We’ve had quite the good times back home in Philadelphia: sharing meals, telling stories and participating in a favorite past time - Buy Nothing Day. It comes from the fine folks at Adbusters, read up on the where & why at their website.
You might be aware some of the interviewees from The Ordinary Radicals have tons of fun every year putting on Buy Nothing Day events all across the US & Canada. One particular BND event close to our hearts here is the Philadelphia event. It’s organized by friends connected to The Simple Way and features everyone’s favorite thrift store super friends: The USAntiheroes!
Read up on their past antics while Jamie heads out to film their latest adventure.
On the way back to Philly, the Detroit Airport had a string of delays. No sweat, as Jessica from the Potter Street Community house just so happened to be on the same flight! Great times dreaming and scheming about gates and gardens for our little piece of the world in Kensington, Philadelphia.
Made it just in time for the Philly screening at Trinity, home to quite the bunch of close friends from movies, college and life in the 2-1-5. Included in this fine bunch were senior editor Dave Manzo, producer Kevin Hackenberg and visual effects supervisor Stephen Chandler. Special thanks to Meg and folks from Yes! And… CAMP for the popcorn, sweets and “The Ordinary Radicals” cake!
OK, this trip’s been a blast. I’m going to take a nap or two, work on paying off my sleep debt and catch up on life back home. Keep an eye out for info on the Jesus For President tour DVD and the five 60 minute DVD’s of The Ordinary Radicals: Special Topics series coming out in the new year.
On the homestretch, I had a great time with Nancy and the folks from True North GR, who hosted the film at the ATC Center, part of the 15,000+ student Community College there. All sorts of great questions after the show, and I got to hang out with fellow directors Eric Johnson and Eric Machiela of Gorilla Pictures and talk film nerd over some great local brews.
Made it across the border to Ann Arbor, MI for a screening with some great folks. Lots of eager moviegoers came out for the film, with tons of great questions afterward.
Jon Ellegood, Director at Chelsea First UMC, really took the lead on setting this up. Rev. Eric Stone, Chaplain/Director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan and Tim Seigler of Ann Arbor FUMCco-sponsored this well attended event.
Eric and his wife took me to a great breakfast joint with delicious waffles and a waitress from Alaska who filled me in on the checks ($2500!) Alaskans get for having oil drilled there. Guess that’s where the “Drill baby drill” comes from.
Well kids, we’ve reached a new milestone. 500 (yeah, five hundred) people came out to the famous Bloor Cinema in Toronto to see our little film that could, The Ordinary Radicals. It was an honor to get to hang out with Brian Walsh, the fine folks of Empire Remixed and a last minute fly in from good ol’ Shaner for the talk back session. We had a great little after party at a new community in Toronto who were so gracious to host our lively bunch. I’m hoping to figure some way back to hang out again.
Super special thanks to Philly’s favorite Canadian editor, Jon Marck, for letting me crash at his place for a couple days. I keep trying to convince him to move to Philly, but after spending time with great folks in a great city, I can see why he’ll stay. Also, check out his band, Barn Owl, and pick up some sweet tunes.
Had the chance to sit down with Sandra B. from radio 105.9FM in London, Ontario. Sandra, her friend Clay and I got to hang out at their studio and talk on air about all sorts of what nots. I really enjoyed talking with them (we talked just a much off air as we did on air).
OK, time to drive to Ontario. I’m sure there’s a Tim Horton’s somewhere I can snag a cup of coffee. Why don’t we have Tim Horton’s in Philly? Too bad for us.
Hey there kids. So, I got to hop a flight to Detoit, pick up a rental car and scoot across the border at Port Huron to London, Ontario: population 350,000 and home of the University of Western Ontario. There I stayed with professor John Dool– who teaches systemic theology at St. Peter’s Seminary–and his wife Pat, who made a great cake for me! It was gooooooooood. I really enjoyed hearing what a Phd in religious studies had to say about the film and the shift happening in Christianity in the last couple years.
