Attending the world premiere of the film Susie's Hope, a film on which I have spent the last two years as a screenwriter and producer, I couldn't help myself -- a huge wave of euphoria swept over me, and I did a little heel-kick in the lobby.  The venue was beautiful: the largest seamless screen in North Carolina at the beautiful ACE Cinema complex on the campus of UNC-School of the Arts.  The crowd was magnaminous: 300 people with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces.  The experience was ineffable: a simultaneous joy and sorrow that left me speechless.  So, I'll let the comments from those that attended speak on my behalf:

"This is a story about bravery, perseverance, indescribable cruelty and equally indescribable love. This is a story where evil, bitterness and blame could have
won but where compassion, joy and love persevered."  -- Laura Moog Lanier

"If you have not seen the movie, Susie's Hope, then you have missed a wonderful story of love, tragedy, forgiveness, commitment, perseverance, hope, victory and change -- yes all of these conditions in an eloquent and truthful presentation. I hope to see this movie available to every household!" -- Pam Campbell Chisholm

"I thought it was wonderful.  I think it will do wonders for animals in shelters nationwide." -- Keely Greene

You can also see some of the great press we've received at:

Winston Salem Journal:
http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_fd80fb98-a4a5-11e2-96cd-001a4bcf6878.html

WFMY Channel 2:
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/280086/327/Susies-Hope-Premieres-At-RiverRun-2013

WXII Channel 12:
http://www.wxii12.com/community/pets/-Susie-s-Law-burned-dog-victim-movie-playing-in-Winston-Salem/-/10558876/19744672/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/pgpp68/-/index.html

Greensboro News and Record:
http://www.news-record.com/home/1043273-63/susies-hope-leads-local-films

News 14:
http://triad.news14.com/content/692845/2013-riverrun-international-film-festival-screens-in-winston-salem-once-again

Many thanks for the support of our community and the RiverRun International Film Festival!

I am so glad to have found a gorgeous date for the RiverRun Festival Gala this evening.  Don't tell my wife!  Although, my wife is really only jealous because she loves Emmanuelle Vaugier even more than I do, as fan of the hit show Lost Girl on Syfy.

And no, Emmanuelle is not really my date.  But she will accompanying me and the other producers of Susie's Hope to the Gala this evening.  We truly appreciate her coming to join us for the festival, and we are excited to share her amazing performance with audiences this weekend!

More information about the Festival at:
http://2013.riverrunfilm.com/films/susies-hope

With just a few days until Susie's Hope premieres at the RiverRun International Film Festival, my days have been a hectic scramble to line up press, events, materials, stars, fans and friends -- all with the incredible help of my fellow producers, board members and staff.  (No matter how much help we have, it isn't enough!)  Therefore, it was a wonderful reprieve today to sit with a cup of coffee and read the reviews:

"The actors — human and canine alike — bring a palpable sincerity to their performances."  Mark Burger, Yes! Weekly

"A touching story without becoming overemotional or preachy." Melissa Hall, Winston-Salem Journal

"Susie is a movie star."  Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane, Greensboro News & Record

We are all excited to share the film with audiences this weekend.  On behalf of the entire Susie family, thank you for your support!

http://2013.riverrunfilm.com/films/susies-hope

The film Susie's Hope was completed at the beginning of this year, and it has been well received this spring.  Following up our premiere at the RiverRun, we will be showing on May 12th (Mother's Day!) at the Cape Fear Independent Film Festival, where we have been nominated for Best Feature Film and Best Family Film.  We are excited to be represented in the great city of Wilmington.

I look forward to treating my mom to a mother's day she'll cherish forever.  You can do the same.  Tickets are on sale now!

http://www.cfifn.org/film-festival/

Susie changed my life.  I really had no aspiration to make an "animal" film.  I love animals, and I always have.  I have written poems to my cat, Lucy, who is no longer with us.  However, I had not really considered an "animal" movie as a genre for my next script.

Then Susie plopped her head on my lap.  The story was awe-inspiring: an amazing animal who had survived unthinkable abuse, only to be adopted by a human companion equally as phenomenal.  Donna Lawrence had survived an attack by a pit-bull only a few years before.  This was a story of healing.  A story of being a better person by showing love for "the least among us."

It was a story that I wanted to be involved in telling.

We are proud to have Susie's Hope premiering at the RiverRun International Film Festival.

One of the biggest honors of working on this film has been working with other people who are completely committed to making the world a better place for animals: Donna Lawrence, who started the educational non-profit; director and co-writer Jerry Rees; stars Emmanuelle Vaugier, herself the organizer of Best Friends Animal Society's Fluffball, Burgess Jenkins, Andrea Powell, Lance E. Nichols, well-known animal lover Jon Provost, and Pet Life Radio's Megan  Blake; fellow producers Stone's Throw Films and Altair Casting and Production Services,
LLC; executive producers Eve Roser, Tami Hendrix and Brian Gavigan, who all rescue abandoned animals; funding partner The R.B. Terry Foundation; post-production house Reel Works; the American Humane Association; the National American Pit Bull Terrier Association; CCSB Reptile Rescue; Southern Tails Dog School; Guilford County Animal Shelter Director Marsha Williams; Assistant District Attorney Chris Parrish; NC Senator Don Vaughan; and the many, many others.  Every name listed in that very long scroll at the end of the film earned my appreciation with their committment and talent.  On behalf of all the producers and filmmakers, many thanks!

We hope to see you at the RiverRun Film Festival on April 13th at 1:00 pm, April 16th at 3:00 pm, or April 20th at 4:00 pm!

It started as an audition.  I was reading for a role in the film Nevermore, being produced by Cafe Oscuro, directed and co-written by visual effects designer Dean Jones.  I must have been awesome, because the next day the producers asked me to come in to meet with them.  Or maybe I wasn't that awesome...

Their NC Casting Director had come down with a case of bubonic plague.  Perhaps it was just a really nasty flu bug.  Either way, the poor girl had been out for almost 7 days.  As I had experience in casting and a good relationship with the current CD, the producers asked me to step in.  I was honored to do so.  Although, this did mean that I wouldn't be cast in the film now.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the local cast, including Gil Newsom, Tracey Coppedge, Robert Crayton, R. Keith Harris and many others, notably a cadre of young actors who played the ghosts of children.  The lead actors, cast by Pemrick Fronk Casting, were Jason Cook, Valerie Azlynn and the inimitable Lance Henriksen.  All three of them were kind people who were an inspiration to our young cast members.  I can't thank each of them enough!

We hope you'll keep an eye out (perhaps plucked out?) for the horror film Nevermore!

After a successful showing at NewFilmmakers NY in January, the short film "Car Jacked" has now been nominated for Best Comedy at the 2013 Cape Fear Independent Film Festival!  I created this five-minute student short as part of my studies at Hollins University's MFA in Screenwriting program. 

Starring Tom Barker, Tommy Trull, Lisa Sain Odom and Naoma Eris Kelly, "Car Jacked" was written, directed, produced and edited by... well, me.  I was very fortunate to have the assistance of my good friends Matt Mandarano and Shane Smith as cameramen, and the brilliant music of Jon Fredette.  Also helping out were Xoey HAWK, Alex Acuff and his friend Eli.  My fellow classmates, and our instructor Amy Gerber-Stroh were invaluable in helping me to learn the editing system (which was a nice reminder of why I usually hire someone else as an editor).

We look forward to spending May 9th-12th at the Cape Fear Independent Film Festival. 

But this is only the first big announcement I'm making this week!  Check in tomorrow for more on my recent adventures!