing the movie at least twice at Athens' Cine Theatre (downtown Athens) for free (we'll be accepting donations for Charley's Fund, of course). There are other surprises in store as well, so keep checking back.
We are in Seattle now, where there are two private screenings/Charley's Fund benefits on Tuesday and Wednesday night. If you have friends or family in this area, please send them our way!
Know about it!
On the road again...that's where we are. At least six of us are: Logan, Ben, Daniel, Sam, Tbarn, and Jason.
We've just spent an amazing weekend in Minneapolis/St. Paul at the Solstice Film Festival. DGW was the closing film (a huge honor) and didn't screen until Sunday, so we spent most of Saturday exploring the city. HUGE DGW fan Justin Bell (a former soccer teammate of Logan's from Atlanta), who has been talking about joining us at a festival since our screening in Atlanta, flew up to be our "13th crew member!" An architect, he was a great tour guide as we explored buildings and museums in the area. We also took a boat ride and had the best ice cream ever at The Grand Ole Creamery (owned by Tbarn's friend, Heather Hoffman). If you're ever in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you gotta go..and be sure to get the Cinnamon Toast ice cream. We did...twice! Yum!
On Friday night, filmmaker Ali Selim and his family hosted an awesome cookout in our honor. He invited a lot of local filmmakers, and we had the best time. Logan even played the piano! Check out Ali's incredible movie, Sweet Land, which many of us saw (and loved!) in London. It will be available on DVD and on NetFlix in early July.
While in Minneapolis/St. Paul, we were treated to top-of-the-line lodging, compliments of Jane Minton of IFP and the Radisson. For the first time ever, we each had our own bed!!!
Our screening last night went extremely well. We had a great audience, and it was one of our best Q&As ever. Also, we won the Best Documentary award---that makes 20 laurel leaves!!!
Other news: our webmaster, Kelly Rodgers married Pat Douglas last weekend. We send her and her awesome daughters (Ashley and Madison) huge congrats!
Finally, SAVE THE DATE! July 22, is our second annual Darius Goes West Day in Athens, and we are making lots of plans. For starters, we will be showing the movie at least twice at Athens' Cine Theatre (downtown Athens) for free (we'll be accepting donations for Charley's Fund, of course). There are other surprises in store as well, so keep checking back.
We are in Seattle now, where there are two private screenings/Charley's Fund benefits on Tuesday and Wednesday night. If you have friends or family in this area, please send them our way!
Know about it!
Friday, June 15, 2007
WE HAVE THE MOST AWESOME NEWS!
June 15, 2007
KIDS LOVE DARIUS GOES WEST! That fact first became obvious to us during our world premiere at the Santa Barbara Inernational Film Festival. There, we were interviewed by a middle school journalism class. These students not only gave our movie glowing reviews, they also sent us e-mails, and begged for DGW t-shirts. Even after we left Santa Barbara, DGW fever continued. Earlier this month, students at Santa Barbara Middle School took a week and a half bike ride using DGW as their theme. You can read all about it at:
http://web.mac.com/sbmsjourneys/iWeb/SBMS%20Journeys/HOME%20Movie.html
A couple of months after Santa Barbara, DGW screened at FilmSlam, a special program of the Cleveland Inernational Film Festival that is geared to high school students. Again, DGW was a huge hit, with one Q&A session lasting nearly three hours! Fan e-mails poured in from our young Cleveland supporters. DGW was also a hit with general audiences attending the regular festival in Cleveland. In fact, we won two Audience Choice Awards there, including The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition.
Recognizing that students tend to be our most enthusiastic audiences, the DGW crew (five of whom are majoring in education...then there's Logan, who recently graduated with a degree in special education) began brainstorming ways to target this audience and motivate them to help us raise money to fight DMD. That's when we came up with the idea to create a DGW-in-the-Schools program. Our dream: to have as many middle and high school students as possible, nationwide, see our film, then encourage these students to organize fundraisers for Charley's Fund.
The problem was, we had no money to fund this program, which would require someone to direct it and someone to develop lots of materials to send to schools. NOW WE DO!!!!
After winning the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, we sent a copy of Darius Goes West to Greg's mom, Theo Gund. She fell in love with the film (she's now seen it 10 times!), and when she heard that we were trying to get it seen at schools nationwide, she proposed a meeting between "Team Darius," herself, and the multitalented staff of the Cleveland International Film Festival (Marcie Goodman, Patrick Shepherd, Bill Guentzler, Debby Samples, and Beth Radisek). Since the crew was scattered all over the globe (London, Michigan, Wyoming, Los Angeles), Logan's mom, Barbara Smalley, flew to Cleveland for this meeting last week and walked away with seed money from Theo Gund to fund this program! (We have posted pictures of our meeting on this site...check them out).
