Tuesday, January 8, 2008

#1 on YouTube

2007 was not an easy year - as a lot of supporters know - for the project. After a challenging pre-production schedule during which many who understood the subject matter and/or the geo-political dynamics in Zimbabwe recommended against doing the project - the crew ran into some 'difficulties' in Zimbabwe during production. As a result, all blogs written during the shoot had to be temporarily removed out of concern for safety of director Michealene C Risley & the crew!

We've come a long way since then and are very excited about where the project is headed in the next several weeks and months. Here is a re-cap at some of the key recent milestones:

- Huffington Post carried a series of blogs written by Michealene Risley describing the incidents during the shoot.

- The
Tapestries trailer (recently updated for better readability) is featured as the #1 video under "Film and Animation" Category on YouTube. Stay tuned for more teasers!

-
IndieGoGo, a new community site which connects filmmakers with their fan bases and supporters and launching at an exclusive Sundance 2008 event and party, will feature Tapestries as a launch partner. Other filmmakers signed up include Steven Starr (For Love or Water, 2008 Sundance selection), M dot Stange (We are the Strange, 2007 Sundance selection), and Chris Roberts (The Believer, 2003 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner).

- This blog recently won the New Communications Review’s ‘Award of Excellence’ due to the live blogs Michealene posted while in production in Zimbabwe.

- Our Facebook Group “Silent Bravery: Women of Africa” has close to 1,000 members and our continued collaborations include Stanford University to make headway on the social initiative leading up to the film's release.

- Keplers' bookstore in Menlo Park and La Belle Day Spa in Palo Alto are carrying a line of silver jewelry (also available online at http://savehope.blogspot.com) that designer Janelle Gibson co-launched with Freshwater Haven (the non-profit side of Fresh Water Spigot) to support the project.

We look forward to your continued support!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Cinematical covers TAPESTRIES Trailer launch

Cinematical, the top blog covering independent film, makes a mention of the recent Tapestries trailer launch on YouTube. From the post by Kim Voynar:
While it's always fun to enjoy a big, effects-laden blockbuster or the latest rom-com at the theater, it's little films like this, driven by the filmmaker's passion for the project, that really speak to the dedication it takes to make a doc. like this.
Stay tuned for news and updates throughout the year! Contact us to get involved!

Other blog mentions about Tapestries trailer launch:

- George Karahalios' blog
- Srihari's blog
- TED Fellow Ethan Zuckerman's blog (I left my heart in Accra)
- AfricanLoft feature article