DUers in Washington, D.C. or who know someone in D.C., please help....

[GumboYaYa]

A documentary film that I co-wrote and co-produced, Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, premieres at the E Street Theater for a one-week run on Friday, September 22nd. If we do well in the first weekend, we may be extended for a longer stay. Our goal is to keep the film in D.C. until the November elections. We think that it has a message for voters that needs to be heard before this next election. Succeeding in D.C, is also critical to us getting the film out to the rest of the country.

We have completely funded this film ourselves b/c we believe in its message, but we simply do not have the funds to do an advertising or marketing campaign. We managed to have a six-week stay in St. Louis (after being initially booked for only one-week) by using grassroots to promote the film. We handed out flyers, called friends, sent emails and relied on our audiences to talk about the film to their friends and family. We are not on the ground in D.C. and we need help there.

The film premiered at the Silverdocs AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival where it was awarded the Audience Award. Skinner went to the premiere and wrote this review: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Skinner/111 Film Threat(www.filmthreat.com), gave the movie 4 and a half stars and called it "one of the most pleasantly entertaining films of the year". the trailer can be seen at www.mrsmithmovie.com

We follow the 2004 Missouri Democratic primary to replace retiring 28-year veteran and former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt. It's told from inside the campaign of Jeff Smith, a 29-year old adjunct political science prof who embarked on a quixotic bid against Russ Carnahan, scion of Missouri's most powerful political dynasty. As one analyst says: "The Carnahan name is to Missouri what the Kennedy name is to Massachusetts."

The odds against Jeff are overwhelming. He starts with no money, no political base and no name ID. His staff is a hodge-podge of political nobodies - mostly his former students. But with the help of DFA Founder Howard Dean (who appears in the film), he mobilizes an army of nearly 500 volunteers, generating a youth-oriented grassroots insurgency that poses a serious challenge to Carnahan and overturns the conventional wisdom about the race.

The film, which the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called the best political documentary since "The War Room," offers an unvarnished look at the inside of what Roll Call dubbed one of 2004's most surprising campaigns.

First, I hope all of you get a chance to see the movie. Second, please help us promote it by telling your friends and family about it also. I really appreciate any help you guys can give us.

Thank you.

[quiet.american]

1. I'm not in DC, but I'll give this thread a K&R from NY. n/t

[GumboYaYa]

8. Thank you n/t

[ninkasi]

2. Good luck to you

I'm nowhere near D.C., and don't know anyone there, but I do wish the best of luck to you. If I were close enough, I would most certainly attend. Maybe other DUers will keep the thread kicked so more people see it.

[helderheid]

3. not there but k&r

[Synnical]

4. Will forward this thread to a friend in DC

Best of "luck" to you. :kick:

[GumboYaYa]

6. Who said "luck" is the intersection of preparation and opportunity? n/t

[Synnical]

33. No one that I know of . . .

Which is why the word was put in quotation marks. :) Also, I hold no belief in "luck"

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[mzteris]

5. passed along

to my daughter in DC with request to forward info to her friends. (One of whom works with the BBC, btw...)

[GumboYaYa]

10. Great, we need all the grassroots support we can get.

[Recursion]

7. I'll be there

E St. is my favorite theater around here.

[GumboYaYa]

11. Awesome, after you see the movie, tell me what you think

of it.

[williesgirl]

9. Kicked - I'm 60 miles from DC but sending to friends etc that live, work

in DC They'll pass it around too.

[GumboYaYa]

12. Thank you.

Viral marketing has really worked for us. The power of the internet and email is amazing.

[Chalco]

13. Fantastic. I'll go to the premier and will forward to

everyone. Thanks. Will you be there?

[GumboYaYa]

14. We are not going to D.C. We thought about it, but

me and my co-producers are so tapped for cash after paying all the expenses for this thing that travel has had to be sacrificed.

Thanks for your help, let me know what you think after seeing it.

[Glimmer of Hope]

15. I will try to see it next weekend. Your flick should do well in DC!

[GumboYaYa]

16. We hope so.

It seems like it should.

[lala_rawraw]

17. i am in DC, right at the e theater...

who are you? pm me

[GumboYaYa]

20. YGM, go by the theater.

Our poster is up with all the info about me and my co-producers on there.

[lala_rawraw]

35. see my PM

[sistersofmercy]

18. EVERYONE SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY. IT"S GREAT!

I saw it here in St Louis and it's a terrific mix of politics and humor. Just a great documentary gets 5 stars from me.

[GumboYaYa]

19. Thank you.

How are things going? I have been so busy with this thing lately that I haven't had much free time.

[sistersofmercy]

23. Things are alright

Did you get my email about the movie? It was really great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let me know if you get some free time I'd love to get together and chat. How's the other thing coming along?

