A LOOK BACK ON SUMMER

It’s a gray fall day here in New York City. The cold is finally sinking in, as one would expect in mid November. I can’t think of a better time to reflect on the events of this past summer. In August we were fortunate to screen Out of Place at the Third Coast Surf Shop Luau in New Buffalo, Michigan, followed by the Dairyland Surf Festival in Sheboygan, Wisconsin over Labor Day weekend. The following is just a glimpse into the time spent along the crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan. Being surrounded by such good people is a reminder that life doesn’t ever seem to slow down quite enough.

Screening this Thursday in Coventry

We have a special outdoor screening at P.E.A.C.E. Park in Coventry, it’s right next to their library. Show starts around 8:15pm. There will be free stuff to give away and plenty of awesomeness to go around. Advanced ticket sales available at Phoenix Coffee locations. Only six dollars. And best of all….WE WILL HAVE SOME LIMITED COPIES OF THE DVD ON SALE. Woohoo. You gotta be there.

DVD Preview

Well fans, you can add DVD authoring to Kurt’s long list of mad skills. We’ve been keeping him pretty busy at his new place over in Brooklyn, New York. DIY is what he’s all about. While I’m fleeing the room in a tech-related panic, this is a kid who is constantly diving into a 1300 page Final Cut Pro manual and refuses to give up. Nice going Kurt. You’ll see the menu features pics by Jamie Yanak and Travis Roozee.  Check the music, courtesy of Chris Sheehan and Scott Bennett.

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Get ready.

Well the secret is kind of out…we are glad to report that we’ll be coming out on video in the next few weeks. You might wanna get that laserdisc player from off the curb. Dust off that vhs and ask Blockbuster and Hollywood Video not to close down just yet.

For us it’s another step toward the glitzy and glamorous world of self-distribution.  So brace yourself for the upcoming torrent of shameless self promotion. If you know anyone of influence and acclaim, drop us an email at outofplacemovie@gmail.com and let us know, we can send out a media screener of the film.

And just a reminder, we are screening at the Third Coast Surfers Luau in New Buffalo, Michigan on Saturday. Clear blue water and white sand beaches. Great town, great surf shop and an amazing event year after year. Outdoor screening right at the shop, byob. You may recall a few years back, there were those Christian missionaries from SoCal who spent that one summer at an island in Northern Michigan….we gave them a beat down in the-most-grueling ultimate frisbee match ever.

Then next week you can catch us again with a special outdoor screening at P.E.A.C.E. Park right in the Coventry neighborhood of Cleveland Heights.  The date is Thursday Aug. 26th and starts around 8:15pm. Pre sale tickets available at all Phoenix Coffee locations.

http://phoenixcoffee.com/node/161

Of course we want to thank Phoenix again for their support. It’s a great, pro-Cleveland company with a solid rep and an even brighter future. Stop in and ask about the Dawn Patrol blend. Try it iced.

Be well and stay tuned, we’ve got some exciting news coming up. I promise we’ll report back from Third Coast.  Listen to some good new music and enjoy your summer.

Hawaii Premier July 10th and 24th…really

Sometimes reality is hard accept. The fact we’re premiering in Hawaii this month is a case in point. I still wonder if it’s really true or not. But really….Out of Place is

showing at the 3rd Annual Surf Film Festival, Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts. Six screenings in all. We are ecstatic about this.

So we come to the Islands in the most humble spirit, hoping simply to make some more friends and to celebrate our shared passion for life on the water. Vince Labbe will be in attendance on July 10th, ready and waiting for your adulation or ridicule.

There are some beautiful films on tap. Highlights include Gum for My Boat, Lost Prophets, Wake Unto Blue, Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables, Last Paradise, Fiberglass and Megapixels, You Scratched My Anchor, The Oxbow Waterman Experience and Hanging Five, which features the artist Andy Davis.

Also, please check out the wonderful Somewhere Near Tapachula by our good friends from down under, Stefan Hunt and Jonno Durrant (Surfing 50 States). You can see the trailer on Youtube. It is amazing.

Many thanks to Jersey native Gina Caruso along with Eric and Jackie Walden of Chinatown Boardroom for putting this program together. I can’t wait. We are unbelievably stoked to be a small part in this great lineup.

OUT OF PLACE
HAWAI’I PREMIERE
Director: Darrin McDondald/Scott Ditzenberger
USA, 2010, 65 mins.
July 10 and 21 at 1, 4, and 7:30 p.m.

