Hello All,

We attended the screening at the Bluegrass Independent Film Festival in LaGrange Kentucky, outside of Louisville.  This festival was a fun and friendly festival geared toward making everyone there feel extremely welcome.   Several people from the film attended the screening, including Centerville students, Bob Rada - Band Judge, and Mike Voytek - band staff and his wife.  Some of them actually got to ride in the courtesy limos that were provided by the festival.    We again had one of the larger audiences and were honored to be selected for the BEST FAMILY FILM award. 

The following weekend, we headed for Kansas.   Our screening was held in the larger theater and again we had one of the largest audiences.  We attended a local high school football game and some terrific band members from Shawnee Mission East High School, some of which attended the screening.  Other audience members actually drove for several hours to attend this screening and were thrilled with the film.  We had a long Q & A (Question & Answer) afterwards where people commented about how the film had touched them.  The staff at the festival was incredible and made us feel right at home.  While in Kansas we learned that the film had been selected to screen at Indie Fest USA, a festival in the Los Angeles area, in Anaheaim CA at Downtown Disney in Disneyland.  Our screening time has not been set, but you can see more at:  www.indiefestusa.com

After returning back to Los Angeles, we learned that the film had been selected to receive "The Chris Award" from the Columbus International Film Festival in Columbus Ohio.  Only a few of the award winners were selected to screen and the film is scheduled to screen in Columbus Ohio on November 7th at 8pm.  See more at:  www.chrisawards.org

Congratulations to All Band Students, Staff, Parents, and filmmakers involved in the film.  Thanks especially to the students who opened up their lives and shared their emotional stories about the band experience.  Without you, this film would not be as powerful as it is.

As I write this blog, I am sitting in a hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Later today, we fly to Durban and will be traveling to the festival headquarters in Dargle, South Africa.  This is our first time in South Africa and it has been quite an eye-opening experience so far.  It's wonderful to think that the band story will be seen and heard by people in South Africa.  We will take lots of pictures and let you know everything that happens.  We are actually going to try and do a video a blog of the experience so that you can share with us as well.

Your Friends From The 50 Yard Line,

Doug Lantz & the crew of Blake House Media

Dave Johnson