Happy Birthday to me!

While I have a full day of celebrating planned on The Big Day - Sunday: a 90-minute massage, attending the play 39 Steps matinee(British-hilarious), topped off with a sumptuous dinner.

Until then I'll just bask in the quotes about THE WHOLE TRUTH written by Paul Ginsberg, who attended the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival screening.

He's a long-time FBI consultant/professional expert witness. After 1,700 trials, this is what he has to say about our film:

"This is hysterical, and the funniest part is ..... a lot of it is true ! ! !"

"The Whole Truth is definitely a scream. Over the years I've seen lots of it in real courtrooms."

"I think 'Send in the Clowns' was written after watching some of my 1,700 trials. The Whole Truth is a tribute to the judges, clerks and court reporters. They will love it.'

"After 35 years of trials, I have seen much of this movie in real life. This is great, and should be required viewing for all lawyers. Funny."

"Order in the court ? No way. This is much more fun."

"The verdict is in - her hands." That is, Angela's hands - portrayed by Elisabeth Röhm in the film.

After reviews like Paul's, we may well be back in the Big Apple for more screenings soon!

There's magic in the air

What a rewarding experience the screening of THE WHOLE TRUTH was at the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival.

While the crowd could have been larger, the audience genuinely loved this film. Many laughs were had - including mine and I've seen it a bazillion times.

Q and A afterward was fantastic - one person is an "expert witness" in hundreds of trials and says there's more truth than fiction in the film and he thought it was a great, funny film; he wants to show it to all his colleagues.

Charlie Prince, who heads up the fest, was profuse in his praise of our film and how proud they were to screen it; he was surprised that it was my first feature because of its quality and the great performances of the actors.

One woman commented that she was "shocked" by Elisabeth Röhm's outstanding and hilarious performance. That Elisabeth was so "out there," when she had been only used to seeing Elisabeth in heavy dramatic roles.

Charlie said members of the fest's advisory board, including Nathan Lane, viewed the film and gave it highest marks, which is how it was selected.

I said of all the festivals, this is one I was perhaps most proud because it represents more than 100 years of advocating for comedy - meaning our First Amendment rights. To Friars, comedy is no laughing matter!

At the reception for feature filmmakers, we filmmakers noted that the Friars' festival is perhaps the most pure and pristine on the planet; perhaps since its their first. There are no politics involved, all films were judged for their quality, period, and all submitted were screened.

My partner Gary Allen Tucci was told outright that we were not accepted at one festival because of the way our materials were submitted. The festival runner said film festivals are "political," that if you know how to play the game you're in, If not? To quote Heidi Klum: you're out.

He added that in many cases, if the materials do not include something special and separate that makes them stand out, they may not even screen the film because so many are submitted.

Lesson learned! We'll have pop-ups and stars and who knows what else to include with a super film in THE LONELY GOATHERD (Heart Break Productionz next feature!). For other festivals, that is. We won't need 'em for the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival - just a good film, well made, which we know will be screened by pro's.

Edited to add: I've failed to mention the international nature of the festival! Films from any and every country could submit their shorts and features - and all the films I've seen from other nations (English and non-English speaking) are funny in any language, even those heavy on the subtitles.

Knowing how many nations submitted their is so incredibly humbling, since only a few features were selected for the festival.

I told Charlie he might consider calling it the Friars Club International Comedy Film Festival, but he said he thought the title might be a little long. Not for me, but I'm not a film festival marketer, either.

BTW, Charlie said they learned their lesson re: the luncheons. Next time, there will be networking luncheons for filmmakers! They were trying to offset some of the costs of the festival by having luncheons for big spenders, and realize now they will find other ways to do that.

My experience at this festival has been (still another day of it left, but the pressure is off now!) memorable. Our film has been treated with such respect and admiration; their appreciation of the work and us filmmakers has been palpable. I've also made some new BFF's whose work I admire as well.

Thanks to a producer I met recently, I was able to hook up with an influential attorney here who reps films in distribution and other deals, meet folks whose opinion of the film is influential and hand off copies of the film's screeners to distributors interested in getting our film to a theater near you.

Which, hopefully, will happen sooner than later.

For The Goat, we should have a pre-production distribution deal in place so we don't ever have to go through this again. Pre-production distribution deals (a distributor signs up to take your film, still having the right to refuse to distribute it if it doesn't meet its quality and financial obligations) are common, and with budgets less than $10 million distributors don't interfere with the filmmakers' process. They are free to comment at any point, but the final decisions still rest with the filmmakers.

At the high end deals with studios, the studio has a say from the getgo about everything. Which is why I remain "Indie."

And oh, so happy to have had the opportunity to participate in the maiden voyage of the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival!

Congratulations Charlie Prince and Susannah Gora on presenting such a successful event.

