Rats and Bullies Update

Hi and Happy Summer to everyone!

We (my partner, Ray Buffer and I) are thrilled that within the past few months, hundreds(!) of people who have joined our Email Newsletter Mailing List for our documentary film. We truly appreciate all of the interest in our movie, Rats and Bullies: The Dawn-Marie Wesley Story. We are grateful for the support, and could not go forward without it. All of the thoughtful and heartfelt emails we receive each day are an inspiration to us.

DISTRIBUTION NEWS:
Currently, the Film is being set for distribution with just a few final edits in the film editing room. Although we have finished "cuts" of the Film that we have been showing to Schools, etc., we, as perfectionists, want to make sure we have the best cut for our distributor clients. We are having meetings with various interested distributors and we want to ensure the proper direction of travel for our Film as it makes its way through the Film Industry.We feel the Film has an important message to stop bullying and relational aggression among both kids and adults, so we want to make sure our Film can be seen by as many people as possible, and in the best possible format.

FILMMAKER APPEARANCE SERIES NEWS:
We have had overwhelming response to our Filmmaker Appearance Series, and continually receive requests to come and show the Film throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Holland, Europe...... Wow! We are just in awe of the tremendous response our Film has received although the Film hasn't even been distributed for purchase yet. Thank you to all of you for your requests. While we can't fill all the requests due to travel expenses, limited funding, and time involvement, we try to do what we can.As some of you know, and for those who may not know, (so we will fill you in on why we have to show the Film only for private groups, schools)...as we near possible distribution, at the present time, our music licensing contract for the Film allows us to only show the Film as part of a "Private Showing", whereby we the Filmmakers have to be present with the Film and show it only to private audiences such as Schools and Conferences, etc.

MOST RECENT APPEARANCE:
Our most recent Filmmaker Appearance, took us to the great states of New York and New Jersey, where we showed the Film to six different Schools in the New Jersey area. The Superintendent of Schools took great initiative in arranging the Showings and he arranged for the School Districts to rent out a large movie theatre in the wonderful town of Washington Township, where we showed the Film at an historic theater called, "The Washington Theatre." A big thank you to the manager of the theater for all of his help. We were moved by the deep emotions of all the audiences who saw the Film, (including students from middle schools, high schools, faculty, teachers, parents), and appreciated all of the kind and touching emails we received from audience members upon our return to California. We are glad those in attendance were touched by the Film and that it gave many teens some thought on the serious and dire consequences bullying can have. And we were very happy to read in some of the emails, that some of the teens who had been participating in bullying behavior prior to seeing the Film, stopped their hurtful behavior after seeing our Film, and some actually went and made amends with their bullying victims. It goes to show that each one of us, can make a difference for the better, in someone else's life.Here are two Newspaper Articles written about our latest Film Showings in New Jersey:

The Warren Reporter
The Express Times

We also appreciate all of our hardworking and VOLUNTEER office team, such as Brad Hawkes and Joanne Greene, without whom, our Office and Filmmaker Appearance Series just wouldn't run!

GOING FORWARD
For those of you in and around Los Angeles, a special version of Rats and Bullies will be screened in conjunction with the one-act play by William Mastrosimone, Bang Bang You're Dead in late January of 2008 for at least four showings. There will also be free youth performances available for schools that can transport students to the performance location: Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. We will also be present for an after performance discussion. For more information go to http://www.therelevantstage.com/

We promise to keep you all posted with any and all updates. We appreciate your patience in this journey of bringing our self-funded Film "to market," (the Film Market). It is a long road, but we are almost at our destination: distribution. Thank you again for all of your support and kindness.

Sincerely,
Roberta McMillan