The program, which Logan has tapped Barbara to run, will officially launch in September of 2007. We already have 57 schools across the country begging to show DGW--and these are totally unsolicited requests (imagine what will happen once the word gets out!). Our intent is to package the DVD with lesson plans (in a variety of subjects) for teachers, as well as provide fundraising ideas for students .
We are incredibly grateful to Theo Gund for her generous gift, which will help us get the word out about DMD to an audience that we know will work as hard as we have at raising awareness of--and finding a cure for--DMD.
Keep in mind, though, that this is just seed money. We need additional donations to keep this program going strong. If you can make a donation, please send it to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org) and ask them to earmark it for the DGW-in-the-Schools program. If you know of grants we could apply for, please contact Barbara at bssmalley@aol.com. And if you know of schools who may want to show our movie, please have them get in touch. We need you to help us spread the word!
We are so pumped about this program and hope you will be, too!
Know about it!
3:06 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
KIDS LOVE DARIUS GOES WEST! That fact first became obvious to us during our world premiere at the Santa Barbara Inernational Film Festival. There, we were interviewed by a middle school journalism class. These students not only gave our movie glowing reviews, they also sent us e-mails, and begged for DGW t-shirts. Even after we left Santa Barbara, DGW fever continued. Earlier this month, students at Santa Barbara Middle School took a week and a half bike ride using DGW as their theme. You can read all about it at:
http://web.mac.com/sbmsjourneys/iWeb/SBMS%20Journeys/HOME%20Movie.html
A couple of months after Santa Barbara, DGW screened at FilmSlam, a special program of the Cleveland Inernational Film Festival that is geared to high school students. Again, DGW was a huge hit, with one Q&A session lasting nearly three hours! Fan e-mails poured in from our young Cleveland supporters. DGW was also a hit with general audiences attending the regular festival in Cleveland. In fact, we won two Audience Choice Awards there, including The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition.
Recognizing that students tend to be our most enthusiastic audiences, the DGW crew (five of whom are majoring in education...then there's Logan, who recently graduated with a degree in special education) began brainstorming ways to target this audience and motivate them to help us raise money to fight DMD. That's when we came up with the idea to create a DGW-in-the-Schools program. Our dream: to have as many middle and high school students as possible, nationwide, see our film, then encourage these students to organize fundraisers for Charley's Fund.
The problem was, we had no money to fund this program, which would require someone to direct it and someone to develop lots of materials to send to schools. NOW WE DO!!!!
After winning the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, we sent a copy of Darius Goes West to Greg's mom, Theo Gund. She fell in love with the film (she's now seen it 10 times!), and when she heard that we were trying to get it seen at schools nationwide, she proposed a meeting between "Team Darius," herself, and the multitalented staff of the Cleveland International Film Festival (Marcie Goodman, Patrick Shepherd, Bill Guentzler, Debby Samples, and Beth Radisek). Since the crew was scattered all over the globe (London, Michigan, Wyoming, Los Angeles), Logan's mom, Barbara Smalley, flew to Cleveland for this meeting last week and walked away with seed money from Theo Gund to fund this program! (We have posted pictures of our meeting on this site...check them out).
The program, which Logan has tapped Barbara to run, will officially launch in September of 2007. We already have 57 schools across the country begging to show DGW--and these are totally unsolicited requests (imagine what will happen once the word gets out!). Our intent is to package the DVD with lesson plans (in a variety of subjects) for teachers, as well as provide fundraising ideas for students .
We are incredibly grateful to Theo Gund for her generous gift, which will help us get the word out about DMD to an audience that we know will work as hard as we have at raising awareness of--and finding a cure for--DMD.
Keep in mind, though, that this is just seed money. We need additional donations to keep this program going strong. If you can make a donation, please send it to Charley's Fund (www.charleysfund.org) and ask them to earmark it for the DGW-in-the-Schools program. If you know of grants we could apply for, please contact Barbara at bssmalley@aol.com. And if you know of schools who may want to show our movie, please have them get in touch. We need you to help us spread the word!
We are so pumped about this program and hope you will be, too!
Know about it!
3:06 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
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