N-Y-C!

Briefly:

Landed at LaGuardia airport last night about 10pm and wow - the place was empty.

Shockingly so. The taxi driver said it's been this way for a while and it's a concern since September is usually a bustling time in the Big Apple.

ONLY take cars marked TAXI, btw, from the airport. The other, unmarked cars, who call themselves taxis (the hotel clerk called them notorious "black car taxis") charge exceedingly inflated rates. The polite drivers approach you inside the airport, ask if you need a taxi, when you say yes, they grab your bag and lead you to their cars - taking advantage of newbies who don't know about these things. When they arrive at your destination, they hit you with an enormous charge.

I found you can refuse to pay that amount, btw, because there is no meter. The driver may not be happy, but there's nothing they can do about it.

Or ... so I heard...

My hotel room at the Wellington is just right - perfect location near all the venues, not to little and not too large, full of history - and not cheap but not inflated rates, either.

It's warm and humid - my hair doesn't fare well in high humidity. I've walked everywhere, so Little Orphan Annie and I have something in common, now, and it's not the red dress.

I checked in for all my credentials and badges at the Friars Club and my goodness. Talk about history. More than a century of show business and comedy history; almost all men of course. But the photos and the name-dropping rooms (Billy Crystal Bar) leave me in wonder of all the souls and talent who have wandered the halls and rooms.

The Friars were pleased to discover, after our film was selected, that our own Elisabeth Röhm is a member!

Other filmmakers showed up to register, and we all have that, "Been there, done that" look of anyone who's done a comedy (it's such a subjective thing-we've all taken our hits along with the praise!).

I'm also dropping screeners of THE WHOLE TRUTH off to distributors who have requested them, with the placard we're handing out to New Yorkers and tourists. I find myself talking about the film with individuals more than passing out the placards. The folks who stop are genuinely interested in a screwball comedy that isn't the "vapid" (their words, not mine!) version we get from Hollywood these days, but a modernized throwback to the days of Carole Lombard, Lucille Ball and Rosiland Russell.

Being New Yorkers, they all remember Elisabeth from the five years she was on Law and Order.

Interestingly, everyone I've met is quite familiar with the Friars Club, but no one has heard of its maiden Friars Club Comedy Film Festival that starts tonight, so this should help get the word out - at least a little.

ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE NOW FROM THE WEBSITE.

Speaking of tonight, I'm looking forward to seeing the Coen Brothers' new film and meeting them in person - there's a private reception for them starting at 6pm, followed by the screening of A SERIOUS MAN, then another more open reception for them and the film afterward.

Tomorrow there's a special luncheon for comedy filmmakers; Saturday afternoon a luncheon for screenwriters and Saturday night a party for feature film makers (as opposed to the shorts folks who have their own party tomorrow night). Ah, the perks of being a writer-director-producer. I get to go to all the lunches, dinners and receptions. I love networking!

Sunday night there's a closing party and awards ceremony, which should be interesting since they've not let us know of the type of awards that will be presented. So we don't know if we're up for any of them, or if they're pre-judged, or if we just get a gold star for being selected in this historic maiden festival.

New Poster!

Here's the new poster for THE WHOLE TRUTH - it includes the laurels for both the Seattle International Film Festival as well as the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival - at which we'll be featured this coming Saturday at 3pm in the Paley Center for Media in NYC.

Click on it to get the full blast!

I'll be handing out placards with information to folks in New York City about the film and its screening on one side and the poster photo on the other - joined by John Fugelsang and possibly 2nd assistant director Jessica Hong!

We'll have 2,000 to pass out in several strategic places to advertise the screening and the film itself. With any luck, we'll be meeting with some key distributors as well.

I got my flight information today from the Friars - leaving tomorrow - Wednesday; returning from all the festivities and screening Monday.

It's going to be so much fun - hanging out with Fugelsang for two full days! Plus the luncheons and receptions and other appreciative activities they've planned for the filmmakers. The Friars Club is doing it right - but that's the reason they're establishing this film festival - they believe great comedies have been overlooked and dissed far too long by major awards selections.

New turns in life

This past week I seemed to have turned a couple corners that are going to influence the next several chapters in my life's book, and they are more exciting than I could have hoped.

An international distributor called; his company enthusiastically loves THE WHOLE TRUTH. He was effusive in his praise of Elisabeth Röhm's performance ("She was hy-sterical!").

He's now checking with his company's owners to put an offer together. We may or may not accept the proposal his company presents us, but I tell you, his unbridled excitement about our film was incredibly touching and inspiring.

He said his company just closed a deal picking up another comedy - one with a who's who of American comedy cast - about which he was very pleased.

He loves the contrast between that totally commercial comedy and ours, which is a whole lotta fun, but admittedly different from anything out there.

