FUDGE

Man, it has come to my attention that I am horrible at having a blog.  I just can’t seem to pry myself away from real life to do things in the digital world.  I spend a lot of time in front of the computer writing and working on the next projects.  So after that I really have no other desire than to go outside.

I’m really sorry for this lack of blog responsibility.  I will work harder.  Or I may just give up.  My original intent was to really give everyone an insiders look at the first time filmmaker world.  But the most I can say is that it is really hard and a huge struggle.  You fight and fight and have fun and you drink and you try to make the best film possible.  But then youre not really aloud to talk about it do to legal issues and what not.

I can say this.  Finishing your first film is really depressing.  I spent 8 years of my life dedicating every moment to making my first film.  Every new person or artist I met, every opportunity was somehow channeled into helping me create this film.  Now that it is over, I do not have that passion.  The lack of this passion can really bring you into a depressed state of most mortem.  So now I strive to find a new passion.  I believe at the moment it is Sock Monkey.  Either way the lesson I have learned is this:  With passion in your life, you feel fulfilled, content, happy.  A goal keeps you moving.  Positive intention makes it happen.  Without these things you can find yourself wandering around the mind maze… Lost – trying to find your way out of yourself.

OK – hopefully I knew update will come to.  LOVELY, STILL releases in the spring.  It played for a week in OMAMA and people DUG IT!!!

Nik

HELLO!!!  I just returned from a grand adventure in Brazil.  I post some pictures very soon.  I was attending the Sao Paulo Film Festival.  It was the first time I was able to watch the film with a foreign audience.  It was really great.  It was almost like watching the film for the first time.

I returned after 8 days to Omaha where Lovely, Still is now playing for a week long run in Marcus Theaters at Midtown Crossing.

It opened yesterday and plays until next Thursday.    It’s play times are 12:15  3:00  6:15  9:15pm

Please come and see it!  The more seats we sell the more support we will gain when the film officially releases nationally this spring.

Again we had a full crowd and many good things were asked and said at the festival.  I had a really wonderful experience with a woman who said the film helped her through some troubles she was going through in her own life.  Then we both hugged.

I feel really honored that the film pushed things forward and helped people in a positive way, rather than bring them down vibrationally.  It is common and almost expected to relate any artwork, film or otherwise, with ones own life.   So it’s important you push people forward rather than hold them back with anything you create.

The festival itself was great. Anytime you needed a ride they had a car service that would drive you around.  This was so much help.  The last evening I stayed I found out that people puke in the cars late night when they’re wasted.  Those drivers had to put with a lot.  So good job you guys!  BARF!

What are we gonna do with all the undistributed films?  More and more I get articles and stories sent to me about the state of independent films and how none can attain distribution.  Good, interesting, unique and inspiring works are being disregarded.  Why?  It’s easy – Nobody goes and sees them.  They aren’t a good investment and the people who run distribution companies don’t love films.  They are businessmen.  So what do we do now?  What do the people who strive to push this medium in a new direction do?  The people who want this art form to not disappear and become TV.  It is hard.  But the truth is – We can’t blame the business.  We have to blame the people who are not interested in having a new filmatic experience.

I decided to be a filmmaker when I was 15 for one reason.  When I left the theater, after watching a powerful film (New or Old), I felt completely different than the way I walked in.  If the movie made me sad, happy, confused, anything I felt satisfied.  To feel a new feeling is more valuable then all the money in the world.  I worry that not enough people strive for this.  I feel nothing when leaving the theater after watching a mainstream film.

So here we are now.  On the brink of something new.  As more studios shut down the independent/artistic arms of their businesses and distributors stop buying more and more films we step closer to change.  What will the new movement be?  What will be the next change?  The next creative new?  It is up to us to answer this question.  I’m just putting the questions out there.  The sooner we figure it out – The sooner it begins and I promise you – the feelings it will bring will be priceless.  Prepare.  Think.  Create.

Both screenings went great as well as the Q&As Martin and I did afterward.  This was the first official US screening of the film with the new psychedelic dreams.  They looked amazing on that huge three story Marcus Theaters screen and on a 35mm print!  YES!!!!!  We also got standing ovations at both screenings.  And I hugged lots of people young and old.  Mostly old.

Check out that picture above!  We had a line wrapped around the block.  BLOCKBUSTER!  ALSO, HERE IS A GREAT WRITE UP.

Hey yall!  Lovely, Still is playing tonight at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

It’s playing at 7:00 PM at North Shore Cinema.  Both Martin and I will be there to hang out and talk about filmmaking.

See you there!  If you mention this blog I will give you a huge hug.

Nik

I updated the music section with some songs from the newly inspired record.  Enjoy.

So great news!  The investors and producers have decided now is the time to start putting Lovely, Still in festivals!  This is great news for me as I get to travel around going to them.  It is great news for you if you live near any of the places it will be screening (not in competition).

For sure, in October, it will be screening in Milwaukee (cool), Chicago (radical!), Las Vegas (Get wasted!) and Brazil (Adventure!) .

The dates for the Milwaukee Film Festival are ;

Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 4 at 1:15 PM

I will be there doing a Q&A.  More exact dates coming soon.

I turned 25 over the weekend.  What an intense feeling.  To have written a film while 17, directed it at 23 and then sat on it til 25.  Time has a way of being sneaky.

I had lunch with Martin Landau today at a diner in LA.  We talked about how film has changed over the last 50 years and we both agree that this generation in film is by far the worst.  “They used to at least try and make good movies.  Now it’s just opening weekends.”  The people running this thing used to at least have an interest in film, but now it’s been taken over by businessmen.  Businessmen who get fired if they say “yes” and promoted if they say “no”.  Whole things run on a fear of not loosing a job, not if a film is good or not.  But, I suppose it can’t help itself.  Money is a beautiful religion.  On the bright side, all things will eventually change and move.  It’s exciting to be a filmmaker now.   The industry is so horrible that the only thing it is capable of is getting better and I want to be a part of that process.

Had a few secret showings of the film to close friends this weekend.  Reminded me of how much I love to show it and how great it will feel to show it to a larger audience.  I am contimplating the idea of going on a tour this fall.  Going from state to state with the film and having secret screenings in each city.  That sounds like it would be a lot of fun for me.

Hey everyone,

I have to take a short break for a few days.  I’m playing lead again for Derek Pressnall’s band Flower Forever and we have a show tomorrow.  I gotta learn 8 new songs in three days.  A new Behind the Scenes video will be up on Monday.  Thanks for waiting (If anyone is actually reading this thing).

Nik