In May of 2010, Gorilla Pictures took a trip to Philadelphia, PA with a few of our friends from Amway. The goal? To document the work of Amway’s Positive Sprouts initiative, part of their One by One Campaign for Children. There we filmed the creation of an inner city garden, purposed to teach children about sustainable food sources and healthy living. The resulting effort was pretty cool. Philadelphia’s Amway community showed up in a big way and worked with the Frankfort Boy’s and Girl’s club to literally create the garden in a day.

The video we created to document this event has been accepted into Boston College’s, Center for Corporate Citizenship Film Festival. While our work was only a small part of what Amway is doing through their One by One campaign, we’re excited to have contributed and wish them lots of luck in the film festival.

If you would like to see the video and cast a vote to help it win, simply follow this link and scroll down until you find the entry labeled “Amway.” You can’t miss it.

For more info check out Amway’s blog: blogs.amway.com

It’s cliché, but where in the H does time go? We’re nearly in the smack dab middle of 2010 and I feel as though I just cracked the New Year’s cork a few weeks ago. C’est la vie. But the mid-year point got us to discussing, why shouldn’t we blog about five things that have very little to do with Gorilla film production? No reason not to!

1.) A small rant here but where have all the good movies gone this year? Disappointing films (e.g. Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland) and flat-out flops (e.g. MacGruber, Cop Out) have reigned supreme. Box-office receipts seem okay, considering, but that’s only because they’re gouging our wallets with sharpened spears, turning everything into 3-D and expecting us to pay for it. We’re forced to digest remakes (e.g. The Crazies, Clash of the Titans) and this weekend is giving us two 80’s remakes: The Karate Kid and The A-Team – do we really think these are going to be any good? The one shining moment in the first half of ’10 has to be How to Train Your Dragon. A delightful romp and guaranteed to be near the top of this guy’s best movies of the year list. Especially the way things are going. Come on, Hollywood. If you won’t make OUR movies, make something we want to watch, eh?

2.) The Waterfront Film Festival starts tonight in Saugatuck, Michigan. It celebrates some of the best filmmakers in this here state and beyond. Two such filmmakers being Alexander Caleb Slain and Jared Rummel, whose relentless efforts alongside us scrappers at Gorilla, brought to life “The Lost & Found Shop” – showing this weekend at the festival. Since this is about the 83rd time we’ve blogged about this movie, you’ll know we’re mighty proud of this little film that could and the collaboration that happened to make it so stinkin’ neat. (I realize that this has more than “very little” to do with Gorilla film production but I promise from here on out…nothing but nonsense.)

3.) Speaking of short films, the guys at Gorilla Pictures were recently exposed to this YOUTUBE TRAILER for a movie called (simply) “Movie Title”. It’s a trailer that celebrates all movie previews clichés … and I wish I had made it. Kudos to the minds behind this. Funny stuff.

4.) Coincidence? Fate? For all the dreamers out there, check this STORY out. Guy meets girl. They fall in love; they get engaged. Then, looking through photos for the wedding day, they realize that they had been in the same place, at the same time … 15 years before. Even the filmmakers at Gorilla have a soft spot for this balderdash.

5.) And last but not least, World Cup Soccer begins tomorrow!! Get your red, white and blue on (or whatever colors you bleed), grab a noisemaker, and turn it to ESPN because this once in a four-year event only happens every … well, four years. Eric Johnson and Eric Machiela have a soft spot for the World Cup and the immense popularity of it. Four years ago, just before the 2006 World Cup, they worked with Athletes in Action in seven (7) different countries, capturing the stories of several international soccer players. If you care – and you should, go back to the home page, click on the Project Map and navigate your mouse to Cote D’Ivoire (West Africa for the geographically illiterate), Germany, South Korea, Spain, or the U.K. and catch an excerpt. This is the world’s greatest sporting event, as evidenced by THIS PHOTO. No but seriously…it’s sweet.

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of 2010!

So if you’re familiar with all things Gorilla, you know that in January we partnered with writer/director Caleb Slain and producer Jared Rummel to help bring to life THE LOST & FOUND SHOP. A copy of the Press Release can be seen here: Press Release – Lost and Found Shop

The 8-minute film did very well in an online film festival and is just now beginning its rounds in “real-life” film festivals, starting this weekend at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan. It’s playing both Saturday and Sunday. If you’re in the area and want to come support the film, click this link for more information on the when and where: Film Festival Favorites Short Film Program

And if you can’t make it out for our showing, well then a.) Shame on you and b.) come on down at any rate and support film production and exhibition in the oft-great state of Michigan! Hope to see someone besides us there!

Ladies and gentleman, we are pleased to announce that Caleb Alexander Slain’s “The Lost & Found Shop” has not only been recognized as a merited film on the acclaimed Doorpost Film Festival’s website but also is leading the pack with 2070+ views — nearly 1,400 views more than any other film on the site!

For those in the dark, Gorilla teamed up with writer/director Slain and producer Jared Rummel (among dozens of others!) to help bring to life the story of a girl searching for a lost memory – a piece of her identity. The production went swimmingly and the response has been overwhelming. If you haven’t had a chance, please go here (www.thedoorpost.com), click on the Identity tab on the left, do a little downward scrolling and find the Lost & Found tab. I trust you won’t regret it.

Thanks to ALL who helped make this film a reality. This is just the first step.

A direct link can be found here: http://www.thedoorpost.com/identity/film/thelostandfoundshop

The first Gorilla production of the year begins this weekend! The Lost and Found Shop, a short film written and (to be) directed by Caleb Alexander Slain, will be filming over the weekend in Spring Lake, Michigan on the RED Cameras and ARRI Master Primes. The production is ambitious (71 shots kind of ambitious), and with 45 people (crew, company, and cast) on set Sunday, we can promise one of two things: A.) Joy, elation and high fives when we get off 40 shots and finish an hour early or B.) Caleb’s body is dumped in Spring Lake and found in the spring thaw along the shore. Let’s hope it’s option A! Because The Lost and Found Shop is slated to be entered in the Doorpost Film Festival and if all goes right in the world of film production, we’ll need Caleb well into the spring. The turnaround on the edit will be quick so check back soon for more information.

And, lastly, for your entertainment: Peter Pan Play

The link has nothing to do with Gorilla’s production company or The Lost and Found Shop. It’s just funny to laugh at high school plays that go horribly wrong. And watch the whole thing. It only gets more delightfully cruel. (My favorite parts — at 0:23 a guy in the audience makes the most underrated statement of the year and 1:17 is just … great.)