[GumboYaYa]

24. The other movie is coming together well.

We shoot a show in New Orleans with Wynton Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, and some other musicians on the 18th. Jude Law is emceeing that one. Then we flip up to Chicago and shoot another show with Peter Martin, ellis Marsallis, Dianne Reeves, Nicholas Payton and some more on the 22nd. It will probably be 07 before we book the rest of the dates for those shows, so I hope to slow down in the next couple of weeks. Let's get together in early October for lunch.

[sistersofmercy]

27. Sounds good to me!

I thought you were probably busy with the other film since I hadn't heard from you. I have told anyone who would listen about Mr Smith the movie. I have friends in CA who would love to see it. Good luck with the filming in NO and Chicago. I love Wynton Marsalis!

[sistersofmercy]

21. Hey GumboYaYa!

How have you been? Did you go to the Art Fair last weekend? Just got off the phone with a friend in DC I told him the website for the trailer, he's going to chaeck it out. Are you going to DC for the premiere?

[GumboYaYa]

22. I went to the art fair on Friday.

I love that event.

We are not going to DC. I have another movie that I start shooting in Chicago the same evening we open in DC. It is a concert series to benefit the recovery of New Orleans and the first show is at the Chicago Symphony Hall that night. We are donating the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.

[sistersofmercy]

25. That's great

The reason I asked is I would have hooked you up with my friend in DC. You would have fun talking politics with him.

[GumboYaYa]

26. LOL, I've heard about some of your friends before.

Is this your friend that you do battle with all the time?

[sistersofmercy]

28. Yes

We had a huge knock down drag out debate at the Delmar Lounge. Another friend of mine was trying to play referee and said to this friend, "hey remember she's the one driving." To which my debate opponent stopped dead in his tracks and asked, "You wouldn't leave me here would you?" I said "of course not." It was pretty funny. He likes Mark Warner for 08.

[GumboYaYa]

29. I figured as much.

I think Warner has a good shot in '08.

[sistersofmercy]

31. And

he's going to be in town in a few weeks and we're already slotted for another round of drinks and debate. We'll be discussing Lebanon. See you in October.

[Nikki Stone 1]

30. Not there, but will kick your post

I wish I could help.

[galloglas]

32. FWIW, if this helps....

I spoke to someone in St. Louis who saw it. She, and her whole group, were brought to tears. And she is a tough cookie!

Help however you can, DCers!

[GumboYaYa]

38. People react strongly to the film.

The audiences seem to get the humor and the raw emotion that we wrorked hard to creat. It is very gratifying when I hear stories like yours. Thank you.

[NastyRiffraff]

34. Do you have any printable flyers?

I'll post some on my company's bulletin boards if you do. I'll also tell my friends about it (and go see it myself!) I love e street.

[GumboYaYa]

39. Awesome. As a matter of fact we do have printable posters.

Here is a link:http://www.mrsmithmovie.com/media/mr_smith_poster(small).jpg

We have been asking people to print a small label with "At the E Street Theater - Starting September 22nd" and then copying those. I also have some color posters that I can send out if you are comfortable PMing me your address.

Thank you for offering to help. I hear that the E Street is an awesome theater.

[Dem2theMax]

36. Have you contacted Americablog?

John lives in D.C. and he has tons of connections. If anyone can get the word out in D.C., it's John. Go for it. :) And good luck!

[GumboYaYa]

40. I have but have not been able to get through to him.

Can you help? I am sure he must get tons of emails.

[Dem2theMax]

42. He has a spam filter in place at his site.

If you have emailed him, check to see if you have a 'verify email message' from his web site. I have a spam blocker and it took four days before the 'verify email message' showed up in my email. Don't know why, but it took that long to show up. When you get the 'verify email' you just have to click on it and then he will be able to receive your emails (including any that you have already sent.)

I've written to him in the past and he has replied. So keep trying! :)

[Samantha]

37. My suggestion: get an ad in The Express

It's a free newspaper distributed at Metro. Everyone boarding the trains picks it up. It's everywhere.

You probably would have to pay to advertise, but I am sure you would get great results.

I found today's copy and here's the fine print at the back: Advertising: Bob Keenan at 202-334-6025 or [email protected]

It's distributed by The Washington Post so I am sure the advertising pays for the distribution of the free little paper, but it would not be the same as advertising in literally The Washington Post.

I cannot begin to tell you how many people ride the metro in DC but if I wanted to advertise something badly, that's where I would start.

[GumboYaYa]

41. Thanks for the idea.

We may run a small ad in the Washington Post on Friday. The theaters expect that of us as part of the booking. After that we have to do low budget advertising. This sounds like a good possibility.

We may also have people handing out flyers at the Metro Stops, particularly in DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan and around the Hill..