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!!!
Friday, August 31, 2007
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!
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