FTLOM (short version) receives SMOGDANCE FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award for Best Picture!

The short version of For the Life of Me – a 29 minute cut of the feature film focusing solely on the story of Dave Kiley – premiered at the 12th annual Smogdance Film Festival (which runs concurrent with Sundance) on January 24th. The film garnered rave reviews and a surprise audience award. With the beautiful and compelling films in the open category, and filmmakers from as far away as Iran in attendance, it was an unexpected (but welcome!) honor. Perhaps an even greater reward for me was to sit in the Laemmle Theater for the two screenings and witness the audience reactions to Dave’s story. Audible weeping can be as profound as a standing ovation…

A deep thanks to Elise Lewis (and her husband and family) for their support of this festival and others!

In addition, the film had recent screenings on three new continents: Antarctica, South America, and Africa. Top this off with the news at the end of the month that For the Life of Me has been selected by the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami, and January was a stellar month!