The Faithful .....

  

 A movie about us and our devotion and love for Elvis. I personally spoke with Annie during Birthday Week after she interviewed Me, Char, and Angie for the film. This film will be good for the memory of Elvis . I recommend it highly.

THE FILM
"The Faithful" is a documentary journey to Graceland, Kensington
Palace, and the Vatican to find out what makes Elvis Presley, Princess
Diana, and Pope John Paul II three of the biggest cultural icons of our time.
This film challenges the viewer to abandon his/her preconceived
notions and to experience the communities, events, and individuals
first hand. As we share in the experiences of the cast of pilgrims,
we begin to see ourselves in their actions. The viewer actively
participates in this transformative journey of self-discovery. What
initially might have seemed strange, kitschy, or crass on the surface
reveals itself as a sincere expression of love, grief, and loss.
Ultimately, this is a film about the human experience.

For many different reasons millions of people's hearts were touched in
some way by Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, and Pope John Paul II.
This documentary explores just that: those people who have been
'touched' and the effect that this has had on their lives.
We went through great efforts to seek out fans who our viewers would
be able to identify with. People with families, jobs, lives-- in
other words, REAL people like you and me. We'd like the rest of the
world to experience the love, community, and generosity that we
ourselves have experienced from all of you.
OUR INTENT
I often encounter Elvis fans who are wary of anyone making a
documentary on Elvis fans. I I completely understand the fear given
that, sadly, most of the portrayals in the commercial media are
exploitative of the fans. There is unfortunately this view in the
corporate media world that the 'wacky' and 'strange' sells.
This is NOT at all what we are doing nor is it what we are interested
in doing. Perhaps if it were, it would be easier for us to raise
funds, broadcast and distribute. The distributors would have us
believe that people are not interested in real stories about fans.

My co-producer, Sara, and I believe otherwise. We are doing this as a
labor of love. We rely on the help and support of individual
contributions. We have made the most incredible friends in the Elvis,
Diana, and Catholic communities. It is our every intention to produce
a film that they will all be proud to be a part of.
YOUR HELP NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS FILM
WHAT'S LEFT TO DO?
To complete this film, we need your support. Additional money is
needed for the post-production process, including editing, film
scoring, licensing, and distribution. This year has seen sizable
budget cuts in funding for the arts and we can no longer rely on
grants alone for support. In this economy, we must rely on
contributions from individuals like you.
Some budget items that will need to be paid for 2005 include the film
score (recorded with live musicians), 'final cut' editing by a veteran
editor, final sound mix down, licensing fees, and pre-distribution
costs. Many other expenses are provided "in kind" but there is often
no substitute for cash. ;)
HELP US COMPLETE THE FILM:
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to The Faithful in 2005!
Simply make donation checks out to: The Center for Independent
Documentary (CID) and mail to: Fish in the Hand Productions/31 Tremont
Street Suite 2/Cambridge, MA 02139. You will receive a thank you note
that you can use for tax filing deductions.
LEVELS OF SUPPORT
$100 or more will guarantee you and on-screen thank you credit (unless
you prefer to remain anonymous). With a donation of $1,000-$5,000 you
will be listed as a "Primary Funder." Donations greater than $5,000
will receive "Major Funder" status on screen and can include
customized type faces/logos.
No contribution is too small (or too large)!
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP!
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS, HOME MOVIES, ARTWORK, POETRY, TRIBUTES!
Do you have photos of yourself with Elvis, of an Elvis concert, of
your Elvis room, of Elvis Weeks throughout the years? Do you have
pictures with other fans? Photos of you outside the gates of
Graceland? Do you have audio recordings of events, news clippings,
home movie/video footage taken of your trips to Graceland or to Elvis
Weeks? Have you ever written a song about Elvis or about being a fan?
A poem? Do you have original artwork you created? Send them to us
and we'll include them in the film! .. and, we'll include your name
in the credits!
The opening sequence of the film will feature a slide show, video, and
photo album montage of material contributed by fans. We want to take
the viewer into the personal realm of the fans and faithful and show
mementos from trips and events, so tell all your friends !!
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Join our mailing list by sending an email to: fish@fishinhand.com.
Indicate "Subscribe" in the Subject and include your contact
information and comments in the email. We'll keep you posted of our
progress and when and where you can see screenings of the film.
CONTACT INFO
I am happy to personally discuss this film further with anyone interested.
I can be reached at annie@fishinhand.com

Thank you!,
Annie Berman(film Producer)  Kari Lugo(fanclub President)