On The Road With Interpreters Wanted: Film Festival Circuit (Part 1 of 2)
Answering some tough questions about some big topics, 2023.
Saifullah, Ismail and myself at our first theatrical screening, Los Angeles, 2023.
The Veteran TV team and myself after winning at the G.I. Film Festival, San Diego, 2024.
Interpreters Wanted is my second feature documentary and a film that took 14 years to complete and releases to streaming at Veteran TV Monday, August 26, 2024! It’s a story of brotherhood built during war, resilience in the face of death and fulfilling the promise of never leaving our allies and friends behind. Please read our BLOG POST about the making of Interpreters Wanted, and how far we’ve come to get here!
These next two blog posts I will share about a dream that truly came true in my life; showing a movie I’m super proud of, at film festivals around the U.S., with an amazing woman by my side, bucket list check! From our World Premiere at Gig Harbor in Washington, to the Heartland International Film Festival in Indiana, to a special screening to raise money for our partner No One Left Behind in Utah, to the East Coast Premiere at Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, all the way back home to Los Angeles to the defiantly independent Film Festival Dances With Films.
If you’ve been following along this journey you’d have seen we’re now an award winning film, we’re currently sitting at %100 on Rotten Tomatoes and have been getting great articles written about the film. Our very first screening was our Veteran TV Special screening and our USC Cinema School Friends/Family screening.
Our First Screenings: Friends, Family and USC
Back when I first wanted to make a film about interpreters I was at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and my original producing partners, Jenna Cavelle and Michael Taylor (Executive Director of USC’s Media Institute For Social Change) on what was going to be a short scripted film (originally called The Interpreter). I started a Kickstarter campaign where we raised around 28k with our partners however that short film fell apart and we turned it into a documentary as the real world story was better than anything we could have written. So coming full circle we were able to screen our final film to an audience of close friends, family and USC alumni. We had a great follow-up Q&A and it was truly a remarkable way to start this journey.
The highlight was Fahim Fazli (Iron Man, Argo, American Sniper) an amazing Afghan-American actor who also served as an interpreter during the Afghan war was there. Fahim stood up after the film with tears in his eyes and shared his thoughts on the film. Thank you brother for your continued encouragement, sorry we couldn’t make the other film together but maybe someday soon! Additionally Ray Mendoza (Civil War, Live To Tell, Act Of Valor) a former Navy SEAL silver star recipient turned filmmaker, came out and supported the film, thanks Ray!
I remember watching so many other films at USC and wondering if I would ever see a feature I was proud of up there. Thanks to Michael Taylor and all those Trojans that helped with this screening (as well as USC ROTC who was there) seeing my film in a theatre where I actually had class for years, was truly a moment for me. I also appeared on a great podcast with Bob Scheer an infamous Los Angeles journalist and author who teaches at USC Annenberg School of Journalism. Listen to that podcast HERE. His wonderful wife was also there Narda Zacchino, she herself an accomplished author and journalist was the co-author of Mary Tillman’s book about her son Pat Tillman Boots on The Ground At Dusk.
My first screening at USC Cinema School after my time as a student, Fight On!, 2023.
Great room full of friends, family and the Trojan Mafia, Fight On! 2023.
My amazing sound design team, you guys killed it! 2023.
Veteran Television Screening: Downtown Los Angeles
Next I’d like to thank Veteran TV and the amazing folks over there. End of 2022 I was about 75% done with the film but needed finishing funds and Veteran TV came in and changed the whole game for this film. After they came on board we finished the film and then we did a special screening at Alamo Draft House in downtown Los Angeles. This screening was a really emotional moment as the room was mostly full of Veterans and it was the first time I watched it on the big screen with Saifullah and Ismail. We all knew after that screening that this was a special film. We cried, laughed, reminisced and had a great time.
Since the first inception of this film I have pitched it all over the film industry to people at Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Blumhouse and other military oriented media outlets and crickets! What pisses me off the most is that no one in Hollywood touched this story until we withdrew from that country. So Guy Ritchie how about a decade too late buddy, when we could have used the voice of Hollywood they were silent! When all these distributors passed on the film, it was Veterans and Veteran TV that came in and made this film happen. Every Veteran who’s seen my film and also the Covenant says mine is better, so suck in Jake Gyllenhall and Guyyy. To Hollywood: I can make a better, more realistic film about the stories of Afghan Interpreters and I’ll come in far under 55 mil, and I’ll use an Afghan as the main actor and will hire Veterans. And by the way, Veteran TV and I are still looking for wider distribution for Interpreters Wanted…
Last story on this cause now I’m sounding bitter… I actually had the IMDB page for The Interpreter and Guy Ritchie’s team took it over and then changed it to The Covenant page, I even got a call from Fahim Fazli congratulating me cause he thought I was directing The Covenant film. I was always butt hurt that Guy made the feature about Interpreters before I could get there but, Hollywood is gonna Hollywood. Special thanks to Mike Lavigne, Danny Maher, Waco Hoover, Justin Szerletich, and Justice F.W. Pelton and the rest of the Veteran TV crew.
Interpreters Wanted streaming on Veteran TV starting August 26, 2024.
Spending time in Downtown Los Angeles with my brothers before our screening, 2023.
My brothers, Brooke and I at our Veteran TV screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Los Angeles, 2023.
An emotional Q&A with the Veteran TV team with Saifullah and Ismail, Los Angeles 2023.
