Almost connecting, like the asteroid that’s passing by… November 16 will mark two years since the cameras started rolling for the five week shoot on The Insatiable Moon. And November 12 will of course be the night of the Aotearoa Film & TV Awards in which, despite the odds, we’re in the finals for six categories. It’s one of those close encounters which creates a space for reflection on what’s happened in the interim. At one level is the history of events. From where we started out on that cool and dark morning two years ago, it would seem a great deal has been accomplished:

We finished the film on time and on budget (tiny as that budget was)

We managed to pick up enough investment to get post-production finished

We were selected for the NZ International Film Festival, where we became the first film to sell out

We were picked up for theatrical distribution by Rialto in NZ

We achieved a distribution deal with Blue Dolphin in the UK, where we enjoyed great gala premieres and a subsequent run in cinemas

We released on DVD in NZ (where it remains a best-seller), the UK, and just recently the rest of the world

We won the Atlantis award for best foreign film at the Moondance International Film Festival

We screened as the official selection on Rialto channel

We sold the film (together with the associated documentary) to Maori Television

We were selected for six of the big categories in the NZ film awards

 

But perhaps the most rewarding part of it all has been to sit with audiences as they are immersed in the story of Arthur, and to find the constant of laughter and tears in response. We called this project ‘a small film that might just change the world’. It was a bit tongue in cheek, but the reality is that even if it hasn’t made a huge splash, the film has been affecting people deeply. We’ve developed an international family of fans and supporters. The only thing we haven’t done is made back the money that our investors put into the film. It remains a sore point for the producers, as we feel a responsibility to honour the trust that was shown in us. So if we go on a bit about selling DVDs etc, please be understanding that we’re not trying to commercialize what is a magic story, but simply to repay the faith of some very generous supporters. If you’re one of those who enjoyed the movie, please continue to promote it to your networks. We are one of those movements that exists among ordinary people who talk to their friends. In two years we’ve come a very long way. Thanks so much for all the enthusiasm, aroha (love), and support.

 

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