We did it!

A little over a month ago, our team assembled to make FLY AWAY and fly we did! In just 14 days, each 12 hours long, we made something pretty special. The performances were dazzling, our brilliant cinematographer shot gorgeous footage, the cracker jack crew pulled rabbit after rabbit out of their illustrious hats and we got ourselves a movie! As Beth Broderick herself said (who has been on hundreds -- if not a thousand -- movie and television shows, and worked with that many crews), ours was one of the very best. The shoot was focused, intense, but happy. The only drama was on the screen! And after it was over, we all still liked each other! Well enough to hang out for hours after wrapping out of my back yard, over pizza, beer and fabulous champagne provided by our big hearted Associate Producer, John Yonover. John and his son, Matt (by the way, it was a requirement to either be named or related to someone named Matt to work on our film; we counted 6 of them on our crew!) flew in from Chicago, did great work as extras in our restaurant scene, and shared their generosity all day long. So now into the editing room! More updates soon. And thanks to each one of you for all your support.

Yours,

Janet

What could make a mother more proud?

Directing my first feature has been filled with profuse and profound blessings and delights. But one of the biggest was getting to direct my own son in a scene! My child, Matt, is now 16. Hardly a child anymore. At five feet, eleven inches, I'm looking up to him. And not just because of his height. His incredible courage, tenacity and sweetness inspires me every day, as does his amazing transformation into a confident, competent, engaged young man. Who could happily hang out on a bustling movie set, swirling with a crew of gaffers and grips, waiting hours for the 15-20 minutes it took to shoot his actual role! Ten, five, even 3 years ago, I would never have imagined last Tuesday. For either of us! Matt played the part of a Server at NICE CREAM (a fantastic gelato store on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice---run don't walk!), where our two main characters share one of the lighter moments in our story. (You can see photos of this happy event in DAY 9 of the daily blogs.) By the way, NICE CREAM gelato is not only totally organic and delicious, but incredibly low in calories. The owners, Laura and Christian Neilsen, not only donated the location to our shoot, but Laura appears in the scene. As well as my mother! The morning became even happier, when the crew got to sample the product. Nice, indeed!

And now...onto the home stretch. The last 4 days of our shoot, Saturday to Tuesday.

Janet

Still flying

We wrapped our first week of photography on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.. In five, 12 hour days, we covered 56 scenes and didn't go into overtime! An amazing accomplishment, due to the talent, dedication, focus and integrity of this group. The cast is amazing. Not only are the performances truly astonishing, but their all-in team work, and flexible, good humored adaptation to this close to the bone shoot is inspirational. And the crew is phenomenal; warm spirited, highly skilled and tireless, they really have formed a community. Not only does it take a village to make a movie, they became a village in my backyard, under tents! Someone once said that second to love, the greatest gift one can give is labor. I am grateful and humbled by the contributions of the cast and crew to this labor of love.

Now...Onto week two! Which Pete will continue to report with breezy charm.

Yours,

Janet

A Statement from the Director

As the mother of a child with disabilities, I was immediately thrust into the
challenge every parent must face at some point: meeting the needs of your child
when it is at great cost to yourself. Perhaps the very measure of love is what and
how much we are willing to sacrifice. Although parenting someone with Autism is
particular, the primal drive to do the best for oneʼs child is universal. FLY AWAY
tells this story.

FLY AWAY is a personal film, derived from experience. As I have journeyed with
other parents of children with special needs, Iʼve witnessed great pain and
extraordinary passion. Iʼve also watched parents unable to place their children in
full time therapeutic residences, when it was clearly needed. While such
placement is not best for all or even most children on the spectrum, itʼs tragic
when parents are too plagued with fear and guilt to make the choice when it is. If
FLY AWAY eases the pain of even one parentʼs torturous decision, or if it
expands the heart of even one person untouched by Autism to accept our
children and appreciate our struggles, it will have been well worth making. The
authenticity of our story can provide insight and hope. Truth often does.

The stark emotionality of the story will be matched by the overall aesthetic. The
raw aesthetic of low-budget filmmaking, enhances our storyʼs intensity. We will
shoot FLY AWAY with a digital camera, making use of natural light whenever
possible. Much of it will be shot hand-held, in the observational style of Cinema
Verite. In the Neo-Realist tradition, we will film in actual locations. Our actors will
look accessible and feel relatable. Glamour will be left at the door.

-Janet Grillo