Fans Inspired By The Power of Women

Silverdocs has become the preeminent doc fest in the US with its beautiful 400 seat refurbished art-deco theater as a centerpiece. "A Powerful Noise" was lucky enough to screen there on Friday night to a sold out house. Once again after the film fans were standing in appreciation of the work from the women in the film and others around the world. It is inspiring to see the film emotionally affect so many people.

Ms. Hanh from Vietnam was in attendance for a panel discussion after the film. She was overwhelmed by people's reaction to her story and was inspired that her work resonated with American crowds. Prior to the screening, she was able to speak at the American Psychological Association and discuss the mental anguish of living with HIV/AIDS. Our translator from the film, Chi Mai, said the room of professionals were in tears as she spoke. She was also able to share her story at the CARE National Conference where volunteer participants from around the country visit political leaders from their states to push legislation to help women around the world. I think the message to Capitol Hill was a little more urgent after meeting Ms. Hanh face-to-face. It is amazing how big of heart and tenacity of will Ms. Hanh has to face the stigma of living with the virus in Vietnam and tackle it head on to stop discrimination.

After the screening, I met Amy Kelly, owner of Trinity Health Clubs near Dulles Airport. She was inspired to be a part of our grassroots effort and host a screening fundraiser at her club in the fall. It is this type of activism we are hoping to drive as our film gains festival buzz and reaches out into the mainstream. Amy wrote me a long email about how the film changed her outlook on life and inspired her to make a difference beyond what she is doing for cancer patients at her health club. And she summed up the meaning of the film so perfectly:

"I have seen other films about the struggles of women in other countries, but never one that combined the loss, the strength, the hope and the ENTREPRENEURSHIP of women in such dire circumstances."

This is what I hope more and more audiences begin to realize as they experience "A Powerful Noise" and join the women's empowerment movement to solve global poverty.

A Powerful Noise to screen at SILVERDOCS

SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival

Friday, June 20 @ 5:15PM

AFI Silver Theatre
8633 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910


From SILVERDOCS.com:

SILVERDOCS 2008 will present 108 films representing 63 countries selected from 1,861 submissions with six World, eight North American, six US and seven East Coast Premieres and two retrospective programs. Now in its sixth year, SILVERDOCS and its concurrent International Documentary Conference honors excellence in filmmaking, supports the diverse voices and free expression of independent storytellers and celebrates the power of documentary to enhance our understanding of the world.

Tribeca Success

It has been a crazy 5 days since the premiere of "A Powerful Noise" and the reception we received at Tribeca was fabulously overwhelming. The premiere was sold out and the film was met with a standing ovation. It was spectacular and a dream come true. Most importantly, when I announced Madame Urbain from Mali was in attendance for the Q&A... well, the place erupted. That was definitely one of the proudest moments of my life as a filmmaker. To see the inspiration people latched onto because of Madame Urbain's power in the film was an amazing tribute to an amazing woman.

Another rewarding moment has been the consistent audience response. Scott and I had a plan going into production that we would differentiate our film by getting strong visuals, allow our characters to tell their stories in their own voice, and use music to link our women heroines together. Everyone seems to be responding to all of those elements in the film, and it is wonderful when a plan comes together. As documentary filmmakers, we cannot plan what happens, but we can give the production a creative vision and focus to keep the narrative cohesive. I am proud of that accomplishment and I share it with our wonderful crew.

Tribeca Film Festival (l-r) Scott Thigpen, Sheila Johnson, Dr. Helene Gayle, Ed Burns, Christy Turlington Burns, Tom Cappello

The final satisfaction came Sunday night as one of the last screenings of Tribeca, "A Powerful Noise" sold out Tribeca's second biggest theater at Village East. We figured most people would have packed it in by then or would go see the award winners, but I was happy to see such an enthusiastic crowd. Most people stayed for the Q&A, and it was the most lively discussion of the festival. People are really engaging with the film and that bodes well as we distribute this film wider. With such an enthusiastic response, I now like to affectionately think of "A Powerful Noise" as Tribeca's Closing Night Film. Thanks for everyone's support. More good news to follow in the coming weeks. Tribeca was a fantastic launching pad!

Twas the night before the premiere...

Many doc filmmakers complain about bad distribution deals. I am convinced now more than ever that doc filmmakers need to make their own distribution deals. Just like we find a subject matter we are passionate about filming. On the back side, we must be equally passionate about identifying and seeking out the core audience that will be interested in our film. There are credible indie distribution companies that will help usher your film into theaters, but it is up to us to get butts in the seats. My friend, Jim Tusty, made a film about Estonia and its heritage and that doc will outgross 3 of the 5 2008 Academy Award nominated docs. His subject matter is very targeted and so has his distribution. There is no reason with a great subject and strong production value all docs cannot have success theatrically. Just like music and publishing, self-distribution is real and attainable for doc filmmakers. The morning meetings we had truly reinforced my belief that box office success is attainable and that great theatrical will have great effects later down the distribution food chain. Later this week, we have meetings set-up with traditional TV distributors at Tribeca and it will be good to get their perspective on the viability of indie docs in the small screen landscape.

