Good morning! Annie, our intrepid producer (IP) of “Phil’s Camino” documentary announced yesterday that our film was accepted at the prestigious South by Soutwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. This is great news for it was a biggie on her list of venues to show the film and to get it out for folks to see. So that is where the Grand Premire of “the little film that can” will be this spring. A big hurrah!
I know about nothing about this process of promoting a film but we are doing it and I am learning. Annie did a lot of work on the promotion of the Camino documentary “Walking the Camino” with Lydia B. Smith over the last few years. And she is game to ramrod this effort for my documentary. So, there are film festivals all over the country and we will be there at various ones. We will put up news of those or links to news as we go along.
Festivals that we talked about over the phone last evening were Seattle WA, Dubuque IA, John Hopkins in Maryland, Nashville TN. So in the coming months check with your local outfit and see if they are showing it this spring or summer. This whole thing has just started rolling so who knows what will happen. Hopefully it will make a big splash and do the basic job that it is supposed to do.
So Felipe, what is the basic idea of the film and what is the job that it is supposed to accomplish? Right, OK, let’s tackle that while the coffee is still hot. Maybe it would be good to look at the genesis of the whole thing. The first that I can remember there was a conversation between myself and Dr Zucker, my rehab doc at Swedish Cancer Center, and one of us said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could document this.” This being the upcoming trip to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago which was had just opened up as a reality for us. It just seemed like a innocent thing to say, “Wouldn’t it be cool…”.
But that started the whole show right there. So the basic idea will have to be connected to that conversation and that sentiment. OK, it is the story of a cancer patient who used the opportunity of his disease to springboard into the understanding of life and love. Wow, I just came up with that! This is almost the kind of stuff that someone else should write about.
So what if we run with that for the moment, can we come up with an answer to the second question of what is the job the film is supposed to accomplish. In my view it should inspire, encourage and motivate a patient (hate that word) to get outside of his or her comfort zone and try things that maybe they were told they couldn’t do or shouldn’t even attempt. Maybe instead of walking across Spain they need to walk ten miles, or one mile or ten feet. And it is not about walking either, it is about reaching out in whatever manner. It’s a lot about getting outside the disease even though OK you still have the disease, I get that, I’m trying to live that.
Thanks for following me here. I don’t know if we got as concise as we should but we got a start on answering those questions. And additionally perhaps we can set up some system to better inform you about movie news. I would love to talk Annie into a short once a week post here to give us the latest and greatest. Well, time marches on and things unfold in the place and time that they should, thank you St James. And this seems like a most exciting spring coming up.
Love, Felipe.
Felipe and Rebecca,
Hello from Salt Lake City. I look forward to reading caminoheads everyday and have been praying for you and Jennifer. It’s exciting news about Phil’s Camino and I’m so glad you’ll get to touch so many more people! Just wanted you to know I’m still keeping up and think of you often.
Love,
Erin
Erin ~ thanks for your loyality. And thank you so much for your prayers, you don’t know how much that means to us. Yes, and the film promotion is exciting. It is going to be an interesting spring for sure. Hope everything is well with you and Jeff. Hello from me. Love, Felipe.
Hola PFFelipe!
Happy to be able to report that, yes, PFJ DOES have kin in Austin and they are now eager to attend your Gala Premier World Awakening Small Movie! This young lady happened to be one of my most avid followers as I blogged across France and Spain and (supposedly) waited breathlessly for each new post to ping onto her screen. Her name is Joyce (imagine That!) and we fondly refer to her as “Crazy Joyce from Texas”. If you are going to be at that heretofore referred to Gala Event, she will find you. She’s good like that. Super excited for you and Annie and all those who have sweat blood and tears to make this all happen. Blessings be upon you all.
SF,
PFJ
Yes, PFJuan It looks like things will be happening in Austin. I really don’t know what I will be attending, living pretty close to the bone these days. But Iowa is first on my list I know that much. You and Annie and I are going to bake Annie’s grandmother’s cake, I volunteered us. Felipe.
Say Again, Over!
Forget to mention that if you do score Dubuque, Iowa as a showing, you had BETTER be sure to be there. I will be! And my Dear Cathy, and maybe a herd of locals.
Out,
PFJ
PFJ ~ My bags are packed. Felipe.
Wonderful news, Phil! I will do all I can to spread the word about the film, you can count on it. I am here about every day, reading and appreciating your blogs and praying for you and yours, especially every Sunday while I see the angels perched on the rafters of St. Bartholomew’s Church as I’m singing in the choir loft at Mass.
I do love the photo of Kelly refilling his water bottle while wearing a pink plastic garbage bag. What’s that all about?
Love,
Mary Margaret
Mary Margaret ~ hello to you dear heart. Thank you for staying close on our continuing Camino. Thank you always for your prayers. Yes, the angels in the rafters! St James is moving things along with the film. So, great that things have conspired the way that they have.
Here is a paragraph just for Kelly. I remember buying some really cheapo light weight ponchos here in Seattle before we went. It was the very slightest nod to inclement weather. I think I got a yellow one and he the red. We joked about the vision of two colorful snow cones walking through the rain. So I don’t know if that is the very poncho. I also have a memory of Jessica with the film crew making off with it. But needless to say we paid little attention to the rain.
So, take care of yourself and Happy Valentines Day to you, love, Felipe.