Alaska, the beautiful

I just got back from Alaska a couple of days ago still recovering from sleep deprivation, exhaustion as well as the excitement of the trip.

Sadler's Ultra Challenge is the world's longest wheelchair and handcycle race over 267 miles from Fairbanks to Anchorage.
This year there were 26 racers: 21 of them were handcyclers in three different divisions and 5 of them wheelchair racers including James Lilly. The whole community of about 100 people including the racers, race organizing staff and myriads of volunteers traveled together along the race over the 6-day period. Volunteers come from all over the country and the world. Most are young adventurous souls there for an experience, but we also had a group of professionals who donated their time to be a part of this incredible event: They were the EMTs, massage therapist, chefs and the "Goldwingers"(four motorcyclists who chaperoned the race to make sure racers and the pilot cars are safe along the course)! Oh, I must not forget the community support we were blessed with in each town we stayed where the locals provided lodging and dinners. By the time the race is over, it is a whole big family. Anybody who has participated in the race can attest it.

With my documentary finished and having a world premiere public screening, it was a bit of a sentimental journey for me. In 1999 I had gone there as a volunteer for Sadler's Ultra Challenge with a small Hi-8 camera looking for a story. Eight years later I was back again as a volunteer cheering for James, who became an integral part of my life since then, and other racers reminiscing these years of my own struggles to get this film done. Just like those racers who persevere over the 6-day race, I had to climb a lot of mountains to get to the finish line. So to see my movie projected on a big screen in front of a couple hundred audience was a feat. I admit I couldn't stop my tears...

After all it was so perfect I had the world premiere in Alaska as this was where all began.
Alaska will always have a very special meaning to me for the rest of my life for being where one of my dreams came true, and its breathtaking beauty is a bonus.

Still Pushing Forward....

After months of silence, I'm back on the blog. Honestly, I was intimidated with the idea to keep posting the updates of my project.

The BIG NEWS! I have a distributor!! Fanlight Productions is a very respected distributor of educational programs based in Boston. It sure took me a while to decide, but I'm really excited to work with them. The DVD of Pushin' Forward will be officially available by mid-July!!

The other news is that Pushin' Forward is FINALLY having a world premiere on a big screen on July 23, Monday at Bear Tooth Theater in Anchorage, Alaska! (http://www.beartooththeatre.net/

What's Next?

So it took me seven years to finish this documentary, "Pushin' Forward."
I'm sitting here scratching my head wondering what's next.

I've been taking a lot of actions, though, submitting to film festivals, making contacts with all kinds of people varying from other filmmakers, distributors, to educators, non-profit organizations, etc., etc.
I keep modifying my goals, hence the plan with this film -- perpetually thinking about how or where or what I can do with it.
Ultimately, the more parents, the more pre-teens, and the more educators and people who work with the youth it can reach, the bigger the impact of this film will be. So this film should be spread through some kind of grassroots activities. I would like to tap into this massive movement currently taking place in Los Angeles to tackle the ever aggravating gang violence here. But how or where....? I went to the L.A. City Council meeting last week and was utterly overwhelmed. There are so many entities trying to work on this issue. Yet, as Ms. Connie Rice had indicated in her report, the problem is that they are not working together, just scattered and uncoordinated effort all over. Phew!

I would love to have Mayor Villaraigosa and/or LAPD Chief Bratton to watch the film and give me a raving review.
Yes, that would be awesom, and I'm working on it. Still I just get overwhelmed about where to begin.

Today, I met with people at National Latino Fatherhood and Family Institue in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization that works with all sorts of issues contemporary latino population deal with in their life.
My film touches on everything they do.
They all applauded, but what's next?
We could plan some events to screen the film and invite James Lilly to participate in discussion.
Yes, that's what I would like to do.... start with one group at a time.

Still I'm thinking out loud.... "What do I do next today?"
May be I'll go take a bath.....