World Premiere: Gig Harbor Film Festival
Our first official film festival acceptance and our World Premiere was at the amazing Gig Harbor Film Festival in Washington. Gig Harbor is a beautiful area about an hour outside Seattle, the weather was beautiful, the people were warm and we had a great welcoming experience. Because Interpreters Wanted is a small indie documentary we didn’t have a ton of marketing power but Gig Harbor was able to fill up both of our scheduled screenings and even had to open a third screening that was packed. After each screening we had some great Q&A’s and I even got to spend some time with some Veterans I knew from my service who came out to support.
This was the first festival that I’d been to with a feature film and I was so thankful to have Brooke by my side, I get soooo nervous showing my films and Interpreters Wanted really cuts deep every time I watch it. Our film ended up getting nominated for Best Documentary, Best Director and the Gig Harbor Award. I will definitely be submitting to this festival again!
Popcorn, candy, beer, pop, lights off, lets go, Gig Harbor Film Festival, 2023.
Speaking with a Vietnam Veteran about Interpreters Wanted, he loved the film! 2023.
Almost a full house for my first screening and the World Premiere at Gig Harbor Washington, 2023.
This Vietnam Veteran was a multi-deployed Air Force Pilot, we shared stories about war, and growth, and being home, 2023.
The audience really embraced this film and asked some insightful questions, 2023.
Brooke and I at the VIP party for Gig Harbor Film Festival, 2023.
Midwest Premiere: Heartland International Film Festival
If you’ve never heard of Film Freeway it’s this huge website that filmmakers use to submit to all the available festivals out there and there are alot! We probably submitted to over 30 but when I heard we got into Heartland International Film Festival I knew this film was going to go somewhere. Heartland has consistently been named a top U.S. Festival and they totally lived up to it. We were greeted like movie stars and we had two amazing screenings.
Brooke and I were able to fly out our two daughters and they joined us for the trip, which added a really special aspect to this festival. We toured Indianapolis and then drove down to Nashville Tennessee to see my sister and brother-in-law. Another Bucket List for sure. I also want to thank Sandrine Cassidy who’s the USC Festivals person who introduced us to this festival.
Arriving in Indianapolis for Heartland Film Festival with my love, 2023.
The fam touring downtown Indianapolis, 2023.
The Military Memorial downtown Indianapolis with the girlies, 2023.
My girls, popcorn, candy, beer, pop, lights off, lets go, Heartland Film Festival, 2023.
Red Carpet at Heartland Film Festival with my fam, my team, my girls, 2023.
This woman worked with Saifullah and Ismail during their time in America and came out to see their story, she loved the film! 2023.
The girls and my nephews in Nashville, TN, 2023.
The girls, the nephews and a corn maze in Nashville, TN, 2023.
My crew and my sister’s crew, love the fall, 2023.
No One Left Behind Special Screening: Utah Valley University
So many more thank yous to go around, this time goes to Barry Olsen, Katharine Allen of InterpretAmerica, our friends from Utah Valley University and our advocacy partners No One Left Behind. NOLB is an amazing organization that is now ten years active and has been the activist organization that has done the most for getting Afghans to this country and helping them once they’re here. No One Left Behind originally partnered with us when it was a short scripted film, so it was super special for me to finish/screen the film and have them along this journey. Read a great article by MultiLingual HERE.
Our government’s absolute failure to help the interpreters get out of Afghanistan (and Iraq and Syria and…) is a national shame and NOLB has been on the forefront of helping these amazing people flee from their homeland because of the ongoing violence. Utah Valley University graciously hosted this event and our friends at Transcend Translation and ID.me paid for Brooke and I, along with Saifullah and Ismail to join with another amazing and informative Q&A. We collectively raised thousands of dollars with an auction and all proceeds went to No One Left Behind. Sometimes when you can’t change the whole world, we just try to change one life and let’s see where that gets us. Onward!
Forever trying to make her laugh, 2023
Traveling but always getting that workout in…. well I be posing, she be running, 2023.
My family, my brothers, popcorn, candy, pop, lights off, lets go, Utah Valley University, 2023.
My brothers alongside the leadership of No One Left Behind, we did it team! 2023.
A great Q&A with my brothers Saifullah and Ismail and the NOLB team, 2023.
My brothers and I with our partners Barry Olsen and Katharine Allen, who’ve been there since the beginning of our kickstarter campaign, 2023.
Saifullah and Ismail always captivate the audience with their stories and insights, 2023.
Saifullah, Ismail and Brooke with fellow Tillman Scholar David Parkinson, thanks for coming out to support our film! 2023.
This Veteran held my hand tightly as he recalled his experiences and expressed his gratitude for our film, 2023.
Up Next: East Coast Premiere, Winning at the G.I. Film Festival and Dances With Films Los Angeles
The future of Interpreters Wanted is exciting. We premiere on Veteran TV Monday August 26, 2024. Subscribe to my email list to follow what’s going on with us!
Lastly, I always have to point back to the whole point of this film; the brotherhood made with Saifullah and Ismail and the other interpreters we fought alongside. This film is the least I could do, love you guys!
On The Road With Interpreters Wanted: Film Festival Circuit (Part 2 of 2) gets into the second half of our film festival showings where we go to Martha’s Vineyard for our East Coast Premiere, then to Arizona where we won best documentary, and we round out the festivals winning the top award at the G.I. Film Festival and end with the amazing Dances With Films in my hometown of Los Angeles. Stay tuned and see you at the movies!
Brooke, Ismail and I on a rainy day after an amazing viewing with a packed audience Martha’s Vineyard, 2024.
Brooke and I after winning the Founders’ Choice Award at the G.I. Film Festival, 2024.
Brooke and I at Dances With Film in Los Angeles, 2024.