We had a great time in NYC. Thanks to NYIIFVF for a really wonderful event. They did a great job!
You can just see the beginning of the name TRAPPED on the theater marquee. I'm glad we got Ron in there. He is the person waving in the lower left corner. NOW its on to Distribution! Let's keep our fingers crossed...

New York Film Festival

Hello -
TRAPPED will be screened on Sunday October 25th at 8pm at the Village East Cinemas.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in NY...

Scam Schmam- they all are!!

Update -
ok, ok, so TRAPPED gets picked as an "Official Selection" at the NYIIFVF and everyone has something to say... Some good, some not so good... Well let me say a few things here about this whole "Film Festival "Business"..." (it is what it is)

The whole business side of it (including the festival circuit) is overall quite seedy. (but, again it is what it is)
I can almost guarantee you that if YOU have done a somewhat decent job of promoting YOUR movie and getting YOUR movie some press, the festivals are more likely to try to select you because you're more likely to help get the festivals press. Its an incestuous relationship. (I screw you, and then you can screw me.)
"Screw" is the operative word here for "help."

Same goes for movie news publications. If the publication get a vibe that an article on your movie will help generate clicks or sell issues, you'll get your articles. To a degree its a chicken and egg issue. If you're not generating any press, no one has any reason to give you press. For the indie film maker, you have to hope that some kind of outlet will give you press that you can parlay into getting more press. Hence the NYIIFVF.

OK, Back to film festivals: In my experience there are only a few kinds of film festivals.
1) Local. Which focus is on screening stuff produced within their geography (EXCEPT for PITTSBURGH). Many are open to submissions outside of their geography but a strong preference is put on locals (EXCEPT for PITTSBURGH). The general quality of the films screened in these fests is typically "OK" as a product of just having a smaller pool to pull from. Sure there are gems in there but for every gem you have to sit through something absolutely "bad." Frequently I get the feeling these fests are open to non-locals just to increase the amount of their submission fees they can collect so they can charge as much as NYIIFVF. The judges on these are usually pretty biased/bad. (remember - once again, I screw you, and then, you can screw me)(we all work together)

2) NYIIFVF - and or the National/Internationally festivals. These will still have some degree of local bias but usually only a minority are selected from the locals. In general the quality of the movies/shorts shown are much better. Most even screen true independent films in them with named actors. They typically have a panel of judges that *most* of the time take their job seriously in choosing a winner based on the criteria of the fest. Now what has been hinted at about the NYIIFVF remains to be seen for me, but so far my experience with them has been very courteous and I have found them to be very professional. In the end, who cares "who wins" its all art! No one really ever wins when it come to art...You either do it or you don't. It's all subjective.

3) The Big Budget Studio lined festivals. These aggravate me to no end. Festivals like Sundance and Cannes started out to show and bring to an audience films created outside of the big budget studios... Movies that wouldn't have ever gotten a wider release if not having been shown at one of these fests. To give the Independent filmmaker a chance at "making it."

Now they're wall to wall studio pictures of self adulation. These movies/actors/producers have "already made it" and "don't need no stinking festival" to get their movie to be looked at. These inglourious basterds are interloping/taking over/co-opting/screwing the "indie" film scene. (once again, I screw you, and then, you can screw me)

I've also discovered that most of the fests that fall under #1 and #2 are typically started and run by an Independent film maker/company of some sort. In general these indie fests are just trying to create another venue to help out their fellow movie makers and hopefully turn a narrow profit or to get exposure to help finance/promote their next indie film. (except for Pittsburgh)

Once and for all, lets forget about scams. Being in this entertainment business for quite some time now you need to realize, everything is a scam...everyone lies, no one cares, and everyone wants to be paid!
Do what it is you do, and "fuhgeddaboutit"

Rock on!

Since Cast Shaping Up

Hi all -
Wanted to let you know we are making some progress. We heard back from Jennifer Esposito and she wants to do the movie. MAN, that is great news!

Also, getting Jeremy Piven to read the script this weekend... PIVEN is out. can't do it... move on...oh well.

Beacon Theater

Just got approval from the promoter at The Beacon Theater in NY to come to the show and backstage party on June 6th. He will invite us on stage at the finale where we can make our announcement to promote the movie - Since I Don't Have You.

Gav & Ron meet Todd Schorr

Ron and I had a few minutes between meetings and decided to swing by the Merry Karnowsky Gallery to see if Todd Schorr was in the house. Sure enough he was...

Todd is an American artist and one the most prominent members of the Lowbrow art movement or pop surrealism.

LA - Gavin & Erika

Hi all -
Had a good mtg in LA with Erika Christensen. Hoping to work with her if we are able.

Here is a pic of us in front of the famous Canter's Deli.

Lou Martini Jr.

Hi All -

Here are a couple of pictures of my friend Lou Martini Jr. He was generous enough to come in from NYC to meet me at the Skyliners 50th Anniversary Concert. I am also looking forward to working with Lou on our upcoming project "Since I Don't Have You." Lou has had a successful career in acting and his latest gigs were on The Soprano's. Below is a video clip from a couple of his episodes.

Tom Atkins talks about Since

Tom Atkins and I discuss Since I Don't Have You and how he thinks it'll do in the marketplace.

The Skyliners in The Hall of Fame

Here is a picture of the display case in The Vocal Group Hall of Fame for The Skyliners.
The Skyliners were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, the same year as Abba, The 5th Dimension, The Marcels.

Guns-n-Roses

Guns n Roses' version of Since I Don't Have You. Oh and just a bit of history - Slash and Marc Canter are very good friends. Marc Canter owns Canter's Deli where we met with Erika Christensen and had our lunch mtg regarding "Since I Don't Have You" the movie... wild huh?

The Brian Setzer Orchestra

A sweet rendition of Since I Don't Have You from my friend Brian Setzer.

We are reaching out to Brian again to do another Skyliner song for the the soundtrack of Since I Don't Have You - the movie.

Since - shooting this fall 09

More press about our fall production

SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU

great stuff

The Skyliners 50th Anniversary Concert

Gavin makes an appearance at the Skyliners concert to promote the upcoming movie - Since I Don't Have You.

These fans are wild like this all over the world for the Skyliners....

Gavin's stage time.

Skyliners celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Since I Don't Have You!

Skyliners sparkle in packed 'Roots' show
Skyliners on KD Country