At lunch, I finally got to see our main character from Mali, Madame Urbain. This is her first trip to America and she is truly humbled by the attention her work is receiving because of the film. Her humble nature has not quelled her great spirit and energy that seems to be thriving in New York City. I was glad to hear one of her students we met during filming is being trained as a seamstress and that her training centers are trying to expand out to the northern regions of Mali well outside Bamako. She is an amazing woman and I cannot wait for America to be exposed to her Wednesday night at the premiere.

Our day ended with a screening of Simon Brand’s “Paraiso Travel”. It was a wonderfully shot indie film about Columbian immigrants who get separated upon arriving in Manhattan. The film intercuts Marlon’s present day experiences in Queens with flashbacks to his memory of the harrowing ordeal to cross the border. The flashback scenes have some wonderfully haunting moments that bring home the border crossing experience with a realism I have yet to see on the big screen. After the screening, Allison (my wife and production manager on "A Powerful Noise" ) and I went to a celebration dinner for the film and our Executive Producer, Sheila Johnson. It was great fun to hear everyone’s excitement about seeing the premiere and how they want to help bolster the women’s empowerment movement our film promotes. It was also great to recognize Sheila whose all encompassing support made this film and its distribution to the general public possible. Without her vision, our very determined and dedicated crew would never have had the freedom and focus to make the film a reality. We will be forever indebted.

Wish us luck. Tomorrow is the big night! Tribeca 2008…Here we come!

Tribeca Kicks Into Full Gear

Today was a day to finally get a chance to meet the films and filmmakers at the festival. I started the morning at 9 AM catching a screening of the Golden Bear-winning film, Elite Squad, from Brazil. It takes a controversial look at the tactics of the police against the poor of Brazil's favelas. Compelling in so many ways, the opening 5 minutes of the film grabs you and never lets go. Afterwards, I worked hard to get the word out about the approaching "A Powerful Noise" premiere to industry folks. We got some interest from some of our targeted festivals and a couple of cable channels, so we hope this leads to great things in creating buzz and awareness for women's empowerment.

Then it was off to the the Japanese Fusion restaurant, MEGU. The food and company were wonderful. I got the opportunity to meet Vincent Coen and his wonderful wife, Bartelyne. Vincent made a short film, Heartbeats, which was a coming of age look at a young girl leaving the nest. This certainly hits home for me as a new father, and I look forward to seeing his shorts program over the weekend. It was great to discuss everyone's wonderful reception at the fest and to hear how responsive the audiences have been to the material. It was great to get an international feel for the fest as Vincent and Bartelyne came all the way from Belgium. And if you go to MEGU, please order the asparagus. :)

At 4:30 PM, we rushed the documentary feature, "This Is Not A Robbery," about JL Roundtree, the 92 year old bank robber. Wonderful execution of a film built around taped archival audio and video of JL in prison. The graphics and animation were inspired, and the interviews of people who knew JL were hysterically insightful. Everyone should get a chance to be introduced to JL's second wife/dancer, Juanita Adams. What a wild, hard to believe film.

The evening ended at the Tribeca's Producers' Reception. I got a chance to see Kristy and Dawn who made the wonderful doc feature, "Going On 13." This is a multi-layered women's story following girls growing up in the San Francisco Bay area from age 9-13. Fascinating film with a wonderful blending of these girl going through puberty and moving on to adolescence. Cannot wait to see it on a TV screen near me soon. Additionally, I learned of a short doc film, "Life For A Child," by Academy Award winner, Ed Lachman, about diabetes in Nepal. That will be a must see. And the producer's of "Have You Ever Heard About Vukovar" said their film looks at the Bosnian War through the eyes of a Croatian refugees. Seems to be many connections with "A Powerful Noise" with some of the other films in the festival.

Two days left until the premiere, and I finally saw the venue today. It is amazing! 390 seats and beautifully ornate architecture and design. It is a wonderful renovated art house theater and I cannot think of a better place to premiere a directorial debut. It is getting exciting and it is good to hear people begin to talk about our film. People at the parties were targeting our screenings, and we now have some nice articles at http://www.blackenterprises.com/ and http://www.thewashingtonpost.com/. It is starting to become "A Powerful Noise" !

World Premiere - Tribeca Film Festival

World Premiere - Tribeca Film Festival
Wednesday, April 30 - 6:15PM - Village East Cinemas Theater 1

Additional Screenings:
Thursday, May 1 - 1:45PM - AMC Village VII Theater 1
Friday, May 2 - 8:00PM - Village East Cinemas Theater 1
Sunday, May 4 - 10:00AM - Village East Cinema Theater 5
Sunday, May 4 - 8:15PM -Village East Cinema Theater 7

AMC Loews Village 7
66 Third Ave at 11th St.
New York, NY 10003

Village East Cinema (at 12th Street)
181 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003

Click here to buy tickets.