A moment to brag....

Soooo, I have lots and lots of incredible weddings still to share with you all... but first I have to take just a quick moment to brag a bit about the incredibly talented people in my life. Last Thursday I drove north to Chippewa Falls for a VIP event. The world premiere of an independent film both my brother Andre' and brother-in-law Seth have been working on for the past several years.

If you've been following this blog for a while then you may remember a post from last November about the film. At that point they were just screening the film as they worked to complete the editing.... well the film is finished and last Thursday it premiered to a sold out theatre of friends, family, actors and producers. I can't even begin to tell you how very excited and proud I am of these two!

The story of "Illegal Use of Joe Zopp" originated with a group of 7 friends who all grew up together in the Chippewa Falls area. Although the film is set in Purewater (a fictitious town) most of the filming took place in the Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire area... hence the premiere's location. My brother-in-law Seth was one of those principle seven members. Andre' first became a part of the movie when he was cast in the supporting role of Winslow Garduno. With his degree in Theatre & Film it wasn't long before he was put to use in other post production aspects of the movie.

As I settled back in my seat with a bag of popcorn I turned to Aaron... butterflies in my stomach. Why was I nervous? There was no reason to be... and yet I found myself unable to find a comfortable position in my thoroughly plush seat. What if the movie didn't do as well as they hoped? What if I didn't like it? What would I say to my family?!? As it turns out those nerves were completely for nothing... The film turned out far better then I ever could have imagined. And was it well received??? Well it was the top grossing movie at the Cinema over the weekend! How incredible is that!!!!

If your from the Chippewa Falls area be sure to stop by Micon Theatre and check it out. The movie will be playing through this week, although they may extend that based on the high ticket sales so far. The film was also just recently accepted into an International Film Festival in the Twin Cities this fall... so if your from Minnesota be sure to check that out. If you'd like to read more about the film you can find lots of information on their website.



I just love this image... all the other films playing alongside Joe Zopp last weekend.



The Chippewa Falls group of writers, directors, producers.... (short one member as Joe was unable to attend)



Being interviewed by the press. Here's a link to an article in the local paper....

Some local coverage



At the request of his sister... hamming it up for the camera!



My new favorite family photo! Could my mom be any prouder?!? :)



The weekend of the premiere in Chippewa Falls "Illegal Use of Joe Zopp" also participated in the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. Below you'll find a link for their very first review!

First review