I was so honored to be at the Rhode Island Film Festival last week as PHIL’S CAMINO continued on its wondrous way. It was a great festival, and I was happy to see an old friend (a filmmaker from deadCenter Film Fest) and make some new friends, too. I learned a lot from the panels, and am excited that a new audience got to ‘meet’ our friend Phil.
What an extra bonus it was then to win an award at that prestigious festival! We won the FLICKERS’ INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD. We won first prize, and this is the description: Given annually to films or filmmakers who inspire social change and community outreach and strive to better the world in which we live.

We will be at the Middlebury New Filmmaker Festival on Sunday August 28 at 4 PM in Middlebury, VT. Please let everyone you know who lives in that area know so we can have a full house for that screening!

Then all our attention turns to Port Townsend. I have to let them know how many rooms we are going to use at Ft. Worden. If you want a room, which will be a flat fee of $125 for the room from Friday morning until Monday morning then please let John Lauria know ASAP. They have to have a final count by next week! It is gong to be really great, and I can’t wait to see you all there!

Sometimes I can get caught up in the details of getting from point A to point B, which are certainly necessary. But mostly I like to keep my mind on Phil, his message, his heart, and his indomitable spirit. I am as in love with his story today as I was the first day I heard from Phil (February 18, 2014). Thank you to all of you who have supported this film, and continue to support this film. Mostly I feel like I continue to ask for donations, beg for money at every turn, and generally I am afraid I am boring/annoying the people I would never want to bore/annoy. I may forget to say thank you, or share how much this film means to the people who get to see it. I wish you could all be with me when people come up to me with tears still shining on their faces, or falling from their eyes as they say “Thank you.” Phil, and this film, have inspired So. Many. People. I want to continue to bring it to people, right now through film festivals, but soon, through making the DVD available for purchase. I will leave you with this: one of the people who came to the screening in Rhode Island said that it was amazing that PHIL’S CAMINO was the first film that he saw at the festival. He was a filmmaker, and a cancer survivor. He was very moved by Phil, the message, the inspiration. I told him later about the phrase that keeps coming up with this film: we can’t help ourselves. Of course it was the first film he saw! We can’t help ourselves! So I want to be perfectly clear with this: to all the folks who have donated to make this film happen: he got to see this film because of you. Thank you! If you feel so moved to give so that more people can see PHIL’S CAMINO, you can donate at www.philscamino.com A cancer survivor in another town somewhere will thank you. And right now, I thank you.

I am grateful.

Love you Felipe-
Peace-
A
Annie O Neil
Director/Producer: Phil’s Camino www.philscamino.com

Co-producer and Pilgrim: Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago www.caminodocumentary.org

Author: Everyday Camino with Annie www.everydaycaminowithannie.com

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