Next I had the chance to visit Mike Wagenman, a Chaplain at UWO and along with John, one of five groups in London who pitched in to host & promote The Ordinary Radicals at the theater on campus. We hung out all day and had a great time talking movies, social justice and meeting students excited about all that seems to be happening in small ways (with great love of course).
More than 200 excited folks came out to the screening, which could not have happened without the fine work of James Waite-the Coordinator for Western Film. It’s nice to hop from place to place like this and talk shop with a fellow film nerd.
Follow that up with nearly three hours of questions at the college pub’s back room with about 60 eager folks! It was a blast. Thanks so much to Theology on Tap, UWO, and the other great supporting groups that made this fantastic screening possible.
What a great time in the Pacific Northwest! Let me tell you, Stacie Chamberlin Collier is a powerhouse. I’m so impressed with how much she made happen. Thanks to her husband Joe and their family, and thanks to Stacie for driving me around and getting me to Idaho too! I was pleased as punch to have one more state checked off the Where I’ve Been app on Facebook– so much fun. If you get the chance and eat meat, you’ll enjoy Dick’s Drive In hamburger joint. Might kill ya dead, but it’s a greasy good way to go. Took me a day for my more-often-than-not vegetarian body to recover, but it was worth it for sure.
We had a great screening at The Magic Lantern Theater, after a tasty potluck with the fellas of a New Monastic style community house with Zach and the crew. I later finally got to meet Michelle Riddle of Empyrean Coffee (go there and tell her I said hey!) They screened the film at their place later the next week to good reviews as well. We all went out into the Spokane nightlife together and had a great time. I’m hoping we can get a January screening at Whitworth so I can visit again!
What a great time we had in Lexington! We had over 400 people come out to The Kentucky, a gorgeous old theater from the 1920’s. We had to start the film a half hour late, as the line was a block long to get in! Talk about good problems to have.
This screening was a benefit show for the Kentucky Refugee Ministry, who’s work is deeply felt there. It was great to see the long line for their volunteer sign-up sheet.
I’m most thankful I got to hang out with Billy & Maria Kenney, long time friends from Communality. It was the highlight of my week to get to spend time with them and talk movies, politics and catching up on life until the wee hours & on the drive to/from Lexington. Thanks so much to you both, and thanks to One Horizon for helping us with the film! We couldn’t have done it without you.
OK, so I get a couple of days to work at the shop: catch up on production of a Jesus For President tour DVD, a 60 minute 5 camera shoot of Cornel West speaking for PBS broadcast, and to make sure all of your DVD’s are shipping! Whew…then off to Spokane, Portland and a “live via satellite” Q&A at CCDA in Miami in-between.
Oh, and one more thing: I have to tell you if you’re ever in Lexington, go hang out with the guys at The Kentucky. The most entertaining stories you’ll ever hear. I almost missed my cue for the talk back talking with Ray, the local horror movie celebrity and technician for the theater!
The two screenings in Covington KY were great! Here at the beautiful Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, we had a morning screening just for clergy and they loved it. It was an interfaith hospitality event, so I’m happy to report to the 6 billion fellow non-christians out there: yes, they actually to talk to each other!
This evening’s event was filled with folks of all ages, and included Rick Weaver, the brother of Mark Weaver (of Price is Right Ordinary Radicals fame) and family. We had lots of great questions and tons of excited movie goers. Good time indeed.
A super special thanks to Steve Halloway, pastor of the Latonia Baptist Church who was so nice to have me stay with him and his wife at their house. Honestly, meeting folks and getting to talk & share a cup of coffee is pretty much my favorite part of all of this and the Halloway’s made it a fabulous time.
Next stop, Lexington with my good friends Billy & Maria!
Sending love from the road,
~jamie
PS: Just for kicks, here’s a time lapse I made of the backyard garden at The Carnegie that used sneakers for planters. So much fun.
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