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Wow! I have really learned not to underestimate the power of the internet! Two weeks ago, Runner's World magazine ran a short piece about Going the Distance on their website (I love reading the comments on their Facebook post about it!) and since then, the film's YouTube views and online presence have absolutely skyrocketed! As I write this, more than 65,000 people have watched the film, and that number has been increasing by the thousands every day! In addition, the RW article prompted other publications and blogs to run stories on the film. I have linked to some of those articles below (apologies if the links break down over time!):
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 A few weeks ago, Going the Distance made its festival debut as part of the shorts block at the Salem Film Festival. I was very impressed with the turnout for the shorts program, which took place on a brisk Sunday morning at CinemaSalem. I was also very impressed with the other films programmed into the block, including two films by friends and fellow Nonfiction Cartel members, Gen Carmel (Letter to Subi) and Ben Pender-Cudlip (Memorial).  Q&A session at the Salem Film Festival, March 6, 2016. L to R: Nonfiction Cartel members Gen Carmel, Ben Pender-Cudlip, and yours truly! The last few months have been a bit of a blur! A few days before I welcomed my son, Silas, into the world, I got the very exciting news that my Penn Relays film – Going the Distance – had been selected from more than 900 submissions as one of five finalists in the NBC Sports Cptr’d Short Film Competition! The competition – which is in its inaugural year – challenged filmmakers to make short films on sports-related topics of their choice. It was affiliated with the South by Southwest Film Festival, so after a month-long “online viewer voting period” (during which I pestered my friends and family with way too many “please vote!” emails and Facebook posts), NBC flew all of the finalists down to Austin, TX during SXSW for the watch party and winner announcement. 
 Checking out my film on the big (okay, not so big!) screen ;-) The event itself was great. It was held on a giant lawn overlooking Lady Bird Lake on a perfect spring day: sunny, high 70s… exactly the kind of day you’d relish after spending the previous four weeks cooped up with a newborn (no offense, Silas!). Nicole and I wandered around with our beers, and did some good old-fashioned people-watching before the ceremony. Note: Austin is great for this no matter what time of year, but especially during SXSW! When it came time to announce the winners, they had us all sit on a stage for a short Q&A. It was very informal and relaxed, which I appreciated as I am not one for being in front of the cameras! My film was awarded 2nd place in the competition. Of course I was gunning for first (who wouldn’t be?!), but I was also very happy and honored to take home second place honors.  Celebrating my 2nd-place win in the NBC Sports Cptr'd Competition. After the ceremony, Nicole and I wandered around Sixth Street for a bit, trying to summon the energy for a celebratory drink. However, four weeks of no sleep + flying halfway across the country for 24 hours does not a drinking mood make, so in the end, we settled on some Voodoo donuts and went back to the hotel for a full night’s sleep… the trip’s true prize! :) |
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