L-R Elisabeth Röhm, Pisay Pao, Sean Patrick Flanery

Here's what Uwe Lützen, a former marketer of English language films in Europe, had to say after seeing the film:

"It's an uncommon comedy. I had a lot of fun. I was thrilled to see a U.S comedy so extreme (well you’re the country that invented political correctness, right ;-), really edgy… and I can see why people can love or hate it. it’s just not what you can expect nowadays from a common comedy – or a festival film… it’s bolder and riskier."

I'm off to New York City and the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival next Wednesday, where there will be numerous special activities (dinners, entertainment programs, parties) in the Big Apple throughout the four days for those of us who have films in the fest, all of which I'm looking forward to, and will be making reports about each right here. If it won't be too awkward, I'm taking my camera (it's big) to record these snippets of history.

L-R: Elisabeth Röhm, Danielle Barnum.

Thankfully, I have help making it all happen the way it "should," that is, in a way for which I've done all my homework and am properly prepared. I'm familiarizing myself with the other filmmakers and films as well as getting help (big time!) for my wardrobe and make-up. That's the cool part of being an indie writer/director. We don't have to be haute couture and everyone expects us to be poor.

Meanwhile, I've met someone whose filmmaking insights, work ethic, professionalism, knowledge, thoughtfulness and artistic acumen are a perfect match for mine. Wow. Taking it one step at a time, this could be the beginning of a superb, ground-breaking, exciting, phenomenal and perhaps even more importantly, totally fun creative relationship.

Before I leave, in addition to taking care of my writing and producing tasks, I'm attending the Wynonna (Judd) concert, visiting the Western Washington State Fair, taking care of rescued horses, working with vocal coach Nedra Gaskill (rehearsing for the Christmas recital) and taking care of any other surprises that come my way.

It's all about balance, isn't it?

TWT Friars Club Comedy Film Festival schedule

L-R: Kristina Lilley, Pisay Pao, Sean Patrick Flanery, Elisabeth Röhm.

We just received notice that THE WHOLE TRUTH will play Saturday, September 26, 3 p.m. at the Paley Center for Media (25 W 52nd St.) for the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival.
It's a short festival, only four days (Thursday, Sept. 24-Sunday Sept. 27), with films playing in just three venues, so we appear to be in carefully selected company.

The full schedule of films playing have not yet been posted, but the opening night film is the premiere of A SERIOUS MAN, the Coen Brothers' new comedy.

I'll be there all four days, attending as many screenings as possible, networking and hanging out with John Fugelsang ("Prosecutor Jordan Smith" in TWT; he's also a TV and radio personality, actor, stand up comic and writer), other filmmakers, actors, performers, distributors, celebrities who show up and comedy writers. The Friars Club Comedy Film Festival advisory board is a who's who of comedy and TV personalities - they should be dropping by!

This is a photo of John and one of his New York City fans.

The Friars Club has been America's comedy central for more than 100 years - most people know it from their famous "roast" dinners of celebrities.

They are establishing this film festival because they believe too many great comedies are overlooked when it comes to major awards selection. Very kewl for us.

Most importantly, the Friars prevent mirth control, protecting our right of laughter.

The freedom to laugh at ourselves, the privileged and those in power is the canary in the coal mine of democracy - a freedom Friars Club members take very seriously.

They want us to feel free to sing those canary songs and create works that make us fall over giggling, guffawing, howling, roaring, chuckling, cracking up, chortling, rolling in the aisles, snickering and snorting liquid through our nose!

The Friars Club loves THE WHOLE TRUTH!!

The Friars Club in New York City has been the pinnacle of comedy some 100 years; they believe that great comedy films have been overlooked far too long for major awards consideration, so they're out to change that.

With the world premiere of the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival.

I was called this morning and we are officially in it! You have no idea what a feather in our cap this is for THE WHOLE TRUTH - these folks *know* comedy!

They positively loved the film - the version they saw was the first cut (the Seattle International Film Festival version) so they'll love the current, second cut even more! They listed a number of details they particularly liked and appreciated about the film, which meant a lot to me.

It was especially terrific that they called to tell me - so often festivals just email filmmakers.

The film opening the festival premieres the new Coen Brothers comedy, A SERIOUS MAN.

More information as it becomes available, but the festival takes place Thursday, September 24-Sunday September 27, which gives us little time to prepare, get our new posters made up including the FCCFF laurels to take with us, and figure out what to wear.

Oh-and right after I hung up with the Friars Club reps, a distributor called me! He was happy to hear about our selection for the Friars Club Festival - and I told him about our next film THE LONELY GOATHERD, whose tag line he found very promising: "All Harry Lochman ever wanted was a wife and kids. He got half his wish."

September 8, 2009, has turned out to be memorable!