Honolulu Academy of Arts/Doris Duke Theatre

900 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 532-8700

Theatre entrance on Kinau Street, between Ward Avenue and Victoria Street.
Box office
(located at museum’s main entrance)
Mon 10 am-3 pm
Tues-Sat 10 am-4 pm
Sun 1-4:30 pm

Tickets may be purchased on the day of screening at the Academy Box Office or at the Doris Duke Theater door one half hour prior to screening.

To purchase online please visit www.honoluluacademy.tix.com

LIGHTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL RAP SHEET

Lighthouse International Film Festival Rap Sheet

or

That Piney has a heck of a nice truck

As all good stories are road stories, last weekend we found ourselves on the friendly confines of the barrier island just south of the place I used to call home. The beaches along this stretch are very beautiful. A nine hour drive with some of the best friends you could ask for made the trip well worth it. 

If there’s one thing I miss about the Peoples Republic of New Jersey it is the people. This includes my great friends who managed to stay home and carve out some kind of meaningful life for themselves. One of these friends is Officer Christopher J. Ebert. While we sped around a veritable police state on Long Beach Island, Chris showed up just in time to buy the beers and generally encourage public indecency. He’s a good person to have around. 

And of course there were new friends to share the experience. Like Honorary Festival juror and super director Julien Nitzberg. We met at the Friday “Sea of Darkness” screening (two thumbs up) and he quickly won me over with his knowledge of obscure Cleveland punk bands from the 1970′s. Julien tore up Tribeca with his critically acclaimed “Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.” You should definitely check it out. Unreal. I’ll always remember and appreciate his show of solidarity at the Awards by heckling the winning films on my behalf. Thanks Julien.

We got to meet ESPN surfing columnist and all around pro Jon Coen (Go Lacey Lions). He is one cool cat. Like me, his lovely wife is a Brick Township High School alum (Go Dragons). I just sent Jon a dvd screener so maybe we’ll get a nice review on ESPN in a few days. Or maybe we’ll get a really horrible review…who can tell. And really, is there any such thing as bad publicity?

Also spent some quality time with Long Beach Township’s own Don Myers. Don, a waterman in the truest sense of the word, has been the Lifesaving supervisor for over 40 years. When he talks surfing, you can close your eyes and picture it all in in vivid black and white.  He had some very kind words for us, he said he was very moved by Out of Place. He definitely gets a star on our walk of fame (soon to be constructed, somewhere). Don’s first waves were at his family vacation house on the shores of Lake Ontario. Vince stopped by the lifeguard office where Don offered to give him free reign of the lifesaving boats and jet ski’s to check out. Suddenly, the Atlantic has become even more dangerous to swimmers. 

It wouldn’t be a classic weekend without a MORGAN SIGHTING on Saturday.  Morgan Rae Berk, please move to Ohio. We will set you up.

The screening itself went by fast. I sat in the front row near my Jersey buddy Jeff and that fourteen year old drunk named Chris From Huntington.  There was a girl in the front row who seemed quite a bit enthralled. She was quickly scribbling notes almost the entire time. I didn’t get a chance to meet her. I was wondering if maybe she was a media guest or something.  

And a very special thank you to the guy who bought the soundtrack.

Now I have to give some real props to the staff and volunteers at Lighthouse.  These guys rule. To have a successful Festival you need selfless people behind you that believe in the cause. Check. This is a relatively young event at age two, but this thing is in good and capable hands. Thanks for making the 2010 Lighthouse International Film Festival one to remember.

No we didn’t see the Jersey Devil like I promised. And yeah, we were raided and half of us get tickets for public drinking at the campsite. Somehow fourteen year old Chris From Huntington gets off with a warning. By the way, Mike June of Philadelphia PA, your summons is in the mail. And yeah, I can still feel the moisture of Chris From Huntington’s horrible bird flu-like cough spraying me in the face while trying to sleep in the tent. Not easy to shake something like that. But the campsite was scenic and just about ideal. Stewarts Root Beer cures all.

The Piney’s next door were entertaining, and did indeed have a nice truck. Then Thomas Wilson shows up with Oysters and Mussels which quickly earns one idol status. 

Before I ramble on and risk missing Action News at 11, I will echo Don Myers comments about Out of Place. “The best things to capture are the adventures you experience with your friends.” And this weekend was all about it. We revel in the shared experiences in life that are meaningful, fleeting or just plain ridiculous. 

Of these I feel fortunate to find myself surrounded by the best. 

*this batch of pics courtesy of jamie yanak